How To: Overcome Creative Block with Anna Jewsbury

Creativity has always been romanticised, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy pursuit. There’s a conundrum that often arises when you have to be creative: inspiration and starting points can be hard to identify when you’re met with deadlines and responsibilities to fulfil. When you have the luxury of being creative outside of a work or school environment, it often comes naturally, but those confines can occasionally lead to restricted thinking. So, how do you overcome creative block?

As a designer who explores the human condition through her jewellery and sculptural creations, Anna Jewsbury of Completedworks is the perfect person to share how she tackles creative block – unpacking the hefty subject matter requires the right mindset, after all. Below, she shares her tips on how to get those creative juices flowing when they’re at a standstill. 

Change your surroundings 

“I usually take a walk to change my surroundings and will try to spend some time in nature if I can. When I was growing up (near the Yorkshire moors) we used to go for walks in the hills around a reservoir, and when I go back I get so much inspiration there. It’s a really calming environment, even though it can sometimes be quite hostile – on the moors, little grows. The thing about nature is that you can never understand it as a fixed moment in time; landscapes are fluid and water flows.”

Look to other creative sources

“I think as with many fashion and jewellery brands we see ourselves in dialogue with fine art, especially sculpture. So if I’m struggling to get inspired I will drop into a gallery; immersing myself in an exhibition is a failsafe way to re-invigorate me and stimulate ideas, often in unexpected ways.”

Distraction can help you get back on track quicker

“There’s a tiny second-hand bookshop near our studio and I love to stop by every now and again and leaf through the books on their jumbled shelves, especially when I feel like I need to reset or even just distract myself from the intensity of a project I’ve been working on.”

Take a break

“I find stopping to meditate also really helps me. Even if I only have a few minutes it gives me the clarity of mind that I need to keep going.”