I've been working on an independent study of creativity and trauma for two years, and recently had a setback with the project. It'd been a busy time, both at work and in my personal life, and I found myself wondering - can I even do this? I was stuck. I'd reached new levels of growth, and found that it didn't look how I'd imagined. It's scary when we don't know how to move forward, especially after investing a lot of our time and energy.

When life gets halted like this, it's like being on a precipice. There's a sense of risk, and our next steps suddenly become very important. Whether or not you're working on a creative project, being on the precipice is always creative, because moving forward requires creative solutions. Later we'll look at how artists experience this, but here are some common examples of other precipice moments.

• After a few months of good progress in therapy, both you and your therapist seem to be stuck. You're aware of the patterns to fix, but the awareness itself doesn't change things, and the earlier skills you'd learned are no longer helping.

• You've made a commitment to a person, or perhaps a job, and are feeling hemmed in by the new responsibility. Anxiously you realize that you're riding an escalator towards an uncertain future.

• Life is prompting you to make a change, such as reducing weed or alcohol use, or drawing a boundary with a toxic person. But you just don't have a plan or feel the strength to carry it through.

Situations like these require a creative approach. The old just doesn't work anymore, it's time for something new — so new in fact, that we don't even know what it is yet. This is a key part of the human experience. Throughout evolution, our ancestors were able to use their creative brains to overcome unimaginable challenges. So the good news is that we carry a lot of creative potential in our DNA.

But when we're on the precipice, we might not feel that we have this potential. How do I move forward? This becomes our question, and one, it seems, that only ourselves can answer.

Remember, the precipice occurs when we are invited to grow beyond our current capabilities. Everyone will experience this at some point in life. So let's better understand how the precipice can impact us.

Surprised by disappointment

Ever been caught off guard after you've completed a project? When you finished making that song or painting, and were met with numbness, or even worse, discouragement? To have taken all that time imagining you would get a certain result Yet in the end, it didn't come. It may bring up thoughts like "why bother?" or "I'll never be good enough."

Continue, or give up?

You've gained some accomplishment, but now are second-guessing the whole thing. Yet you already made an investment, you're committed. Worse of all, maybe your doubt isn't totally irrational and you have a really good reason why you should give up. But that would bring about consequences. So you ask, is it worth it to give up?

Getting pulled further in

This is when you've completed something, only to realize that it's not complete at all. There is a next level that you are now required to step into, and it's not what you thought it'd be. Maybe you even feel capable of continuing forward, but you just don't want to. What was supposed to make things better now feels like quicksand dragging you down.

Every precipice looks different, and there is no one answer for what to should do. But it's always an invitation to a creative solution. So let's look at some ways to get creative.

Cultivating Creativity

One of the most difficult parts about creativity is it cannot be forced, it has to be nurtured. We can only make the conditions that allow a creative solution to be born. This is like planting seeds. Not all of them will take root, we can't even know which will. But we plant them, and then watch to see where the blooming happens.

Unsurprisingly, this is a tough space for artists to exist in. Often expected to continuously create, artists can face increased risk for mental health issues (read more here). So artists may find the following ideas particularly useful.

But whether or not you identify as an artist, you have creative potential. Remember, this is just wired into us as humans. So lets look at some ways to get creative when we're feeling stuck.

Switch gears

Just get yourself out of your current rut. Take a walk somewhere new, try out a podcast, or cook a dish you've never made before. Whatever gear you switch, make it intentional. As a writer, I've personally found it helpful to put my computer away and start sketching (something I am horrible at!). I find the images work different parts of my mind, and I get a new perspective.

Talk to somebody

We all have our blind spots, sometimes others can see them. So consider talking to someone you trust like a friend, or your therapist. Who knows, they may have a brilliant idea for you. Or they might just share something that helps things click. Creativity thrives on data points, just like those creative seeds that might bloom. So the more data points you acquire, the better chance a creative solution has to be born.

Go internal

Your answer is likely waiting inside of you. Yet our society does not teach this sort of contemplation. So we must practice. This is not just "self-care" time, I'm talking here about intentional seeking. When seeking, start by asking the right questions. And yes, what should I do next can be a great question! Also consider where a good place to do your seeking is. For me, it's out in nature. Go to your space, and then ask your question. Don't expect an answer to emerge, but focus on the questioning. Then leave it out of your mind for a while, and see what comes back later.

Regardless of how you respond to your precipice moments, don't forget to manage expectations. It took time to get to the precipice, so don't expect to be suddenly transported from it. The focus should be on next steps, and on guiding yourself forward in the right direction. Time is often your best resource when on the precipice. It will help you to take stock of your situation, gain your bearings, and consider your next move.

If you are having a really tough time out on the precipice, definitely talk to your therapist. Therapy is a great way to work collaboratively and find creative solutions. Want to get started doing this creative work with one of our therapists? Contact us today.