When I was asked to write a blog for the company website, I thought it would be an easy task. After years of writing marketing messages, it didn’t seem like it would be that difficult to put what I do into a few paragraphs. How does that line about famous last words go again?

I’d like to lie and tell you that this is the first time I haven’t been able to think up something great to write, and that I’m some kind of playboy millionaire jetting off to Spain this weekend, but it would be all lies. Since the best advertising is grounded in the truth, I’ll readily admit that I’m engaged in three completely different cases of writer’s block as we speak. Fortunately, this has become such a regular occurrence that I’ve developed some confidence in working around it—emphasis on the “work” part because getting to any great idea takes time.

When I’m stuck, I tend to go into Jack Kerouac writing mode where I type and type nonstop until I get somewhere I like. Other people I know get out of their funk by hanging all their work up on a corkboard, then coming back to it a couple of hours later with a fresh perspective. While I wish I could give you the definitive answer as to what to do when you’re stuck, the reality is what works for one person may not work for somebody else.

In the end, coming up with an idea is a lot like a giant game of hide and seek. There are infinite ideas out there somewhere. You’ve just got to keep pushing yourself to find them. Sometimes they’re right in front of your face. Sometimes they’re camouflaged and hiding right in front of your face.  The key when you get frustrated in looking for one is to not get frustrated. If you put in the time, you’ll find dozens of ideas, and one of them is bound to be good.