I feel like I’ve been in a creative rut for most of the year. I sit down with a brief and can’t think of one single thing worth saying. It’s like I just hit a wall and can’t get past it. Anyone else get this? Anyone know how to get past it?

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That’s frustrating. As if the job isn’t stressful enough, so I’m sorry you’re dealing with it. Def had my fair share of ruts. I’d say look for inspo in and outside of the industry. Visit love the work more, try out deck of brilliance, watch a great movie or stupid videos on YouTube. Follow Jason bagley and other creatives sharing advice. Also most of my good thinking happens on walks and not sitting in front of a computer screen so would recommend going outside. Lastly the brief should tell you what to say, up to us to figure out how to say it. So if you’re feeling like the brief isn’t giving you a good jumping off point talk to your strategist. Good luck and you got this!

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Yup, happens all the time to me, too. I usually do something that requires little brain strength to get me out of that stuck mode. Gardening. Painting. Long hike. Anything that just lets your brain perform something mundane and repetitive. You’ll find it’s not only calming, but that your brain will crave something more complex after an hour or so. And then it just starts to solve whatever that brief was. It’s kinda cool.

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There is this book, I cant remember the title, but it was about writing to recover from traumatic events. It had a bunch if exercises, writing lists, free association style body journaling, letters, etc. that were designed to basically help your process abuse, accidents, PTSD and CPTSD.

I have not gotten blocked since. I can plug and play any of these exercises and it leads me somewhere, every time. Guaranteed.

It got to the point where I was writing email drafts “to the brief” about why i thought it was wrong or what i thought the project would do to my personal life, and basically ideas started writing themselves. This was five years ago.

Not everything is lion worthy, but i always show up with some good stuff.

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I’d love to know it If you happen to remember. That sounds interesting

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I might suggest trying to do something creative outside of advertising / work. I like to think of myself as a creative first, and a creative in advertising second. Might help take some pressure off and get the ideas flowing

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Get it together dude

uplifting

Someday when you’re in a bad way, I hope someone gives you better advice than, “Get it together dude.” Not that you’d deserve it.

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Don’t try to find something worth to say, just try to find a bunch of things to say (good or bad). With the quantity, you will reach quality :)

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The solution is obvious: get laid off like the rest of us.

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