Unlocking Creativity: 11 Strategies for Overcoming Songwriter's Block

Songwriter's block is a common challenge that artists face in their creative journey. It's that frustrating feeling when you sit down with your instrument, a blank page, or a DAW, only to find… nothing. That inspiration you had moments ago has vanished.

I know, I’ve been there too and still find myself there at times. Whether it be mid-song, or trying to start a new song. My personal hiccups tend to be: second verse or the bridge of a song. Why? I’m still trying to figure that one out. But, when I look back at my writing experiences, these have been the parts of songs I’ve found myself stuck on the most. 

While experiencing writer's block is completely normal, it can be really discouraging. But, don’t give up yet – in this article, we'll explore strategies to help you overcome your songwriter's block and reignite that creative spark.

Understanding the Block

Before we dive into the solutions, it's important to understand what causes writer's block. Often, it's a combination of psychological and creative factors. External pressures, stress, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the constant pursuit of perfection can all contribute to the block.

Creativity requires a certain level of vulnerability (and sometimes spontaneity), and when the fear of not meeting your own standards and ideals creeps in it can stifle ideas, kick you out of your flow state, and create overwhelm.

1. Embrace Imperfection

One of the main culprits behind songwriter's block is our ridiculous and completely unrealistic idea of perfection. Seriously. Think about some of your favourite songs, music, art, books, or even people who inspire you. NONE of that is perfect. That song has a bad tape cut or the singer sung an off note, that writing had some misspelling, that person you admire has some major character flaw. I could go on.  

We are all imperfect beings. And, often what we perceive to be perfect rather tends to be something that resonates with us, impacting us in a visceral way. 

Not every idea needs to be a masterpiece, so maybe go easy on yourself. Give yourself permission to create imperfect drafts and demos, knowing that you can refine and shape them later. The freedom to create without judgement can lead to unexpected and innovative results.

I’ve killed off ideas prematurely far too many times because I disliked them immediately (perfectionism, ridiculous expectations, whatever). Show yourself some kindness. 

Think: if I were writing with someone else, would I shut their idea down as fast as I shut myself down? 

Over time, and with a lot of practice and self assessment, I’ve changed my goal from Perfection to Excellence - and let me tell you, it's MUCH better and easier. 

On the flip side, sometimes you need to write bad ideas to get to the good ones. So don't count it out as a loss. You can leave them alone and call it what it is - there's nothing wrong with leaving a bad idea a bad idea. That's totally OK. 

2. Change Up Your Environment

Sometimes a change of scenery does the trick. If you usually write in your bedroom, get out to a park or a coffee shop. New surroundings can stimulate your senses and spark fresh ideas. Different environments offer new perspectives, helping you break away from the monotony that might be contributing to your creative block. If you like splitting up your creativity into different parts, this could be a great tip for you. 

Example: Take a notepad to your favourite coffee shop and list song topics you’d like to write about. That leads you to take one of those ideas and turn it into chorus and verse lyrics, which then leads you to recording a quick voice memo on your phone because you now have a melody idea all of a sudden, which then leads you back to your studio to start recording the song. 

3. Set Constraints

While this might sound counterintuitive, constraints can actually fuel creativity. Limit yourself by setting specific challenges. Example: try writing a song using only three chords, sing a whole verse on one note, set a specific lyrical topic, or write a piece with a certain time signature. 

Constraints force you to think outside the box and find inventive solutions. This is called Divergent Thinking and can often lead to breakthroughs. This is a similar principle as to why businesses need deadlines to finish projects. It forces creative thinking and inspires action. 

Real life example: I'm a parent of a 2yr old. If you'd said to me 2 years ago that I'd put my 90 minutes of spare time to better use than I did my previous 4 hours of spare time, I'd have said you were joking.

Constraints and deadlines propel us forward and force us to jump into action. 

4. Freewriting and Brainstorming

When faced with a creative block, try freewriting or brainstorming. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write down whatever comes to mind without any judgement. You might start with unrelated thoughts but eventually stumble upon a concept or phrase that sparks your inspiration. 

It could be a list, a flowchart, a mind map, or a voice memo. Whatever works best for you. 

5. Collaborate with Others

Working with fellow musicians or songwriters can provide fresh perspectives and inject new energy into your work. Collaborators can introduce ideas you wouldn't have thought of on your own. Even if you're initially stuck, bouncing ideas with someone else can lead to unexpected breakthroughs.

This is the best part about collaborating: ending up with something that you had no idea you’d end up with. That’s the magic right there.

As writers, we often see the one idea with tunnel vision, and run to it at full speed. Collaborating pulls us out of that habit, takes our blinders off, and breaks our vision wide open.

6. Take Breaks

Get out of your studio or writing space.

Don't be afraid to step away from your work if you're feeling stuck. Sometimes, pushing too hard only makes the block worse. We all have a limited amount of mental energy every day.

Take a walk, meditate, or engage in a different creative activity for a while. Do you need an hour, a day, a week? It can be really helpful to figure out what you need to help recalibrate. When you come back, you'll likely have a clearer mind and fresh focus.

7. Study Other Artists

Take a break from working and have a listening session - of music you know and love, and maybe find something new that you like. If our output is getting capped, maybe we need some fresh input.

What is it about those songs you admire and love? Deep dive into understanding their structure, chords and melody, and lyrical techniques.

This process can provide you with new ideas to experiment with in your own work. The best people don’t copy ideas. They steal them and make them their own. 

8. Write Badly on Purpose

Give yourself permission to deliberately write something bad. This might feel silly, stupid or childish, but the goal here is to take the pressure off and eliminate the fear of writing a subpar song.

This is kind of like the musical equivalent of going to a seminar and the speaker telling everyone to stand up and shake their arms out. Embracing the bad and the weird can spark brand new (and possibly better) ideas which you might not have had otherwise.

We can all take ourselves too seriously sometimes. 

9. Explore Different Mediums

If you primarily write music, try something different: drawing, poetry, or even cooking. I personally enjoy cooking and trying to make new dishes. I also get a lot out of reading. Engaging in other forms of creativity can cross-over ideas and unlock new sources of inspiration.

10. Set Realistic Goals

Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself can contribute to writer's block, and can be one of the biggest reasons for feeling blocked - overwhelm. Break down your creative process into smaller, achievable goals.

For instance, instead of aiming to write an entire song in one sitting, focus on creating a chorus hook or a catchy riff. You might walk away at the end of that day with a full song anyway! 

Instead of looking at the whole marathon, look at the next step and do that. Then do the next step, and so on. You’ll be surprised what kind of momentum you build - next thing you’ll be running. 

11. Do it for fun

If you’re someone who is either a professional, an artist or aspiring artist, then this point is for you. This could even be the most important point in this whole article. 

Take a step back every once in a while. Play your guitar in the living room or back yard. Learn a new song on the piano. Jam along to one of your favourite tunes. Take the “work” out of it for a moment and allow yourself to feel what it’s like to just do it for leisure.

Get back to the joy of the music which led you here in the first place. This is a reminder to myself just as much as it is one for you - go back to the basics. 

Though, I will acknowledge that this is tough for people who do creative things as a profession. I'll admit I'm really writing this point for myself. I could always play the guitar more for fun. 

Wrapping Up 

Remind yourself that songwriter's block is temporary. Embrace it as part of the creative process, and don't let it discourage you. By implementing these strategies, you can break through the mental barriers that are holding you back and rediscover the joy of creativity.

Whether it's trying new environments, collaborating with others, embracing imperfection, or getting back to basics, these techniques can help you overcome songwriter's block and get going again. 

Hope this helps! If you liked this blog, please share it with someone you think will appreciate it.