Hello! My name is Kayode Ewumi. I am an actor and writer, and here are five ways to help you demolish creative blocks.

A creative block is when you’re either creating something, making something, and your mind has totally switched off. You feel like any time you go and write that song, that script, you go and make something, you hit a brick wall. Have you experienced that?

What I would suggest, and what helps me, is getting a blank sheet of paper, some colouring pencils, pens, and just start to sketch on the piece of paper. Just sketch, and set a timer for two minutes.Then five minutes. Then 10 minutes. Why? Why, because, as kids, this is what we used to do. And as kids, we had this element of play, of fun, of imagination. Colouring down helps you get any energy, any stress, any bad vibes, on that sheet of paper. The paper will then tell you how you’re feeling. Draw down whatever you want, however you want. After that, then try again. Try and make that thing again, try and create again. And you’ll see, there’ll be a change.

When you read, watch and listen, why don’t you read something you haven’t read before? Watch a film you wouldn’t normally watch. A different genre or from a different era. Listen to songs you would never listen to. Listen to songs with no words. Listen to rock, rap, hip-hop, jazz, contemporary. Try and see things, hear things, that you’ve never heard or seen before. It will help you, and will open your mind to a whole different world.

So, this is what you should do: get a notepad, or something you can write notes in, jump on any random train, or random bus, and take it to the last stop. As you’re taking this bus or this train, write down what’s around you. Write down what you see or, in fact, that idea might just come to you.And make sure you get it down. Because now’s the time. Normally, if you’re in the same environment, the same room, the same place, you see the same things all the time. And there’s no room for inspiration. So, get out of there. Get out of your room, get out of your house, and let the world take you on a journey.

Learning an instrument requires diligence, patience, and concentration. For me, for example, I started to learn an instrument at the age of 22. I’m now 25 and no, I’m not the best. But any time I’m writing a script or trying to create something, and I can’t do it, I go away and I play the keyboard for a bit. Or, I go on YouTube and I look at how to play chords on a guitar. Why? Because, for example, with the guitar, unless you get the right chord, you will not hear that sound, and that’s the same with writing. Unless you get the right thing, the right characters, it will not be what it needs to be. So, instruments teach you diligence, how to keep on going, and keep on going till you get what’s right. So, learn an instrument. I would say the guitar, it’s nice. It hurts your fingers though, but, hey.

The vomit draft is always the first draft. And it looks terrible, it smells horrible. But, this is what you need to begin your journey. If you don’t get it down and it stays here, it’s not helpful. You don’t have to show anybody, just keep it to yourself, but make sure you get this draft down. Forget about what people think. Forget about what your mind is telling you. And just do what’s right. Get it down and begin your journey.
(End)

• To demolish something (verb): to completely destroy something.
• To switch off (phrasal verb): to stop giving your attention to something.
• A script (noun): the words of a film, TV programme, play, or speech.
• To hit a (brick) wall (idiom): to reach a point where you feel unable to continue doing something because it is very difficult.
• Blank (adjective): empty, containing no information or marks.
• To sketch (verb): to make a simple, quick drawing that doesn’t have many details.
• A timer (noun): a device that makes a sound when a certain amount of time has passed.
• As (preposition): when being, in the role of.
• An element (noun): a part of something.
• Imagination (noun): the ability to form pictures in your mind or create new things.
• Vibes (noun): the feelings you have that are connected with something.
• Whatever (determiner): anything that you want.
• However (adverb): in any way that you want.
• A genre (noun): a style, especially in music, film, dance, art, etc.
• An era (noun): a period of time known for particular events or changes.
• Contemporary (music) (adjective): modern, happening now.
• To open your mind (idiom): to become able to understand different ideas or ways of thinking.
• Whole (adjective): ‘very’ or ‘completely’, used to strengthen a phrase or idea.
• A notepad (noun): a small pad of blank paper used for writing on and making notes.
• To jump on something (phrasal verb): to get on a plane, bus, etc. to go somewhere quickly.
• Random (adjective): chosen by chance or without planning.
• A stop (noun): the place where buses and trains stop to let passengers on and off.
• In fact (idiom): actually.
• To get something down (phrasal verb): to write something.
• An environment (noun): the conditions that you live or work in.
• Inspiration (noun): someone or something that gives you ideas for doing something.
• To get out of somewhere (phrasal verb): to leave or escape from a place.
• To require something (verb): to need something.
• Diligence (noun): the quality of working carefully with a lot of effort.
• Patience (noun): the ability to wait for, or continue, something even though it’s difficult.
• To go away (phrasal verb): to leave a place.
• For a bit (phrase, informal): for a short time.
• A chord (noun): three or more musical notes played at the same time.
• Unless (conjunction): if you don’t, if not.
• Keep on doing something (phrasal verb): to continue.
• A draft (noun): a first version of something that you make before the final, completed version.
• Terrible (adjective): very bad, unpleasant, or of low quality.
• To keep something to yourself (phrasal verb): to keep something secret.
• A mind (noun): the part of a person that can think, understand, and feel emotions.

In this text, there are different examples of how the verb get is used in English. Get is an informal replacement verb in English, it is used in place of another verb but keeps the original verb’s meaning. It is common in spoken and casual writing, but less common in formal communication. To know which meaning get has, you need to look at the context of the sentence using the rest of the sentence.

Common uses of get include:

*Get is also used in lots of phrasal verbs (verb + particle) to mean different things:

‘We get on really well.’ (get on = have a good relationship); ‘I can’t get by on $500 a week!’ (get by = survive); ‘Get up, we’re late!’ (get up = move from bed); ‘It took me years to get over it.’ (get over something = recover)

When not to use get

Some verbs can always be replaced with get (e.g. ‘buy’), but many other verbs can’t always be replaced by get because lots of verbs in English have different meanings depending on the context. Common examples:

Take: ‘I get the train to work every day.’ (travel) / ‘I get a tablet when I feel sick.’ (consume)

Become: ‘I got sick last night.’ (condition) / ‘She got a qualified doctor last year.’ (role/ profession)

Answer: ‘Can you get the phone?’ (the door/ phone)/ ‘I can’t get your question, sorry.’ (a question)

Examples in the text:

• … what helps me, is getting a blank sheet of paper: ‘get’ in this context means obtain, take, or use.
• Colouring down helps you get any energy, any stress, any bad vibes, on that sheet of paper: ‘get’ in this context means put or transfer.
• … this is what you should do: get a notepad: ‘get’ in this context means obtain, take, or use.
• And make sure you get it down: ‘get’ is used here in a phrasal verb, meaning to write.
• So, get out of there. Get out of your room: ‘get’ is used here in a phrasal verb, meaning to leave.
• … unless you get the right chord: ‘get’ in this context means find or achieve.
• … keep on going till you get what’s right: ‘get’ in this context means find, achieve or obtain.

https://www.blairenglish.com/exercises/verbs/exercises/using_verb_get1/using_verb_get1.html

#Creativity #Work #Inspiration #BBCIdeas

http://englishpodcastscollected.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/BBC-Ideas-5-ways-you-can-demolish-creative-blocks.pdf

http://englishpodcastscollected.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/BBC-Ideas-5-ways-you-can-demolish-creative-blocks.docx