You don't lack creativity—you lack the right systems.

This is something I've recently realized.

Even though I thoroughly enjoy writing—I struggled to keep it a consistent habit.

"I don't have any ideas right now."

Whenever I did get a few ideas? I'd judge the hell outta them.

"No, that's not good enough. I can't write about that."

If you're reading this—I'm sure you know the feeling.

You're staring at a blank screen, the cursor blinking, and even though your mind is usually going a million miles an hour, you can't seem to find a single idea right now.

Yeah, same. I've been there.

From my own experience—I've found that there are usually 5 leading causes for experiencing these creative blocks.

Let's dive in.

1: You Lack Quality Sources of Inspiration

Whenever I have "writer's block" I think about this quote from Ryan Holiday:

“There’s no such thing as writer’s block (just insufficient research).”

This is one of the main reasons I get stuck: I'm just not consuming high-quality content (aka doing research).

You'll often hear people say things like "Stop consuming and start creating."

But the funny thing is—you need to consume in order to create. You can't cook a meal if you don't have food in the fridge.

But what you consume needs to be conscious and intentional. Want to cook a gourmet meal? You need to source high-quality ingredients. None of that McDonald's shit over here, homie. You need high-quality inputs to produce high-quality outputs.

Avoid The Echo Chamber

Want to create content & a brand that is unique and different? Avoid the mindless scroll on social media.

“If you are getting all of your content from Twitter while trying to grow on Twitter — you will probably end up with the same perspective as everyone else.” —Dan Koe

Plus, let's be real—most of it is just really effing bad. People dancing like monkeys to please an algorithm. Chasing trends, trying to copy what's popular instead of creating something meaningful from the soul.

It's like running a chained fast food joint instead of a local, high-end restaurant with a curated menu. You end up serving the same watered down content just like every other McDonald's on the block.

If you want to build a memorable brand—avoid serving the same processed junk as everyone else and start crafting your own unique dishes.

Actively seek inspiration outside the noise. By consciously stepping outside of what's trending or popular, you expose yourself to a wide variety of perspectives, giving your work more originality and depth.

If you only consume what everyone else is consuming—you can only create what everyone else is creating.

Dive into long-form content from valuable creators.

Then dive deeper.

Read diverse books. Study diverse fields.

Design. Sports. The culinary arts. (Whatever is interesting to YOU.)

This also helps you apply analogies and metaphors in relation to your topic. When you consume content through the frame of your creation—you find unexpected connections.

"If you read books on different topics and different genres and different formats at the same time, your brain can’t help but find weird connections between them." —Austin Kleon

2: You Passively Consume Content

Either you are passively consuming content by mind-numbing, surface level scrolling or you do consume high-quality content such as podcasts but you aren't actively engaging with them.

Actively engaging with content means consuming with the intention of creating.

You must capture ideas like Pokémon—but don't let them rot in your Pokédex. Train them, battle-test them, and evolve them into something legendary.

Actively engage with content by capturing the ideas that are meaningful to you, reflecting, and synthesizing.

Once you start actively engaging with content by capturing your favorite ideas—create a writing habit where you reflect on and dissect the ideas you've captured.

Ask questions like, "Why is this compelling to me?" and "What personal experiences do I have in relation to this idea?"

This helps to transform the information into inspiration, fostering creativity and a deeper understanding of the source material.

3: You Judge The Ideas You Have

By now, you have ideas but you are judging the hell out of them. No idea you have is "good enough." You struggle with perfectionism.

"Ugh. I can't put that out."

This is exactly how I felt a few weeks ago.

My last newsletter was an idea I felt like wasn't good enough to publish.

"No, that's lame. I can't do that. I need to think of something else."

But the deadline I set for myself was looming (more on this below).

I had a few days before my next newsletter was due so it was go time. As I fleshed it out—I got into a good flow with it and actually ended up having fun writing it. I think it turned out pretty well!

The ideas you have probably aren't that bad. Just put them out there and let the audience decide.

But don't waste time waiting for a response.

Move on and create your next piece.

4: You Suffer From The Curse Of Knowledge

You assume that everyone already knows what you know.

You've picked up new skills and knowledge and now it's normal to you. So you forget what you already know is not necessarily common knowledge. What's obvious to you, might not be so obvious to another.

For example, with design, I sometimes forget the fundamental principles of design aren't common knowledge for most people. Things like color theory, contrast, and hierarchy. I forget not everyone understands the strategy that goes behind web design. (Hint: it's not just pretty colors.)

The solution? Share what you know.

What seems basic to you might be groundbreaking for another.

Your expertise might feel like second-nature now but for others it's transformative.

Don't assume everyone knows what you know.

5: You Lack Deadlines

You postpone publishing because you don't "feel ready," and you're waiting on the perfect idea to arrive.

I would know.

This is a big one for me!

I published this newsletter bi-weekly at first—then it ended up dropping monthly because, "I didn't have any ideas." I didn't have a strict deadline. I basically dropped it whenever the f**k I felt like. I'd postpone sending a newsletter because it wasn't "good enough," which led to my inconsistent publishing habit.

Now I have a different way of going about it.

Besides missing last week, due to a change in scheduling (I got a new job), I've been dropping this newsletter every Sunday and I've realized something: Deadlines actually foster creativity.

Remember when I said I felt like my last newsletter wasn't a good idea (above), but I published anyway?

It was because the deadline was looming, which forced me to stop judging the idea and start fleshing it out. I got into a good flow with it.

Deadlines act as a forcing function for creativity. It's not something you'd like to do—it's something you have to do.

By creating some healthy pressure your subconscious mind will kick into gear to help you solve this "problem."

Because you know the deadline is looming you'll spend time actively engaging with high-quality content. You'll capture ideas like Pokémon, take notes, reflect and synthesize. You'll stop judging your ideas because the time is ticking.

I used to think that creativity was random and spontaneous, but in reality it's built on structure and discipline.

If you set up the right conditions—creativity flows.

“I know that to sustain these true moments of insight, one has to be highly disciplined, lead a disciplined life. You aim for writing one page at a time, one day at a time. What’s of importance is the depth of your intention.” —Henry Miller

So if you feel stuck, it's not because you lack creativity—it's because you need the right systems, habits, and inputs to fuel your imagination and foster your creativity.

Think of creativity as a garden.

Ideas are like seeds.

You must:

• plant them (by reading and consuming high-quality content)
• water them (by taking notes, reflecting, and synthesizing)

If you don't—your garden won't grow.

Still feeling stuck? Book a free clarity call with me here. I'd love to hear what's holding you back and see how I can help.

Until next time, my friend.

—Priscilla [Player 2]