10 Ways To Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Creativity Boosting Tips

In the creative process, stagnancy can feel like death. When a mental block comes (as it often does and with devastating swiftness), it can feel as though there is no way to get around it. At the same time, the halted creative flow can feel very isolating. It’s hard to imagine Mozart, Jane Austen, or Frida Kahlo ever struggling with creativity, but everyone at some point has trouble coming up with new ideas. Whether it comes from anxiety, discomfort, or exhaustion, there are many ways to overcome these mental blocks and get the creative juices flowing.

Fight The Inertia, Get Your Body In Motion

When your brain shuts down, it’s hard to kick it back into gear. Like anything, an object at rest would prefer to stay at rest. When it comes to coming up with ideas, this means getting stuck with the old and not being able to move to something new. When this happens, we can trick our minds into starting back up by moving our bodies. Going for a walk or riding a bike can help give the mind new stimuli and let it know it’s time to start moving.

Set A Schedule

Engaging in the projects or art that excites you can help you remember what inspires you. Whether it is an old concert, a keynote speech, or a work of art, interacting with and enjoying those projects can unlock the creative spark that spurred you on in the first place.

Expand Past Your Genre

Engaging in the projects or art that excites you can help you remember what inspires you. Whether it is an old concert, a keynote speech, or a work of art, interacting with and enjoying those projects can unlock the creative spark that spurred you on in the first place.

Turn To The Projects You Love

Engaging in the projects or art that excites you can help you remember what inspires you. Whether it is an old concert, a keynote speech, or a work of art, interacting with and enjoying those projects can unlock the creative spark that spurred you on in the first place.

Dump Out All Your Thoughts

Sometimes a creative block doesn’t come from a lack of ideas at all, but the presence of too many ideas. When this happens, it’s a great idea to get all of your thoughts down on paper. Even if you can’t come up with that perfect idea you’ve been looking for, writing down any thoughts you have may help you find it. Once you have it all down, try connecting your ideas, mapping out your thought process until you start to see your own creative flow.

Turn To A Colleague

Thoughts can sometimes feel stagnant or unusable when they are just sitting in your own head. Giving voice to them and talking them through with a colleague can often make things start to click. Try explaining what your idea is to a colleague, and why you are struggling with it. Having to structure your thoughts by talking about them helps your mind sort through them and prioritize what is necessary. Once you’ve said it all out loud, things may start to be more clear, or your colleague can help you generate or expand the thoughts you already have.

Set Up A Space

Much like setting a schedule, having a designated place where you can create and let free-thought roam can train the mind. Whether it is an office, a local coffee shop, a park bench, or a specific library table, a specific place can signal to your mind that it is time to be creative. However, it is important that this is a space just for creativity. Designating your bed or any other common place may signal to your mind that it is time to rest or hang out. You want your place to let your mind know in big, flashing lights that it’s time to CREATE!

Take Out The Stress

Stress can often lead to creative blocks, and it’s important to release that to get the creative juices going. Go for a run, watch your favorite movie, write an angry note then crumple it up. Whatever helps you to release some of your stress, do it, then return to the work at hand.

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

If you expect your mind to create consistently and efficiently, you have to treat it well. The mind is your most powerful muscle, connecting to every other part of your body. Treating your body well will treat your mind well. This means exercising, eating healthy, getting rest, and drinking plenty of water. If your body is deprived of the things it needs, it won’t be able to focus on getting the creative juices flowing.

Come Up With Anything!

If you reach a creative block, don’t let it stop you from creating! It is truly a rare situation when your mind can’t come up with anything at all. Even if you can’t come up with the correct idea, write down any idea. Don’t let your brain stop going. If you reach a mental block, it doesn’t mean your brain wants to stop. Let it keep working, and be patient. Don’t let a brief moment of difficulty deter you, because it is always passing. You will get past it if you keep moving. If you put in the time and effort, soon enough, your mind will start creating once again.