Whether you’re in an agency, freelancing, or just hustling on creative projects, deadlines are always lurking.
We get good at working fast, but let’s be real—creativity sometimes needs time to breathe, experiment, and even fail a little. And with AI in the mix, there’s even more pressure to be speedy, with a growing assumption that creativity should be a button press away.
Then sometimes… you just get stuck.
A design isn’t working. The layout looks off. You’re trying to create something you’ve done a hundred times before—but nothing’s clicking.
It’s a feeling every creative is familiar with. But I didn’t expect to feel it recently when I returned to a local rock gym after a couple-year hiatus. My family and I used to go all the time. It was something different, something challenging, something that let me explore the outer limits of my comfort zone. It pushed my fear of heights, even if it was just bouldering 6–8 feet off a padded floor.
Over time, I got comfortable being uncomfortable.
But going back after such a long break, It felt equal parts familiar and brand new. I found myself struggling on climbs I used to do easily.
After a couple of stumbles and false starts I remembered: rock climbing isn’t about strength. It’s about small adjustments. Shifting your weight. Tweaking your posture. Thinking through the next move.
I’d watch my stepson or my wife take on the same climb and think, “They made that look easy.”
But the difference usually came down to something simple—I hadn’t shifted my foot the right way, or I was approaching it from the wrong angle.
And that got me thinking…
When was the last time I really watched someone else’s creative process like that?
These days, we’re moving fast. We’re remote or hybrid. We’re focused on getting things done. But there’s a lot of value in slowing down just enough to ask:
Why did you use that color there?
Why that layout choice?
Why that structure?
It’s the same as watching someone solve a climb. A small change in approach can unlock everything.