How to Be Creative When You’re Feeling Stressed Out

We've all been there. Trying to force something out of our souls but then quickly falling into a pit of despair and hopelessness. It's a trying time when the creative juices just don't seem to flow, and good writing seems to be out of reach.

It's important to realize that in this stressed-out state, creativity cannot flow. Stress builds a dam between you and your projects. It's not that you need to find a new "creative spark" to finish works of fiction, it's that you need to start viewing your writing process differently.

My Creativity Theory: Input vs Output

I have this theory with creativity. The theory is that creativity can only flow when you have a balance of creative input and output. Instead of seeing your creativity as a spark to be reignited, start viewing it as a balance like your finances.

To be a creative writer, you have to have a series of inputs and outputs to leave you with a balance of creativity. But if either end is unbalanced, then it won't work and you'll end up either dazed and unproductive or burnt out.

The Input

The first step is to input creativity. By that I mean, you need to give yourself stress-free moments in order to actually be creative.

As an example, I find nature and art galleries give me a lot of inspiration. For my life, it's important that I do these things regularly so I can keep exercising my creativity.

In your own life, you need to think about what activities give you energy. It could be drawing, knitting, baking, traveling. No matter what it is, it's important to feed your creative balance with inspiring moments.

The inspiring and fun moments you fill your life with is your "creative income" which will give you the power to write well later on.

Maybe the main problem is that people think creativity and inspiration happen out of nowhere. Like a sudden and random spark that happens in a snap but fizzles out shortly after. Through my own practice, I really don't think this is the case. I say that because any time I've felt uninspired it's because I stop doing things that make me feel inspired.

As soon as I did an activity that inspires me, like looking at artists in a gallery or doing a class of aerial silks, I all of a sudden feel like writing again. Hands down, I think it proves my theory.

The Output

The second part of the equation is the output. Going back to the finance analogy, creative output is how you decide to spend all the accumulated inspiration.

I think this is also important to point out because you might feel super inspired after filling yourself with exciting experiences, but you have to remember not to "splurge" so to speak. Take time to plan out and consider which projects you will tackle first.

I did this by identifying 3 main goals. My first is obviously my novel, the second is my blog, and the third is social media. Starting with my first goal, I scheduled the time I would write each day and made sure to track this. It's just like having a budgeting app for your creativity! For my blog, for example, I also have a schedule that is attainable for me to make sure that I am directing my energy in a productive way.

It's important to look at where your creative energy is going and consider if you are "overspending" on some tasks (which can lead to burnout by the way) or not spending enough in other areas (because then you won't make any progress).

How to be more creative in writing

As a writer, it's so important to consider your mental health. I've learned from my years of writing that you can't create from an empty cup. When you are on the verge of burning out and feeling stressed, you can't expect creativity from yourself.

These days, there's this toxic mentality when it comes to writing. It's seen as a grind. There's even NaNoWriMo that encourages young writers to churn out a whole book in one month! I think it's more sustainable to ask yourself: what do I need in order to be more creative in my writing?

I really believe in making time for creativity, but using your time and energy wisely. It's not about doing it all, it's about putting in the effort where you can and tracking it, in order to see progress over time. You can be more creative by dedicating 30 minutes to writing every day and making time for yourself to explore and feel good.

To me, being more creative in your writing means lowering stress and anxiety, giving yourself permission to do fun activities, and above all, enjoying the writing process for what it is. Having a finished book in your hands is nice, but living for the process is more fulfilling in the long run.