We all know the feeling of getting well and truly stuck on something. There is that stage when the initial excitement of a project seems to vaporize and all of the doubts come rushing in.
Suddenly you start to question what the hell you were thinking. ‘This is no good’, you say to yourself. ‘What a waste of time. What am I doing?’.
You get stuck for ideas and stuck for what to do next. Inspiration gets choked off and everything grinds to a halt.
This, as you can probably guess, is a pretty critical stage in your creative life. As this self-assessment rages in your head, the possibility that you are going to bail out becomes a reality.
There is a way to respond at this point that will give you some space and a fresh boost of energy – move onto something else.
Einstein’s Solution
Einstein called this kind of effect ‘combinatory play’. He would often pick up his violin at the point when things got clogged in his thinking and allow himself to get engaged with something else… anything else. Before very long a new thought would pop into his head and solve the stuckness.
Sitting in a funk and pondering your wasted life is not a recommended response. Instead, by side stepping into a new activity, allowing yourself to play in an unrelated sandpit will allow your creative self to re-engage and for inspiration once again to eventually pour forth.
I often use drumming as a way to practice this idea. If I’m at home, I’ll pick up an Udu drum or a small frame drum and run through some simple rhythm ideas. Nothing taxing, just letting rhythms flow.
It is a way to shift the endless monologue spinning through your head, you can access a place that is free of the noise once you bring yourself to the rhythm and the vibrations of the drum.
Don’t Have a Drum?
Without a drum you can use body rhythms using hands and feet, or else it can be anything that allows your critical voice to fade into the background. Try this simple pattern:
- Clap hands on beat 1
- Pat chest on 2 and 3 (right hand then left)
That gives you a nice simple three beat pattern. Now add a five beat pattern:
- Clap hands on beat 1
- Pat chest on 2 and 3 (right hand then left)
- Tap top of thighs on beats 4 and 5 (right hand then left)
Now join these together to get a three beat followed by a five beat pattern. Practice spinning that a few times then reverse it to get a five beat followed by a three beat pattern. Keep going!
In conclusion,it can be overwhelming to feel stuck in a situation. But, with the right tools and perspective, you can make progress. Just remember the next time you get stuck to use this simple rhythm trick to keep you moving until the next step or inspiration is revealed. No matter what happens you have taken a step in the right direction.