How to Work Through Creative Blocks Without Bypassing Their Wisdom
IFS-inspired reflections on creative blocks & a journaling practice for paid subscribers
Whenever a creative says they have a creative block, my IFS Spidey Senses start tingling. In IFS, creativity is considered one of the 8 C’s or qualities of Self-energy, or the awareness that holds and heals all parts (psst, if you’re new to IFS you can browse the IFS Glossary I wrote to learn more). This flow state where creative ideas flourish and creative energy abounds is the natural state of your authentic self.
When we struggle to access this kind of presence or feel “blocked” from it, this is a sign that we are “blended” with a part, which means that the part takes up so much space that we’re stuck in it. Parts blend when they don’t trust Self or aren’t aware of Self — they don’t know yet that there is an inner leader and healer they can trust, a benevolent force that can take care of their needs, speak for them, and be with them as they are.
Creative blocks are adaptive in the inner world, which means that they arise in direct response to circumstances where you learned it wasn’t safe to access your creativity.
Not always, but often, creative blocks are entangled with trauma and you can think of them as a trauma or stress response.
The 8 C’s or qualities of Self such as creativity, connectedness, or confidence get repressed in the inner world when an outer figure or event teaches you that it’s not okay to express them. Creativity is a natural expression of your vitality and aliveness, something that helps you feel present and authentic, and when it is shamed by someone else or dismissed by the wider dominant culture, it can go underground or lay dormant.
Creative blocks are the relics of internalized shame in the inner world.
Protector parts enforce creative blocks through strategies like self-criticism, perfectionism, and repression to prevent the shaming event from occurring again. Exiles are the vulnerable parts that hold evidence of the event through memories, sensations, emotions, and beliefs. They are “exiled” by vigilant protectors who have two purposes: the first, to contain the exiles’ emotional spillage, and the second, to stand guard against the possibility of a repeat shaming event.
When you encounter a creative block, you can safely assume that at least one part in your protective system isn’t on board with you connecting with creative energy or expressing yourself in your creative work. Instead of blowing past this block, which rarely works and usually results in the protector redoubling its efforts later, you can pause and get curious. You can meet the block with interest and move into it with the protector part’s permission and at their pace.
This movement, ironically, requires creativity. It’s a dance you facilitate with the protective system. Sometimes you reach and invite, sometimes they reject and retreat. You keep learning with the reactions and information they give you, and you try again. Connecting with your creatively blocked protectors ironically requires creative thinking.
As you navigate your creative blocks, please remember that:
Creativity is the natural expression of Self, or the natural state of presence.
Creative blocks are adaptive and arise from traumatizing or shaming events.
Creativity connects us to our vitality and aliveness and when it becomes unsafe to express it, it will go underground or lay dormant.
This disconnection from creativity happens when that parts that expressed it are exiled by well-meaning protectors.
Protectors exile creative parts when traumatizing or shaming events occur as the result of their creative expression.
Navigating creative blocks requires creative thinking — you have to get curious about the block, ie the protective strategy, and keep getting into relationship with it.
Always believing in the magic & wisdom of your parts,
~Sarah
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IFS-INSPIRED JOURNALING QUESTIONS FOR NAVIGATING YOUR CREATIVE BLOCK
The intention of this practice is to help you understand your creative block better and move into it creatively.