5 creative ways to get unstuck

Are you feeling stuck? 

Here are five creative ways to start ‘un-sticking’ yourself:

1  Notice the stuckness.

Is it just in one or two areas of your life, or does it seem to colour everything? Just noticing what’s there, being curious about it and accepting that this is how things are at the moment, can be the first step to making real changes.

2  Pay attention to your body.

What happens when you think about feeling stuck? Where in your body do you feel it? What kind of sensation do you get? Several times, try saying out loud a sentence that begins, ‘I feel like there’s a …..’ and see what comes.

Notice over several days: Does the feeling change, or is it always the same? Are there any areas of your body that feel numb, or that you never notice? Listen out for how your body feels as you go about your day-to-day life. Does the feeling change when you’re with certain people? Does it change when you’re in a different environment? This is all really important data that you can use in your journey towards getting unstuck.

3  Find a metaphor for your stuckness.

See if you can allow yourself to relax and let an image bubble up into your awareness. You might be surprised to find yourself imagining your stuckness as a friendly blob, or a snarling leopard, or a colour, or a broken racing-car… There are no rights or wrongs here, so just see if anything emerges and be curious about it. Maybe you could even dialogue with it! Notice if the metaphor persists, or if it changes.

4  Start a Gratitude Art Journal.

Each day, think of two or three little (or big) things from the day that you feel grateful for. In your journal, spend five minutes on something creative to represent each one: doing a doodle with biro or gel pen; cutting and sticking a picture from a magazine, or a postcard; squeezing play-dough into a shape, and taking a snapshot or sketching it so you remember it; smudging some jewel-coloured pastel colours….

5  Connect with your dreams.

Write them down as soon as you awake. Write in the present tense, as if the action and feeling of the dream is happening now. Mull the dream over, gently keeping it in the back of your mind as you go through the day. What do you find it makes you think about? How does it make you feel?

Getting unstuck takes courage… 

If it was easy, you’d have done it long ago!

You long to get unstuck.

But you might also notice scared or anxious feelings about getting unstuck.

This happens because getting unstuck means moving into an unfamiliar place. And you’re not quite sure what will be required of you in this new place, or whether you’ll be up to it.

This is where it can be so helpful to have the support of a therapist or counsellor. He or she can be alongside you, helping you see your difficulty in new ways.

Look for a registered Art Therapist, psychotherapist or counsellor who works with metaphors, dreams and images. They can help you to find better ways to support yourself while you are on your journey of transformation and becoming more deeply and authentically yourself.

I help people who are feeling stuck to connect with their deepest creative self and find a way through stuckness. I currently have availability in Colchester, Essex, for weekly psychotherapy clients; and for one-off Creative Soul Sessions.

Email me now, or call me today on 07515 937 027 to book your free 15-minute consultation.