What’s Holding You Back? The 3 Biggest Creative Blocks & How to Overcome Them

How to kick the 3 most common creative blocks!

Ever stare at a blank canvas, brush in hand, and suddenly remember you need to reorganize your sock drawer? Or perhaps you’ve convinced yourself that you’ll start creating… right after you finally find the perfect sketchbook, the right lighting, and the ideal burst of inspiration?

If so, you’re not alone. Creative blocks are real, and they love to show up just when we’re about to dive into something amazing. But here’s the truth: the biggest obstacles in our creative journey usually have less to do with skill and more to do with the stories we tell ourselves.

Let’s bust through the three biggest creative blocks together—because your art is waiting!

1. "I Don’t Have Time"

Ah, the classic excuse. And trust me, I get it. Between work, family, and figuring out why my kids think the laundry basket is just a suggestion, it feels like there’s never enough time for art.

🔹 The Fix: Instead of waiting for a luxurious, uninterrupted art session (spoiler: it’s not coming), shift your mindset to bite-sized creativity.

5-10 minute sketches: Set a timer, grab a pencil, and sketch whatever’s in front of you. Your coffee mug, your pet, your kid's toy dinosaur—just draw!
Art while you wait: In the car line? Waiting for water to boil? Scribble something.
Creative bookends: Start or end your day with a tiny creative act—doodle in a journal, lay out supplies for later, or plan your next project.

✨ Small moments add up! Before you know it, you’ll have a whole collection of sketches that prove you do have time—you just needed to see it differently.

2. "I Don’t Know Where to Start"

Standing at the starting line, staring at the endless possibilities… and suddenly feeling paralyzed? That’s the classic "too many choices = no choices at all" problem.

🔹 The Fix: Start simple. Really simple.

Pick ONE object and sketch it every day for a week.
Limit your tools—just a pencil or pen, no erasers.
Follow a prompt—like my monthly Sketch & Inspire challenges (shameless plug, but hey, they work!).

✨ The key? Just begin. It doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to exist.

3. "I’m Afraid I’ll Fail"

Ah, the sneaky fear of imperfection. It whispers, What if it looks terrible? What if people judge me? What if I’m not good enough?

Let me tell you something: every artist—yes, even the pros—creates ugly art sometimes. It’s part of the process.

🔹 The Fix: Reframe "failure" as experimentation.

Try a fearless challenge: Create something using only ONE tool and embrace imperfection. Messy lines? Good! Unfinished? Even better!
Remember, every mistake teaches you something. Your best work wouldn’t exist without the "meh" work that came before it.
Ask yourself: What’s the worst that can happen? (Spoiler: nothing. You’re just making art.)

✨ The more you allow yourself to "fail," the more you’ll grow.

Your Turn!

What’s the biggest challenge keeping you from making more art? Drop a comment and let’s tackle it together!

🎨 Because the only way to truly fail at art… is to never start.