When you have a creative block, you have to write for the trash can.

The thing that unblocks creativity is movement. Flow. And the main thing that blocks flow is you — your ideas of what things should look like, a quality bar you've set, maybe one you've earned over years of practice. You're used to a certain level of output, and then you sit down and what comes out is far below that bar.

So you stop. You judge. You wait for something better to arrive.

Here's the thing: you can get unblocked. You just have to make garbage and be okay with it. There's no art police out there judging your practice. What you create in this phase may be completely different from what you share with the world — that's fine. But to get unstuck, you need to move. You're not going to get unblocked sitting there hoping inspiration will come.

the faucet

Think of it like a faucet you haven't used in a while.

Turn it on, and the air pressure built up in the pipes makes the water sputter and spray. It's inconsistent. Maybe murky. Maybe grimy. But you don't freak out — you know it just needs to run.

So you let it run. And it clears.

Your creative practice works the same way. When the faucet hasn't been used, the first thing that comes out won't be clean. That's not a sign that the pipes are broken. It's just what happens when things sit still for too long.

the critic can wait

As best you can, get the inner critic out of the way when you're trying to flow. The critic has a role — training, improving, reshaping your ideas — but that's a different phase. When you're trying to get unblocked, don't invite people in who are going to get in the way. Even the internal ones.

Just let the damn thing flow.