Creating Through the Brain Fog

I don’t know about you, but lately, I’ve had a few rough days.

Sometimes it’s just life, a phone call with bad news, a shift you didn’t see coming, or even just the weight of the world piling up quietly in the corners of your mind. Getting news of something you can’t control really makes you sit and think. You start spiraling with questions like, Why now? or How am I supposed to keep going like this?

It’s a slippery slope to an even darker place that’s hard to climb out of. And if you’re a creative person, you might feel it even deeper. Our minds don’t stop; they swirl and twist, turning feelings into thoughts, and thoughts into color, shapes, stories. But on days like these, when the fog settles in, creating anything can feel impossible.

As artists, we often sit with our sadness longer than we mean to. There’s a strange comfort in it sometimes, but also a heaviness. You might ask yourself, What can I even do about this?

And honestly, some days the answer is: not much.
But other days? There’s a little spark. And I’ve learned that when that spark shows up, I follow it—even if it flickers.

Step One: Name the Storm

When I feel overwhelmed or anxious, the very first thing I do is write.

It doesn’t have to be a journal entry or a poem, sometimes it’s just bullet points. I jot down the exact things bothering me, even if they seem small or messy or irrational. Seeing a big problem whittled down into a few sentences on paper gives me perspective. It gets the chaos out of my head and puts it somewhere else. Somewhere manageable.

Writing helps me realize that I’m not becoming my anxiety, I’m just feeling it.

Step Two: Sketch the Silence

Once I’ve emptied some of the storm through words, I turn to sketching.

There’s no pressure to make something “good.” This isn’t about perfection or productivity. It’s about movement, letting my hand and mind reconnect. Sometimes I scribble circles or draw trees. Sometimes it’s just lines and patterns, a meditative kind of mark making. The pencil becomes a release valve for whatever’s buzzing in my head.

On some days, that might be the most I can do. And that’s okay.

What Helps When You’re Stuck in the Fog

If you’re an artist or creative struggling through a heavy moment, here are a few things I’ve tried that help lighten the weight:

🎵 1. Change the Soundtrack

Music has such a powerful pull on our emotions. When I’m in a dark headspace, I turn to soundtracks, lo-fi beats, or even a genre I’ve never heard before. It breaks up the static in my head and creates space for gentler thoughts.

🕯️ 2. Tidy One Small Thing

This isn’t about cleaning your whole studio or rearranging your life. Just pick one corner of your space and care for it. Dust your desk. Light a candle. Reorganize your pencils. These small acts of care remind your brain: you’re safe here.

✍️ 3. Make a “No Pressure” List

Sometimes to do lists add stress. Instead, I make a No Pressure List. These are creative things I could do if I want, but I’m not obligated to. A loose sketch. A Pinterest mood board. Swatching paint colors. Nothing performance based. Just gentle ideas waiting patiently for me.

🫂 4. Reach Out

I know it’s not always easy, but talking to someone can help pull you out of your own head. Whether it’s a friend, a therapist, or even a stranger in a support group, your thoughts deserve to be heard and held with care. We’re not meant to carry it all alone.

🧘 5. Move Your Body

You don’t have to do a full workout, but even stretching, walking around the block, or standing outside for a minute can shake loose some of that stuck energy. As artists, we spend a lot of time in our heads and movement brings us back into our bodies.

🎨 6. Create Without Purpose

If the idea of “making something” stresses you out, take away the goal. Pour paint on a page and move it around. Doodle without looking. Tear paper and make a collage. Make art like a child, unconcerned. It doesn’t have to go on your Instagram. It just has to help you breathe.

🐌 7. Slow Everything Down

Give yourself permission to do things at half-speed. Make a cup of tea slowly. Sit and breathe slowly. Create slowly. This world moves so fast, and when your mind feels heavy, the last thing it needs is to keep sprinting. Move like honey. Slow is sacred.

The Fog Will Lift

If you’re reading this and you’re in a dark place, I want you to know: you’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re just human.

Some days, creating through the fog is about survival. Other days, it’s about expression. And sometimes, it’s just about proving to yourself that you can still move forward, even if it’s one tiny step at a time.

Your art doesn’t need to be beautiful to matter. Your sketchbook doesn’t have to look like a gallery. You don’t have to be okay to make something meaningful.

You are allowed to make sad art. Quiet art. Strange art. You’re allowed to stop halfway through. You’re allowed to rest.

And you are always, always allowed to begin again tomorrow.