When pioneers were heading west across the American frontier, their wagon wheels would sometimes get trapped in the grooves worn by those who’d taken the same path.

It’s believed that’s where we get the phrase “stuck in a rut.”

If someone feels unable to escape the same routine, habits, or ways of thinking, we say they’re stuck in a rut. They’ve become trapped in the depressing doldrums of daily life.

Artists, entrepreneurs, and other self-described creative types will sometimes express the need to get “unstuck.” If that’s you right now, it’s worth asking how you got stuck in a rut in the first place.

What caused your rut?

Was it created by those who went before you? Are you following the same well-worn path a little too closely?

Or did you create your own rut? Have your habits, routines, and beliefs left you unable to break free? As Seth Godin wrote on his blog:

“Ruts don’t dig themselves.

Most of the time, we’re in a rut because that’s precisely where we put ourselves.”

Whether you’re in a rut you created or one you chose to follow, the way out seems pretty clear: You’ve got to put yourself on a new path. The good news is – you may not have to look far to find it.

Westward-bound pioneers didn’t have to take Interstate 80. It’s a big, wide country and they could have forged their own path. Yet, they followed the Oregon Trail for a reason. Eventually, people determined this was an effective way to make it across America in a wagon.

But they didn’t have to travel in the ruts and neither do you. It’s possible to move off the trail while still following its direction. Maybe your trail is a certain genre. It could be a career path, a set of personal principles, or the way you prepare to make your art. Can you open your mind and approach it just a little differently? Try something new. It doesn’t have to be radical.

Sometimes the most minuscule change in your creative journey is all you need to get unstuck.

Photo by Stephen Hui on Unsplash