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'll 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.
Thanks for watching.
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