2010
Working in a creative industry is great because aiming high is encouraged and finding ways to successfully pull off wild ideas is invigorating. Approaching each new project with creative freedom is fantastic…except when you’re in a creative lull. You know what I’m talking about. It’s when your creative side forgets to show up to the party. Everything else is in place, but it’s like your creativity is stuck in a serious rut and needs help to get free. Sound familiar?
After the July 4th holiday this past weekend, some of my followers on Twitter who returned to work tweeted about having a hard time getting back into the office routine, or feeling like their brains were mush and it was difficult to get back in their groove. This seems to frequently happen after a vacation (which is ironic, because vacations are supposed to refresh us, right?). It’s hard to kick start our brains and get our creative and motivated sides pumping again when we just come off a relaxing few days of no work. Lack of creativity also happens when we get burnt out or become too accustomed to one way of doing things. Sometimes we get so stuck in our routine that it’s hard to look at something with a fresh set of eyes.
Those tweets got me wondering about the different approaches people take when they get into a slump and need to re-energize and refocus. I asked my networks on Facebook and Twitter and got some pretty interesting answers. I hope you can take a few of these suggestions and try them the next time your creative side is being stubborn.
“Learn something about a subject you know nothing about. You’ll walk away smarter.” - Brandon Chesnutt, Identity Marketing & Public Relations
“Talk to someone who you know can inspire you. Choose someone outside of your field or industry…just a creative or thought-provoking person in general. 30 minutes will do the trick.” - Ben Smithee, Spych Research
“Eat the frog – do the thing you hate or dread doing most. Get it out of the way and you’ll open up space for more creative thought.” - Joni Hubred-Golden, Michigan Women’s Forum
“Meditate.” - David Murray, re:group
“Iced Americano from Biggby to refuel. Also, something that makes me laugh.” - Kelly LaVaute, Quicken Loans
“I like to mix it up with a delicate combo of TED presentations, creative works on Vimeo and snacks.” - Ryan Bateman, Compuware
“I spend time with my nieces and nephew. Kids have such great imaginations, it’s amazing what comes out of their mouths. Also, kids are a great reminder to Keep it Simple. That’s why a balloon or an empty box is more fun than an expensive toy.” - Rita Sitto, Stratacomm
“For me, it’s about doing something I haven’t before, like going to a new park or restaurant. Change of scenery/routine.” - Mark W. Smith, Detroit Free Press
“I usually grab my camera and go for a walk. Or I go to a craft store for inspiration for new projects.”- Sarah Withers, Gale
“I keep a file of things that I think are cool – ads, posters, invitations, brochures, articles, etc. Great for inspiration.” - Rachel Esterline, AGP & Associates
“I do something away from the computer, like photography, origami, or listening to a different genre of music.” - Jenni Murray, Creative Breakthroughs, Inc.
“I find taking a long lunchtime walk plugged into my iPod helps.” - Mike McClure, The Yaffe Group
“I recharge by watching hockey fights on YouTube.” – Eric Younan, Pulte Homes
“I read something completely outside my usual echo chamber on topics like neuroscience, history or good fiction.” - Mike Pilarz, Burson-Marsteller
Thanks to everyone who chimed in with suggestions.
For me, blogging helps because it’s writing (which is tied directly to my job), but my voice gets to shine through. I also like to look back through photos I’ve collected throughout the years. Going off what Ben Smithee said, it often helps to talk it out with a trusted friend. Sometimes just vocalizing the thoughts in your head helps you get rid of whatever is holding you back from producing amazing work.
What would you add? What do you do when you need to reignite your creativity?
