Finding Inspiration When You Feel Creatively Drained

Overcoming Creative Block

Feb 21, 2025

Hello reader! 😁

Creative block, it happens to all of us. That frustrating feeling of wanting to create but not knowing where to start. I’ve faced it more times than I can count, and through trial and error, I’ve learned a few things about why it happens and how to push through it.

I remember reading a book, can’t recall which one since I devour non-fiction like candy, but it mentioned something interesting: creative block often comes from a lack of knowledge. At first, that idea surprised me, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

If you’re stuck, unable to bring an idea to life, chances are you’re missing a key piece of information. Maybe it’s a technique you haven’t mastered yet or a concept you haven’t fully grasped. And sometimes, it’s not just about knowledge, it’s about fear. The fear of not doing something well enough, of making mistakes, of failing. That fear can freeze you in place, making you doubt yourself before you even start.

For me, things get even trickier because I have ADHD and ASD. My brain either races with too many ideas at once or gets stuck on one thing for way too long. And then there’s burnout, another major cause of creative block. I’ve experienced this firsthand, especially with YouTube. I’ll go all-in, producing tons of videos, feeling unstoppable, until suddenly, I hit a wall. My energy is drained, my motivation disappears, and I find myself staring at my screen with no clue what to do next.

These two types of creative block, lack of knowledge and burnout, are often connected. The more exhausted you are, the harder it is to absorb new information. The less you know about something, the more overwhelming it feels. It’s a cycle, and breaking out of it isn’t always easy.

Right now, as I write this, I’m in a bit of a creative block myself. I want to draw, I want to start earning passive income, but my mind is elsewhere. Instead of working, I sit with my headphones on, daydreaming. It’s frustrating, but I know from experience that forcing creativity never works.

So what do I do? One trick that helps me is frame studies, specifically from anime. I pick a scene I like, study the composition, and redraw it in my own style. It’s like a warm-up for my brain, a way to ease back into creativity without the pressure of coming up with something entirely new. Why anime? Well, I love it, for one. But also, anime art is structured in a way that makes it easier for me to break down and understand compared to realistic human figures.

Creative block is something I deal with often, and my ADHD and ASD make it even more unpredictable. Sometimes, I get bored. Other times, I get overwhelmed. And sometimes, I just need a break.

And that’s the key, sometimes, you just have to ride it out. Forcing yourself to create when your brain isn’t ready usually leads to frustration. But when you step away, give yourself time, and find small ways to re-engage with your creativity, the ideas eventually start flowing again.

So if you’re stuck, don’t panic. Take a step back, try something different, and trust that your creativity will return, because it always does.