5 ways I get myself out of a creative funk.

“STUCK” was one of my eldest daughter's first words as a baby.

I thought it was hilarious. She'd wedge her chubby little baby leg into all sorts of places, climb onto or under something with no idea how to get down or out.

Not such a funny thing when you're in middle age and having an existential crisis because the moon moved a few degrees and threw up a bunch of shadows and everything just feels hard. Waaaaaah.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re wading through hummus, read on for my go-to's for when I'm stuck in the non-enjoyable kind of creative and/or existential funk.

1. PUT ON SOME MUSIC & MOVE MY BODY.
   Preferably something that is completely the opposite of what you’re currently feeling. “Return Of The Mack” is one of my faves, I can’t help but groove along to it. I jump up and down, shake every finger and limb and get my blood pumping. It’s pretty impossible to stay stuck in your head when you shift your attention to your body.

2. REARRANGE SOMETHING.
   This is a witchy tip I picked up a while ago & then I noticed I had been doing it for years... moving 7 things around in a room totally shifts the energy. It could be your altar, a bookshelf, the Tupperware cupboard, any part of your home or workspace that feels like an energetic dead-zone.

3. WATCH A RENO SHOW.
   Recently I heard the terms “smooth brain time” and “crinkly brain time” to describe the state your brain is in when it’s taking in information, learning & forming new pathways (crinkly) as opposed to smooth brain time which allows your brain to truly rest. For me, reno & architecture shows like Home Town, Bargain Block or Grand Designs are smooth brain time. It’s enjoyable enough that I’m engaged & using my imagination but I’m not trying to learn anything, which let’s face it can be tiring as fuck.

4. RECORD AN AUDIO JOURNAL.
   I have never enjoyed written journalling, I find it clunky & awkward & my hand cannot keep up with my brain. So a few years ago I started using the Audio Messages app on my phone to ramble into when I either didn't have anyone available to talk to or it wasn’t actually something I needed to talk to someone else about. I find it a really good way to just get all the thought loops out of my head & close the abundance of open tabs. Most of the time I just delete them straight afterwards & I always feel waaaay better.

5. PULL A TAROT CARD.
   I don’t do tarot everyday but I’ve done it enough to be in tune with my cards to the point where I can feel what the card is telling me without needing to look up the meaning. I have a Rider Waite Smith deck and bunch of different oracle decks. It doesn't matter what you use, the real magic is when you can use them to gain a new perspective on yourself or a situation. It might just be the shift you need.

I hope you got something useful out of this! I’d love to hear what YOU do to get yourself out of a rut. Drop a comment below.