7 unconventional ways to overcome writer’s block

If you’ve ever stared at a blank page and thought, “Well, this is going nowhere,” just know that we’ve all been there. Writer’s block happens to everyone, even the most experienced creators. It’s frustrating, and sometimes it makes you wonder if you’ll ever have a good idea again.

Well, you will. It just might take a different approach to get there. In this article, we’re looking at how to overcome writer’s block in 7 unconventional ways. Not the usual “make a Pinterest board”, which you’ve probably already tried. These methods might feel a little strange at the beginning, but their playful and human nature is exactly what will help you get unstuck.

So, let’s get into it! 

1. Do absolutely nothing

This one might sound counterproductive, but sometimes the best way to get inspired is to stop trying. Don’t brainstorm, don’t outline, don’t even open the doc. Step away from the screen and do...absolutely nothing. 

The pressure to be creative on command is often what blocks the ideas in the first place. Creativity doesn’t work that way. Sometimes, it needs time because ideas require space and freedom to form. When you’re constantly trying to make something happen, your brain puts up a wall. And the harder you try to break through it, the more resistance you create.

So, instead of forcing it, try giving yourself permission to pause. It is not procrastination or being unproductive; it’s very much the opposite. When you stop forcing things, that’s when they start coming naturally. Go for a walk with no goal in mind. Lie down and look out the window. Listen to your favorite songs without doing anything else. Let your thoughts wander. And watch the ideas come to you without even trying.

2. Fire your inner critic

Perfectionism is the main enemy of creativity. It doesn’t help you do better work; it just keeps you from starting at all. That pressure to “get it right” from the first sentence can lead to procrastination, second-guessing, and complete paralysis. 

But here’s the thing: creativity isn’t about getting everything perfect on the first try. It’s quite the opposite, because in fact, mistakes are often where the most interesting ideas come from.

When you let yourself make mistakes, you might:

• Discover a new angle you hadn’t considered
• Realize what doesn’t work, which is just as valuable

So, what can you do with your inner critic? Give them a name and job title and then, kindly but firmly, fire them. Or demote them to assistant editor and tell them their shift starts after the draft is done. 

3. Walk and rant – scientifically proven!

Funnily enough, a lot of creative work happens while sitting at a desk typing silently. But—it might not be the best way to get to the idea. You might actually be a better thinker when you’re up and moving and when you’re talking, not typing.

So if you’re stuck, try this: pace around the room or outside on a walk and talk it out. Ramble about what you’re trying to say or why you can’t figure it out. Don’t worry about sounding smart, the goal is to think out loud and see what ideas come out once you’re in motion and the pressure’s off. 

Use a voice memo app and hit record so you don’t lose anything good. This method combines two things that help with creative blocks: moving your body and getting you out of your head by breaking the silence. 

And the best part? It’s scientifically proven!

• Stanford found that walking boosts creative inspiration by 60%—participants in the experiment came up with more original ideas while walking compared to sitting, proving that walking supports divergent thinking. 
• Ness Labs says research shows that sharing our thoughts out loud engages different cognitive processes than silent thinking, leading to many benefits like reducing cognitive load, improving clarity, and strengthening memory. Plus, voice engages regions in the brain tied to empathy and emotion, which is especially helpful when you’re creating content with storytelling in mind, since stories often rely on emotional depth and connection.

4. Change your environment

If you’re always creating in the same space at the same time, it’s no wonder that the ideas might start to feel stale. So when you start feeling the writer’s block coming, it’s time to try to change your environment.

Novelty acts as a mental wake-up call. Changing your surroundings, adding unusual stimuli, or simply mixing up your routine can trigger fresh neural links, help your brain break free from autopilot, and keep your creative thinking agile and alive. 

The change of your environment could be as simple as switching rooms at home or in the office, sitting on the floor instead of at your desk, working at a café, or taking your notebook outside. You can also try rearranging the furniture a little bit or buy a new fresh flower to put on the desk next to you. A new environment changes what your senses are taking in, and that new input can quietly start to reshape your thinking.

Also, remember that it’s not just about the space you’re in while you’re working. Sometimes, just being in a new setting during your off hours is enough to give your mind the nudge it needs.

9 proven ways to spark content ideas

Running low on content ideas? The good news is there are plenty of strategies to ignite your creativity and keep your content flowing. Here’s how to get started.

Read the blog

5. Set a ridiculous constraint

If you’re looking at a blank page, one of the fastest ways to get out of your head is to give yourself a completely absurd rule to follow. 

Some examples for content creators might be:

• Write an entire blog post without using the letter “e”
• Make a video that’s exactly 17 seconds long—not a second more
• Pretend you’re explaining your topic to a toddler or an alien
• Try summarizing your next article in the style of a cooking recipe
• Create a LinkedIn post using only emojis and one sentence

You’re not necessarily publishing the result, the point is more about creating something and defeating that blank page, and getting unstuck.

There are many reasons why this method works, but one of them is that fewer stakes equal lower pressure. If you’re writing a fake alien version of your blog post, you’re not trying to be perfect, you’re just trying to produce something somehow. And by doing that, you’ll quickly get unstuck.

6. Get inspired—by yourself

When you’re stuck, it’s tempting to search everywhere for inspiration. You might go to other creators, competitors, books, social media, even AI. But sometimes the best place to look is...you.

Go back to your own content that’s performed well. A blog post that still brings in traffic, a LinkedIn post that got a lot of comments, or a newsletter that people were replying to for days. 

Now ask yourself:

• What kind of headline did I use?
• What is the structure of this piece?
• Was the topic evergreen or trendy? Broad or very specific?
• What’s the tone? Casual, personal, funny, direct?

If something connected with people once, there’s a high chance there’s a tone, structure or an angle you can build on again. Copy yourself. You’ve already proven you know how to do this!

If you want to dig deeper, we’ve actually put together helpful resources on some of these topics:

• If you want to excel at writing headlines, check out our blog on proven headline formulas that work
• If you’re curious about what trendy pieces you can create that might potentially go viral, check our blog on how to go viral

7. Use noise to help you focus

You might think you need total silence to focus. And maybe sometimes you do. But if you’re looking at the screen in a quiet room and your brain feels louder than ever, that silence might actually be working against you.

Research from the Journal of Consumer Research found that moderate ambient noise, around 70 decibels, can boost creativity, proving that noise is not all that bad!

Sometimes, the quiet makes space for more overthinking. That’s where a little background noise, like the hum of the café or a white noise loop, can help. That steady sound creates just enough stimulation to quiet the noise inside your head. It gives your brain something to rest against so it doesn’t wander off into perfectionism or panic.

You’re never out of options!

As you can see, if the usual go-tos like Pinterest boards or mind mapping aren’t doing the trick anymore, that doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Creativity comes in different shapes and forms, and sometimes the unexpected methods are the ones that finally get things moving.

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