Elizabeth Vincent, intern

I’m pretty sure this happens to everyone at some point. You sit down to start a project and your mind goes blank. “What am I writing about? What did I want to say? How do I say it? What colors was I going to use? I just can’t come up with anything.”

Writer’s block, creative block, brain freeze or whatever you call it, is very frustrating, especially if you are on a deadline. So, I enlisted the Borshoff professionals to share their advice on how to overcome this psychological phenomenon:

1. Get up. Go for a walk, go talk to someone, go outside, just do something different and take a break for a few minutes. Most people agreed this was one of the best strategies for when they were brain blocked. Although, you might want to bring a notepad or phone with you in case the ideas start flowing. Jeremy Zucker, account manager
2. Pretend you are writing a letter to your mother. I think that makes the job seem simpler and helps me focus on key messages. Susan Matthews, principal
3. Google the word or topic. Sometimes, if I feel like I have not adequately explained the topic or fully answered a question, I will Google the word or topic and read as much as possible to hopefully remove the block. Matt Stuteville, director of finance/HR
4. Start in the middle or at the end. Instead of stressing over how you’re going to start your article, start in the middle or at the end. Get the meat of the story out of the way, and then go back and work on the intro. Lisa Tellus, account manager
5. Find an image or picture to get your thoughts going. Search relevant websites or Google Images for photos, clip art – anything that gets your creative juices flowing. Allow the aesthetics to inspire your writing. Kathleen Szot, account associate
6. Pick up a new book (or re-read a favorite). Even if you can’t read for long, sometimes just seeing someone else’s words on a page helps you relax and get creative. This is especially refreshing if you have a favorite book or author you’d like to revisit. Natalie Palmer, intern
7. Change your way of doing things. Try something you have never tried before or use your non-dominate hand for most of the day—then go back to your writing. Alison Eckstein, senior account director
8. Surf the Web. Sometimes you need a mental break. See what’s in the news or get the latest celebrity gossip. Just take a few minutes to free your mind, and then get back to the task at hand. Lisa Tellus, account manager
9. Open a new document and just start typing whatever pops into your head. Let it be completely stream-of-conscious. The words may be gobbledygook and that’s OK—funny or random musings can help you out of the murk. It’s all about loosening up the joints and getting back some flow. I would, however, advise trashing the document when you’re done. Some of those weird thoughts should probably stay between you and your computer. Jeremy Zucker, account manager
10. Play a game. This helps me let loose and relax (de-stress) while also allowing me to flex my strategizing skills and work my mind. This may be a better idea for when you are working at home or after office hours. Katie Linville, junior graphic designer/production artist

This entry was posted by Borshoff on Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 10:03 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the Comment Feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.