Breaking Creative Blocks: Start with How You Feel

Creative blocks used to terrify me. There were days — sometimes weeks — when I would sit staring at an empty page, feeling the weight of it pressing down. I thought that real artists must somehow always have ideas, that they didn’t freeze up or doubt themselves the way I did. Of course, that’s not true.
Every artist I admire struggles with creative blocks. The difference is how they work through them.

For me, one of the most important breakthroughs came when I realized I didn’t have to start with a “great idea.” I could start with something much simpler, and much more real: how I was feeling in that moment.

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How I Use Emotions to Break Through Creative Blocks

Now, whenever I hit a wall creatively, I don’t force myself to come up with a clever concept or a perfect composition. Instead, I check in with myself:

• Am I feeling anxious?
• Excited?
• Bored?
• Restless?
• Peaceful?

Then, I let that feeling guide my hand. Sometimes, I’ll pick colors that match my mood.
On anxious days, my drawings may be composed of jagged lines, chaotic forms, and clashing colors.
On peaceful days, I might lean into soft gradients, flowing shapes, or quiet scenes. At other times, I’ll start moving my pencil or stylus without thinking, allowing the marks to emerge as a direct reaction to my physical and emotional state. It’s not about making something polished or even “good.” It’s about moving. About connecting. About getting out of my head and back into the rhythm of creating.

Pull Quote:
“When you’re stuck, don’t search for ideas. Search for emotions.”

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How Other Illustrators Can Use This in Their Work

If you’re struggling with creative blocks (and if you’re human, you will!), starting with your emotions is a simple, powerful practice. Here’s how you can try it:

1. Name your feeling.
   Before you start, take a deep breath and ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?”
   Don’t overthink it. Just pick the first word that comes to mind.
2. Translate it visually.
   Think about how that emotion would look:
   • What colors fit the feeling?
   • Are the shapes sharp or smooth?
   • Is the scene loud or quiet?
   Let your hands respond instinctively, even if the image seems abstract or strange.
3. Use emotional prompts.
   Instead of traditional prompts like “draw a tree” or “draw a castle,” try emotion-driven prompts:
   • Draw loneliness.
   • Illustrate joy without using faces.
   • What does “hope” look like as a landscape?
   Emotional prompts create deeper, more meaningful artwork — and they bypass the “I don’t know what to draw” feeling.
4. Keep moving.
   Even if you don’t love what’s coming out, keep going.
   The goal isn’t a perfect picture — the goal is movement.
   You can’t steer a parked car — and you can’t steer your creativity if you’re frozen.
5. Let it evolve.
   Sometimes the act of drawing out a feeling will shift you into a new idea entirely.
   Follow that energy.
   Creativity loves momentum.

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Why It Matters

Art is emotional. Whether you’re creating a comic, a painting, a character design, or a quick doodle, emotions are at the heart of why people connect to what you make. Starting with how you feel isn’t just a technique for getting unstuck — it’s a way to keep your work honest. It strips away the noise of “what should I draw?” and lets you create from a place that’s raw, immediate, and real.

And honestly, some of my favorite pieces — the ones that still make me feel something months or years later — started on days when I felt blocked entirely, and just decided to draw how I felt.

The page doesn’t care if you feel broken, restless, joyful, or lost. The page wants you to show up.