The best places for creative block
Summary/Overview
Whether you’re a designer chasing a deadline or a writer searching for the right words, a change of scenery can work wonders when it comes to finding that spark of inspiration. But are some locations better than others for overcoming creative block?
To find out, the team at Adobe Express analysed 25 UK cities and 40 worldwide locations, ranking them using five key factors: the cost of living, the number of museums, art galleries, libraries, and parks per 100,000 people.
Once the data was collected, the factors were then normalised to provide each one with a score between 0 and 1. These normalised values were then summed and multiplied to give each city a total score out of 100, and the higher the score, the better the city!
Key takeaways
- Edinburgh and Paris top the UK and global rankings for overcoming creative block, thanks to their abundance of museums, galleries, and inspiring green spaces.
- Affordable yet culturally rich cities like Belfast, Barcelona, and Madrid prove that you don’t need to break the bank to find creative inspiration.
- Across the world, the best creativity hotspots combine cultural depth, accessible public spaces, and an environment that encourages fresh perspectives
Curious about where you should visit if you’re looking for a creative breakthrough? Here are the hotspots.
The best places for creative block in the UK
Every creative hits a wall now and then, so if you’re looking for a burst of inspiration, the following locations have a lot to offer:
- Edinburgh
With its historic architecture, world-class museums, and picturesque green spaces, there’s no surprise Edinburgh (with a score of 59.42) claims the first spot in our ranking.
Scotland’s capital boasts 9.9 museums per 100,000 people (the highest on our list), as well as 16.4 art galleries. Its 3.6 parks make it perfect for those seeking inspiration from nature too.
While it has the highest cost of living score on our list (70.5), many find the city’s creative richness worth the price.
- Belfast
Belfast follows closely behind with a score of 57.92. Its 4.4 libraries per 100,000 (the most in our ranking) make it a haven for writers, and it boasts 8 art galleries too.
What’s more, you’ll find 4.2 museums, perfect for slow days spent soaking up some culture. With a more moderate cost of living score of 62.6, the city balances affordability and creative charm well.
- Nottingham
Nottingham is next, totalling a score of 50.66. The city offers creatives a mix of green space and cultural venues, boasting 7.7 parks per 100,000 (the most in our top five), as well as 5.3 museums.
The number of libraries (0.3 per 100,000) may be a drawback for writers and bookworms, however artists will feel right at home in one of the 7.7 art galleries.
- Glasgow
Known for its contemporary art scene and vibrant music culture, Glasgow, with its score of 49.45, is certainly deserving of the fourth spot.
The city offers 9 art galleries, 6 museums, and 5.9 parks per 100,000, meaning there’s a variety of choice for those searching for inspiration. Its 1.1 libraries also offer quiet spots for creatives to research and reflect.
- Kingston-Upon-Hull
Rounding out our top five we have Kingston-Upon-Hull, boasting a total score of 42.66.
The city has the lowest cost of living score (55.3), making it ideal if you’re looking for affordability. With 5.2 museums, 2.6 parks, and 2.6 art galleries, there’s plenty of variety.
The best places to overcome creative block worldwide
Whether you’re seeking peaceful green spaces or vibrant cultural scenes, here are the top worldwide hotspots:
- Paris, France
With a score of 67.45, Paris steals the top spot in our worldwide ranking. It also tops the list for art galleries, with a whopping 54.6 per million waiting to be explored.
Paris has plenty of green space too, with 19 parks per million, the second highest in our top five. And if you’re looking for literary inspiration, just head to one of the city’s libraries (there are 4.8 per million).
- Barcelona, Spain
Next up we have Barcelona, scoring 65.25 out of 100. The city ranks first for libraries (5.8), and it has plenty of museums too (21.8). With a cost of living score of 57, it comes in as the second most affordable city on our list.
If you’re an artist seeking inspiration, there are a variety of options when it comes to galleries (26.2). Or, if you tend to feel at your most creative outside, just head to one of the 17.3 parks!
- Toronto, Canada
With scenic green spaces and a thriving cultural scene, Toronto steals the third spot in our ranking, scoring 53.95. It has 31.7 art galleries and 39.8 parks per million, so whether you want to soak up some sun or culture, there’s plenty of choice.
While the city has a higher cost of living score (63.8), it remains a hotspot for creative inspiration.
- Madrid, Spain
Madrid’s modern galleries and traditional museums make it ideal for artists seeking inspiration. To be exact, you’ll find 19.2 art galleries per million in the city, as well as 19.1 museums.
What’s more, it has the lowest cost of living score out of our top five (55.8), as well as an impressive 10.9 parks. Overall, Madrid scores 42.88 for creative inspiration.
- Seoul, South Korea
Last up we have Seoul, with a total score of 40.97. Seoul leads with the most museums per million in our ranking (26.5), and you can also choose from an impressive number of art galleries (14.2).
While green space is more limited (8.7 parks), the city makes up for it with a rich history and thriving art scene.
Top tips for boosting your creativity
While immersing yourself in a new location can certainly help, there are a variety of ways to unlock your creative flow. With this in mind, we’ve pulled together some tips and tools to help you push through creative block, wherever you are:
- Try a fresh perspective: Whether you’re a full-time creative or working on a passion project, sometimes distance and downtime can be exactly what you need. Creative inspiration can wane when you’ve had your head buried in a project for too long, and taking a break allows you to return with new insights.
- Use visual prompts: Stuck for ideas? Our AI art generator can help boost inspiration and bring your visions to life. Using Firefly’s Text-to-image feature, you can turn your words into stunning artwork, helping you spark fresh ideas in just a few minutes.
- Break things down into smaller tasks: Breaking things down into smaller tasks (like writing a short piece of copy or doing a quick sketch) can trick your brain into exploring new ideas. Without the pressure of perfection, creativity often starts flowing again.
- Collaborate with others: Working with others is a great way to challenge your assumptions and it can lead to exciting breakthroughs. So, why not team up with a fellow creative next time you’re looking for inspiration?
And there you have it: the top UK and worldwide locations for overcoming creative block. Whether you find inspiration by wandering the streets of Edinburgh or from soaking up the art scene in Paris, there are a variety of spots you can visit to get your creativity flowing.
Searching for additional insights? You’ll find plenty over on the Adobe Express blog. Or check out our AI advancements, designed to help you generate new ideas.
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Methodology:
This dataset contains 2 rankings, one ranks 25 UK cities & the other ranks 40 worldwide cities, based on how good they are for a creative block. To do this, 5 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed & multiplied, to give each city a total score out of 100. The cities were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.
The factors used are as follows:
- Cost of Living Index - The cost-of-living index in each city, in comparison to New York City with a base index score of 100.
- Museums - The number of TripAdvisor results in each city, under the categories: 'Art Museums', 'Children's Museums', 'History Museums', 'Military Museums', 'Natural History Museums', 'Science Museums' & 'Speciality Museums'.
- Art Galleries - The number of TripAdvisor results in each city, under the 'Art Galleries' category.
- Libraries - The number of TripAdvisor results in each city, under the 'Libraries' category.
- Parks - The number of TripAdvisor results in each city, under the categories: 'Parks' & 'National Parks'.
The factors were indexed as follows:
- Cost of Living Index - Lower is better.
- Museums, art galleries, Libraries, Parks - Higher is better.
All data is correct as of 24/06/25. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.