Knot Knowing: Untangling Your Brain When You’re Tied Up in Stuck
"The Art of not standing still: A guide to Stuck-tistics" was a second contender for a headline, and I didn't want it go to to waste, so that's the subtitle.
Hello, innovators and creative thinkers!
Picking up from Sunday, I want to dive deeper into what to do when you're stuck: when you feel like you don’t even know what you need to get unstuck.
The good news? That’s more common than you think. The better news? There are simple ways to move forward - no tugboat or stalking muse needed!
What to do when you don't know what you need to do
If you caught the Sunday post, you’ll remember Steven Lauddem, the opera composer played by Peter Dinklage in She Came to Me. Steven faced a creative block so profound that his wife had to nudge him (forcefully!) to take a walk. His frustration, mixed with doubt about his past failures and pressure to deliver something remarkable, felt paralyzing.
If you haven’t read it, click below:
That’s where this story begins: in the middle of stuck.
1. Start with the Problem
Steven’s struggle wasn’t just that he couldn’t compose: it was that he hadn’t pinpointed what was holding him back. Was it his fear of failure? The pressure to meet expectations? The reality that inspiration doesn’t follow a clock?
When we feel lost, it’s often because we’re thinking about solutions before understanding the real problem. Take a moment to step back and define:
What’s the goal?
What are the challenges getting in the way?
Is this even the right problem to solve?
In your case at work, it might be:
Marketing: Are you struggling to design a campaign because you’re not sure what resonates with your audience? Could the issue be a lack of clear customer insights or a misaligned brand message?
Start by revisiting your target audience data, running a quick survey, or hosting a team brainstorming session to redefine your campaign goals.
Product Development: Is your team stuck deciding on the next feature to prioritize? Could it be because the problem you’re solving for your users hasn’t been clearly defined?
Conduct user interviews, analyze feedback trends, or host a prioritization workshop to align on what brings the most value.
Sales: Are you failing to close deals because you’re unsure how to handle a specific objection? Could the root cause be inadequate knowledge of your competitor’s offerings or a lack of tailored solutions?
Consider role-playing common objections with your team, diving deeper into competitor analysis, or creating customized sales decks to address client-specific needs.
For Steven, the answer wasn’t at his musical instruments but in stepping away. That leads us to the next point.
2. What’s Your “Take a Walk” Equivalent?
Steven’s wife, Patricia, told him to take a walk to find inspiration. That walk led to an unexpected encounter with Katrina, a tugboat captain played by Marisa Tomei, whose colorful and troubled past brought a spark into Steven’s life.
Sometimes, being stuck feels like a knot: tight, tangled, and impossible to unravel. And like a knot, the trick is often to stop pulling harder and instead loosen it carefully, one loop at a time.
That brief yet significant encounter reignited his creativity and brought his opera to life: to the point that the opera is almost verbatim to what happened (but there was no assassination, yet - this isn’t a spoiler as it was also on the Trailer!).
Sometimes, being stuck feels like a knot: tight, tangled, and impossible to unravel.
Walking works wonders for clearing your mind and sparking ideas. But when you’re at work, the “walk” might need to look different:
Change your setting: Take a break from your desk or usual workspace. Move to a café, a park, or even another part of the office. Steven didn’t find inspiration at his piano, it came when he stepped into an unfamiliar environment and met someone outside his world.
Maybe you can go to a meeting room, a focus booth, try to go to the office (if you work from home), or the other way around. Or work in the cafeteria, if that’s an option.
Switch the focus: Dive into a different type of task that feels more playful or unrelated. The distraction can help your mind wander productively. Steven’s encounter with Katrina forced him to see things differently: through her chaotic yet fascinating lens, apart from also helping to unblock the creative block.
Collaborate differently!
Run a meeting where no one can speak for the first five minutes: everyone must write or sketch their ideas silently. Think of it as the structured equivalent of letting inspiration find you in unexpected ways.
You can also have a rule where all people have to say “Yes, and” before you speak, and you cannot destroy each other’s ideas but rather build on top of them.
From the Innovation from Within Community: Ideas Are Everywhere
shared a fantastic insight in the comments of Sunday’s post: “There are ideas everywhere if we just open our eyes to them. A song lyric, an idea from an overheard conversation, an advert on the side of a bus, something your kid said.”This mindset of openness truly has its powers. Ideas don’t always shout: they often whisper. The more you notice and let them propagate, the easier it becomes to find inspiration everywhere.
added a complementary perspective: “A shift in surroundings can create a change in mindset, which can be a boon for creativity!” Whether it’s a walk, a different workspace, or immersing yourself in a novel environment, changing your setting often unlocks new ways of thinking.Together, these ideas remind us that creativity flows when we remain open to the world around us, so thank you guys for those add-ons and insightful tips!
3. Try AI and No-Code Tools
Sometimes you’re stuck because you’re unsure where to even start. This is where AI and no-code tools can be your allies. They help you brainstorm, prototype, or uncover how others have solved similar problems:
Brainstorming with AI Tools:
We can’t run away from AI (digitally speaking). It does help you sometimes, especially when you don’t even know how to explain what you need yet.Tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity.ai can be a bit of a “talking with an intern” moment to explore new angles or generate ideas. You can prompt it to reframe your problem, suggest solutions, or generate creative prompts to get your mind flowing. (You have prompt templates in the next section of this article!)
No-Code Tools for Prototyping:
Tools like Whimsical or Softr let you prototype ideas quickly, even without technical expertise. A bit of a digital playground for experimentation. Sometimes seeing a concept come to life, even if it’s very basic, can spark further ideas and clarity. I don’t think you can use this at all times, but this can be interesting to consider if you’re really stuck.Finding Inspiration with Perplexity.ai:
When you’re wondering if someone else has faced your challenge, tools like Perplexity.ai or other advanced search tools can help you uncover solutions or case studies. You can look at what worked (and didn’t) for others and adapt it to your context.If you’re using a tool already, and you don’t know how to use it well, you can search for Customer Success stories from that tool itself. Or from competitor tools, to see if there’s better use cases for what you’re doing.
4. Two AI Prompts to Get Unstuck
When using AI tools like ChatGPT, crafting the right prompt can make all the difference. Here are two prompts you can use to generate creative results:
For Broad Brainstorming:
“I’m stuck on [describe your problem or situation briefly]. Pose as a [Industry you’re working in] expert, such as a Consultant for [Competitors, Famous companies in the industry] and suggest creative approaches, strategies, or examples of how this has been tackled successfully in different industries or my industry.” Optional, indicate how many ideas you want, or what you already thought of.For Actionable Next Steps:
”I’m working on [specific issue or challenge] and need help generating ideas. In this order, start by:Breaking the problem into smaller, manageable parts.
Suggesting actionable steps for each part?
Recommending tools, resources, or methods that could help with implementation.
Please provide practical, creative, and detailed suggestions tailored to this issue."
Wrapping it up - no knots now:
When you don’t know what you need, the first step is to experiment: try a new tool, environment, or activity that shakes up your routine. Trust that ideas will follow when you create space for them to emerge.
Steven’s story in She Came to Me reminds us that inspiration doesn’t always look the way we expect. Sometimes, it’s a tugboat captain with a tangled past; other times, it’s brainstorming with an AI tool or building a prototype using no-code software.
Join the Conversation
Are you feeling stuck? Let’s try to untie that knot together. Share your thoughts, tips, or experiences in the comments, I’d love to hear what works for you!
And if you found this helpful, why not subscribe to receive more practical, creative inspiration every week? Let’s build a community of innovators who untangle their knots and turn challenges into breakthroughs.
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Enjoy the rest of your week!
Great. Good Point of view. Fully agree with you
Starting with the problem first is critical before even trying to brainstorm for a solution. This is a key part of Six Sigma, where you must Define first.