Yes!! Added to your cart!
QTY 0

How To Deal With A Creative Block

SHOW UP, SHOW UP, SHOW UP, AND AFTER A WHILE THE MUSE SHOWS UP, TOO. IF SHE DOESN’T SHOW UP INVITED, EVENTUALLY SHE JUST SHOWS UP.
-- ISABEL ALLENDE, CHILEAN JOURNALIST & ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR

Creative blocks happen in all kinds of settings. Yes, even in the business-building arena. Creative thinking is a necessity to problem solving. If you’ve experienced a creative block, you are not alone. In fact, you are in really good company. A common creative block for nail techs happens with nail art. If you are constantly doing nail art, and churning out new looks; sometimes the well of creativity can run dry.
What do you do when you are completely drained of your creativity? Let us help you get through those creative slumps and tap into something to spark some inspiration.

CREATIVITY DRIP
Have you ever found yourself in the chair feeling zapped of all your creativity? You just don’t have it in you. Maybe you’re overwhelmed and your clients want more than you are able to give. Or so you think! For a nail pro who is seeing upwards of twelve clients per day; it’s easy to trick yourself into believing that no two sets of nail art should be the same. Are you able to take a step back and check in with yourself? Is it possible that it’s just a thought? Is it possible that you are falling short of your own high-bar expectations? As the saying goes, we tend to make a mountain out of a molehill. Creativity in nails doesn’t have to be so complicated. Some clients will come in with a distinct look they want. They’ll even come with visual references in hand. Others will 100% defer to your creative genius. On the days when your creativity is more of a slow drip, keep it simple. Give yourself permission to default to a No-Brainer Glitter Day. It’s always a winner. You might discover the “uninspired” set from two weeks ago is actually your new favorite nail design. When uninspired, hack your nail art menu like your best friend hacks her meal plans. Instead of Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday and so on; try something like Marble Monday, Two Glitter Press Tuesdays, Wild Animal Art Stamp Wednesday, etc.

BURNOUT BASICS
When the creative block shows up, it’s time for a check-in. When you feel drained, can you stop and identify the source of your burnout? Start with your body. Are you taking good care of yourself? Are you eating 3 meals a day? Are you sleeping well? Are you exercising? Have you had a good laugh or cry lately? Have you been out in nature to recharge? Prioritize a moment of self-care for ten minutes a day. It can be as simple as taking a walk at lunch, meditating in your car, or cranking the tunes and dancing full on. If you feel like all that is in good order, check in with your thoughts? Is there a lot of negative chatter going in your skull? Get out of your head. Go have some good clean fun! Remember that your inner critic is not reliable. Did your client complain to you that your work was boring? Never. Is it more likely that we are bored with ourselves? It’s normal to wonder if you are pushing your limits of creativity. It’s normal to get a little bored but not too comfortable! Don’t entertain self-sabotaging thoughts for a single minute. Don’t let self-judgement undermine your talents. You cannot expect your creative genius to be on all the time. It has a flow all its own. If you’re in a slump, start with treating yourself well. Stop thinking. Start playing.

THE GREAT WALL OF BOREDOM
Your work is good. Your clients are happy. You are making serious money but you feel like you are going to die if you have to do one more glitter fade or impression nail. You feel like a one trick pony. This is the great wall of boredom. Creative blocks are born from boredom. How do you get over that? Invest in a new jar of glitter. Something wild you don’t already have. This usually gets us out of our creative funk. We kid you not. So how do you work yourself out from bored to tears if the glitter doesn’t do the trick? The best way to combat major boredom is to stay curious and be willing to learn a new trick. Watch a video on YouTube. Sign up for a new class in person. Reach out to our nail community for support. Thinking you know absolutely everything there is about nails is a no good downer. Doing just one thing a little differently can flip the switch and spark the creative muse. Challenge yourself. You can break free from boredom by experimenting with something out of your comfort zone. Like every relationship, when things go on auto-pilot trouble is just around the corner. Just be mindful that fear sometimes likes to piggyback a challenge.
Allow a healthy sliver of fear into your day to keep things interesting. You can’t prevent blocks. To get over them, you have to get lost in the freedom that comes with play and experimentation.

IMITATION IS THE GREATEST FORM OF FLATTERY
When it comes to nail art and creativity, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. All the fashion runways and museum masterpieces around the world were not created in some isolated vacuum. See what other people in the industry are doing. Find inspiration by following what we do and we invite you to copy us. That’s the reason we put it all out there. If we can inspire you, then you’ve made our day. Practice something that we’ve done and put your twist on it. You’ve got this. We believe in you.

**This is an adaptation from our YN Biz Talk playlist on YouTube, “BIZ TALK: HOW TO DEAL WITH CREATIVE BLOCK”.

***Follow our YN YouTube Channel and click here to watch the full discussion here: