When You’re Stuck, It’s Time to Stop Pushing. Here’s What To Do Instead
Recently, I led a special workshop in partnership with Freelancers Union called RESET: Reconnect With Your Creative Self.
It wasn’t about doing more. It wasn’t about productivity hacks. It was about honesty. Once the room felt safe enough to be real, something powerful happened: We named the kind of stuck that doesn’t budge.
Not the “I need to plan better” kind—but the kind that makes you wonder:
- Why can’t I move forward?
- What am I even doing?
- Is it me—or is the world just too much right now?
The RESET Moment
So we moved. We danced. We breathed. Not to perform—but to remember: Underneath all the noise, there’s still a pulse.
- A voice.
- A reason you began.
RESET isn’t about fixing. It’s about clearing space—so you can feel again. So you can listen again.
When Creating Becomes Surviving
Anne, one of the instructors in my ASTC Teaching Method professional development program, started the course with her best foot forward. She was passionate, excited, and ready to contribute her full creative self.
But then, life caught up. The bills piled up. The days got shorter. The responsibilities got heavier. And slowly, her creativity faded into the background. She wasn’t creating anymore—she was surviving. When she came to me, she wasn’t asking for tools or choreography. She had shut down. Her energy was depleted. But more than that—she felt ashamed of her own reality.
“Why can’t I do this?” She asked.
I stopped her and made one thing very clear: “You can. And this is not your reality.”
Then I shared two truths I believe every creative needs to hear:
- You are not failing. You’re just one step closer to moving forward. You just need to learn how to give yourself permission to take that step.
- No one is going to tell you when it’s time to recalibrate. That’s your job. And it’s hard.
As artists, we need to be more intentional about surrounding ourselves with a community that not only fuels our creativity—but holds us accountable to it. (Which Anne had.)
So here’s the good news: Help was on the way.
We paused. Not to fix—but to feel. We started mapping out how to be present again— and how to reconnect with her creativity.
That’s when the shift began. Not because she pushed harder—but because she gave herself permission to make space for creativity and the right support to manage it. Anne didn’t put on a band-aid. By pausing, she moved forward.
Why We Need to Pause
As creatives, our creativity is one of the most precious things in our lives. We need to nurture it—by growing, listening, and challenging ourselves. In a world that spins so fast, it’s easy to lose track—and with it, our creative power. What usually happens is the tendency to watch or follow someone else’s strategy.
But here’s the thing: We can’t follow someone else’s path. There’s no blueprint for our voice. We are the ones building the map as we go. Our role in the world is to be the engine that sparks what didn’t exist before. We may not always produce tangible products— but we are the ones providing the hope, imagination, and vision at their core.
Sometimes, we raise people from darkness without even knowing it. Sometimes, we speak to the child who feels different and become their invisible best friend. Sometimes, we save lives.
We make space for the stories that haven’t been told. But we’re not just storytellers—we’re advocates for change and starters of legacies.
And to do that, we need space. Stillness. Breath.
We need clarity.
There is a way forward. There is support. So ask yourself: What would happen if I gave myself permission to begin again?
Keep the RESET Alive
If something in this blog stirred something in you, if you’re ready to stop pushing and start reconnecting — you’re not alone.
I’m opening space for a new round of RESET: Reconnect With Your Creative Self, a workshop experience designed to help you pause, reflect, and move forward, on your terms.
Want to be the first to know when registration opens?
Email me with “RESET” in the subject line Give yourself permission to start again.