When the Words Don’t Come: On Creative Block, Burnout & Still Showing Up

On Creative Block, Burnout & Still Showing Up | By Amy Roullier.

A normal part of creative life is sometimes feeling totally, utterly, uninspired.

You could be surrounded by glorious pink sunsets, moved by stunning landscapes, or watch strangers pour their hearts out on the street while their love story begins—and still, nothing. Not one ounce of creative juice. And you know what? That’s normal. Welcome to the creative block.

Sometimes it’s burnout. Sometimes it’s emotional overload. Other times, it’s just… nothing. No dramatic reason, no specific trigger. It just is.

I’ve been stuck in this zone for the past few months. Regurgitating content for social media (which, if you ask me, is the opposite of creative flow—but that’s a blog for another time). I was running on creative fumes after launching my debut book. I pushed hard in the six months leading up to that release, wanting to publish before starting a new job. And by the time I hit “publish,” I had nothing left to give.

Then, in February, my grandad passed away. He loved to read. Spent most of his life working at the British Library in London. Writing, something that usually helps me process pain, suddenly felt too close to the grief. Even though my poetry often comes from trauma, this was a space I couldn’t write my way into. Not yet.

And then came the job I started in December. Unfixed schedule. No more early-morning writing sessions. Too tired for the late-night ones. The mental bandwidth just wasn’t there. I’ve been giving so much to work that there’s not been much left for art.

It’s been about seven months of this creative drought. Here’s what I’ve (re)learned:

The trick is to keep going.

Just keep going.

Don’t fall into the trap of believing that everything you create needs to be perfect, or brilliant, or even semi-decent. Don’t stop altogether because your work doesn’t feel “good enough.” I’ve done that before. Spent years in my twenties writing a novel, only to give up when I lost count of the rejections and it became clear I wasn’t going to become a published author from that project. I shelved the story, told myself it wasn’t going to happen, and I just stopped writing altogether.

Oh, I thought about it all the time. I imagined starting again. Wondered what I might create if I did. And then sat back and did nothing about it. Not until 2020, when I started this website. When I decided I wasn’t giving up on art again. Not this time.

Because here’s the truth:

Sometimes you have to make shitty art.

Shitty art will lead you to great art. Shitty art is what will keep your creative brain ticking over, even when it doesn’t feel like it’s producing anything worth a damn. It is. Trust me, it is. It’s leading you somewhere greater.

For my 40th this year, I bought a new journal. I wrote just for me, and those intimate pieces turned into words I eventually wanted to share. I jotted down notes, half-thoughts, quotes I picked up from conversations or books. Some of it made no sense at the time, but it’s all part of the process. Even the scraps. Even when you can’t think of more words to compliment the fragments.

So here’s what I’d say to anyone feeling stuck:
Don’t stop creating when inspiration takes a long walk.

Keep creating.

Write about your day. What you had for dinner. The awkward chat with the postman. Start journaling, even if you never have before. Challenge yourself to write 100 words about the weather. Read something. Then read something else. Then read more.

Writing is part thinking, part action. Just because you’re not typing doesn’t mean you’re not writing. A writer’s mind is never truly still.

So feed it. Fuel it. Let it rest when it needs to, but don’t walk away from it completely.

Even the smallest notes you make now; the messy scribbles, the rough lines, the “what am I even doing?” rambles, will lead you somewhere one day. Somewhere honest. Somewhere real. And somewhere worth going.

What helps you get through creative blocks or burnout?
I’d love to know what’s worked for you. Drop your thoughts in the comments.