The Scene: A Blank Page & a Silent Mind
You sit down to create. The cursor blinks. The page stares back. The idea that felt electric in your mind now feels… gone.
You check your phone. You open another tab. You tell yourself, “Maybe I just need a break.”
But deep down, you know:
It’s not a lack of ideas holding you back.
It’s something deeper.
This isn’t just writer’s block or creative fatigue.
This is a specific creative block that no one talks about—but it stops some of the most brilliant minds from ever executing their best work.
So let’s name it. Let’s break it. And let’s get you creating again.
The Real Block: The Fear of Wasting Effort
Most people think creative blocks happen because of a lack of ideas. But the truth?
The most common creative block comes from a fear of putting effort into something that won’t “work.”
This fear sounds like:
- “What if this isn’t as good as I imagined?”
- “What if I spend hours on this, and no one cares?”
- “What if I look back later and hate it?”
Instead of starting, we hesitate. We overthink. We convince ourselves we need more research, more inspiration, more time.
But the best creators in the world aren’t the ones with the best ideas. They’re the ones who trust themselves enough to create before they feel ready.
– Lauren Janeeen
The Shift: Creating Without the Pressure of an Outcome
Here’s where your mind is working against you.
When we create, we tend to think:
Effort = A Successful Outcome (If I put in the work, this should be amazing.)
So if we’re not guaranteed success, we resist starting at all.
But the best creative minds don’t think like that.
They treat creativity like an experiment, not a performance.
Your new mindset:
Effort = A Discovery (No matter what happens, I’ll learn something from this.)
This is the secret to breaking the fear of “wasting time.” This is what allows ideas to unfold instead of being forced. So how do you start creating with this mindset?
The Experiment: Don’t think of your work as “The Big Important Project.” Frame it as an experiment.
Unlearn the Fear of “Bad Ideas”
The 3-Minute Freefall Method:
- Set a timer for 3 minutes.
- Write, draw, brainstorm, or design—without stopping.
- No edits. No overthinking. No judgment.
The goal isn’t to make something great.
The goal is to create before your brain has time to talk you out of it.
Because momentum kills perfectionism.
And the moment you break the block—even for 3 minutes—you remind your brain:
I don’t need permission to create. I already know how.
The Final Lesson: The Creative Magic Comes After the Start
Every creator, from artists to writers to brand strategists, will tell you the same thing:
The best work never starts with clarity. It starts with motion.
You don’t find your best ideas first. You create your way to them.
-Lauren Janeen
So the next time you feel stuck?
Set a timer.
Start before you feel ready.
And remember: Effort isn’t wasted—it’s the path to the breakthrough.
Your Challenge This Week
Try the 3-Minute Freefall Method once a day.
- Don’t judge what comes out. Just create.
- Let me know: What did you discover when you did this?
- What’s the worst creative block you’ve ever faced? Share on one of my socials 🙂
