Combating Tweeter’s block: How to break out of a creative rut

By Michelle Lee
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In the world of digital marketing, creativity is key. Innovative ideas, witty copy, and eye-catching media are a must for successful campaigns. But just as common as the need for creativity is the lack of it. 

We’ve all been there — staring mindlessly at a blank screen, waiting and willing the words to magically come to you. While there’s no immediate fix, here are five tips to help you feel inspired and get back to creating impactful Twitter campaigns.

Embrace it

Ever feel like the more you actively try to snap out of a creative rut, the more it intensifies? Fighting it head-on is often one of the most counter-intuitive strategies, and harping on self-blame and frustration certainly won’t help. As annoying as they are, creative ruts are completely normal. Sit back, take a breath, and accept the natural ebb and flow of creativity.

Create anything

When you’ve spent days getting nowhere and your deadline is encroaching, the pressure can be so overwhelming that you don’t want to get anything down unless it’s of perfect, publish-ready quality. But the best step is to just start anywhere and your creativity will follow.

Write an outline, start in the middle of the page or with the conclusion, doodle on a notepad, break out the origami, solve a Rubik's cube — it can be unrelated as long as you’re keeping busy.

Browse inspiration

Looking at what other businesses and brands are doing can jumpstart a lightbulb idea of your own. Spend an afternoon browsing your Twitter timeline or creative brand inspiration, while giving your mind a rest by switching over to observation-only mode. When you come back to revisit your project, you might be surprised at the new ideas that have been brewing in the background. 

Try something new

If you’re working continuously in the same medium, switch over to a different form of creative to see what sparks. If you’re struggling to draft another plain text Tweet, try experimenting with ASCII art, GIFs, or a Twitter Poll to change it up. Each medium activates a different subset of skills, so you can switch your focus and still stay creative.

Loop in a friend

Everyone has experienced a lull of productivity at some point in their career, whether they’re in a creative field or not. Start the dialogue with a friend, a colleague, your parents — not only about feeling stuck, but also about your project at hand. Sometimes those who are most removed can see the clearest and provide you with the right inspiration and ideas to get started. 

Need more creative inspiration? Hear from out-of-the-box thinkers on Twitter’s original Character Count podcast

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