5 Creative Exercises to Break Out of a Rut and Spark Fresh Ideas

Everyone experiences creative blocks—they’re a natural part of the creative process. Still, it can be incredibly frustrating to want or need to create for work or pleasure and simply be… stuck. 

This article is a practical resource, showcasing specific Skillshare classes and exercises to help you rediscover your creativity. Whether you’re an artist, writer, designer, performer or any other type of creative, something in here should strike just the right chord.  

If you’d like to first do more reading about the creative process, check out these other articles:

Recognizing your potential—and having the confidence to access it—is essential but not always easy. These exercises will help. 

Combat self-sabotage and self-doubt with five exercises designed to help you access your potential. Most creatives occasionally encounter obstacles that make it feel nearly impossible to get started on projects. And comparing yourself to the picture-perfect (and sometimes AI-created) work you see online can make overcoming even harder. 

These exercises guide you toward an understanding of what holds you back, combating it and allowing yourself to enjoy the fruits of that work. Once you can implement this process on your own, it should be much easier to see your potential and bolster it with confidence.     

Overcome self-doubt and carve your own path with these five steps. All you need is a pen and notebook, though you may also download the worksheets provided in this class: 

Before starting this class, it’s important to acknowledge any way you might hinder your own creativity. Don’t jump immediately into guilt–you’re definitely not the only person who does this. 

You can adapt these steps to just about any kind of project, from updating your own home to jump-starting a job search to writing a novel. In any case, it will be about identifying what distracts you and any negative thoughts about your own capability. 

Meet the Teacher: Emma Gannon is an author, broadcaster and podcast host. She also works as a coach, helping people with creativity, wellbeing and living life on their own terms. Emma’s Skillshare classes center on self-discovery and nurturing your passions.

Take the Class: Unlocking Your Potential: 5 Exercises to Build Creative Confidence

Just because you sometimes struggle to generate ideas, it doesn’t mean you’re not a creative person. Use these techniques to better understand your own process.  

Rather than simply waiting for good ideas to pop into your head, get to know your own creative process and what gets the juices flowing. You might be surprised at how scientific this practice actually is!

In these exercises, you’ll get guidance on how to approach your mind and its systems to unlock creative ideas. Then you can put what you learn into a toolkit, pulling out what you need when your creativity feels blocked or hidden.

All you need for these exercises is a pen and paper, and the downloadable worksheet provided with the class (if you want it). The six tools you’ll learn for your toolkit are:

Think about the things that are barriers to your creativity, and then determine how to use space, time and habits to combat them. 

For example, you don’t need a home office to be creative. Maybe a coffeeshop is where the magic happens, or maybe it’s more about chance encounters with cityscapes or strangers. 

With time, it’s simply making the time for creative ideas. You might not have hours a day to draw, but you can set a timer once or twice a day that blocks off 20 minutes for sketching. Do this consistently, and things will happen. 

Finally, habits–look at all these tools and tips, which ones are you most likely to use regularly and effectively? Selecting the best ones will set you up to actually reach your goals. 

Meet the Teacher: Esteban Gast is a writer, host and speaker who likes to entertain and educate. He’s serious about breaking down complex issues and then building them back up with comedy and film.

Take the Class: The Creative Toolkit: 6 Techniques to Spark Original Ideas

Every creative person has their own style, but it isn’t always easy to figure out exactly what that is. Use these exercises to find your voice. 

It’s common for artists to follow and try out the styles of other creatives, sometimes fashioning themselves after industry trends to the point that their own voice feels lost. Often, getting your own style through is a process of experimentation, trial and error, and finding your creative identity when you least expect it.     

These exercises give you the choice of medium and the chance to explore who you are and what you have to say. Before you know what materials and styles suit you best, you need to know what you’re using them for, and that’s what you’ll figure out here. 

You can follow this class using whatever materials you have on hand, though you may also use the provided creative influences pyramid or style dice. The five exercises are:

Keep in mind that this is a journey, and you may end up in a very different place than you started. As you explore, ask yourself these questions:

Meet the Teacher: Andy J. Pizza is an illustrator, designer and podcaster whose work is rooted in whimsical narrative and modern graphics. In addition to working with major tech and culture brands, he’s also a creator and collaborator of art projects.

Take the Class: Find Your Style: Five Exercises to Unlock Your Creative Identity

Working to jump star creativity can be a lot of work. Sometimes it’s good to let your mind play, and these six doodle prompts will help. 

Especially if you do creative work for your career, it can start to feel repetitive and uninspired. Perhaps you’ve noticed you have less and less energy for projects you used to find fun. 

One of the best ways to break out of that pattern is with play. If you’ve come to rely on the same old patterns and sources of inspiration, try these six doodling prompts for a fresh perspective and renewed focus. 

For these prompts, you’ll need paper and pencil for drawing, as well as materials to add color and texture. Gather your favorite colored pencils, pens, chalks, markers, glue, scissors, tape, paints, and stickers–whatever materials you enjoy working with most. 

The six doodle prompts are:

Hopefully, these concepts open the door of your imagination, leading you to your own doodle ideas. 

To make the most of these prompts, do one every day, or spend a week on one idea, experimenting with different aspects or materials. Just be sure to keep it simple and playful, and take a day off here and there to let your brain rest. 

Meet the Teacher: Jon Burgerman is an artist and illustrator based in New York City. He’s worked with international brands like Nike, Pepsi and MTV, and his art has been in exhibits and events around the world. Jon believes that art is an agent for changing the world, and can also empower people to change their own worlds.

Take the Class: Creative Exercises: 6 Prompts for Fun Doodles and Creative Play

Are you struggling to find inspiration for your photography projects? You’re not alone. Sometimes the key is to pull back and look for connections and patterns in a new way, and these three concepts can help you start. 

If you’ve been at photography for a while, you might think you’re out of ideas. Or, if you’re just getting started, you might not know where to begin. Sometimes, you just need a little nudge to train your creativity in nontraditional ways.

These three exercises use basic concepts that exist everywhere to put a fresh lens on your creative process. 

For this class, you’ll need a pen and paper to sketch out ideas and take notes, as well as a camera. It doesn’t have to be anything high-tech–your phone camera is just fine. Depending on your editing needs, you may need photo editing software. 

The photo concepts to consider are:

Leafy often repeats the phrase, “Visually express your message through metaphors.” She stresses that creativity is everywhere, and looking to your own experiences and challenges is the key to rediscovering your inspiration. 

Meet the Teacher: Leafy Yeh is a visual artist based in Los Angeles who is originally from China. She engages with photography projects that explore authenticity and document life and growth. Leafy’s work has been published with Adobe, PhotoVogue and Paramount Pictures.

Take the Class: Creative Photography: 3 Conceptual Exercises to Unlock Your Inspiration

Any of these exercises can reignite creativity and build your momentum. They encourage you to shift perspective, leave a comfort zone and discover your own capability.

To get there, you’ll need to recognize the importance of experimenting, and being consistent about your practice. Whichever of these exercises you do, strive to explore them on a regular basis, whether once a day or on a weekly schedule. 

And if nothing here strikes your fancy, Skillshare offers plenty of other options, including:

No matter your creative rut, or how long you’ve been in it, you will find your creative voice again!