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Perfection can be paralyzing. The desire to knock it out of the park on the first try can lead to more deleting than actual creating. Some days your brain is on vacation, your muse is ghosting you, and your creativity is… well, MIA.

Here’s the secret no one tells you: the only cure for a creative slump is to start. Badly. Terribly. Gloriously badly.

I call it: Fake It ‘Til You Feel It

When you’re uninspired, trying to be brilliant from scratch is like trying to run a marathon without stretching first. You’ll cramp, crumple up, and cry. So just start. Do something messy. Do something dumb. Do it in a way you know is probably wrong.

Here’s where the magic happens: once the wheels are moving–even a little—the real ideas creep in. Momentum creates clarity. Movement breeds insight. Action births inspiration.

How Scout Does It:

1. Embrace the ugly first draft: Write that awful tweet, sketch that stick figure, record that rambling voice note. Nobody is watching.

2. Set a timer: 10-15 minutes of doing, not thinking. Let your brain follow your hands.

3. Iterate, don’t wait: Once the messy version exists, you can fix it.

4. Celebrate micro-momentum: Even tiny progress is progress. One paragraph. One line. One post-it note idea. All are wins.

Creativity Challenge:

Pick a project you’ve been avoiding—a newsletter, social post, client pitch, story, or brainstorm list. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Create something terrible. Write something you know is messy, over-the-top, or just plain silly.

Then:

1. Step back for 5 minutes

2. Circle one gem in that hot mess.

3. Refine it to something you could actually use.

Tip: Your creativity is like a muscle. The first messy reps are just warming up. Soon, you’ll be lifting those heavy ideas like a pro.

And always remember…

You’re doing amazing, sweetie.