So you’ve been staring at your screen /canvas/piece of paper for a while now and your mind is coming up just as blank.
It might seem like you’re never going to get out of this slump, but in fact, there are nine things that you can do right now to get those creative juices flowing again.
1. Don’t force it
As much as you might want to, you can’t bully yourself into being creative. Sitting there telling your brain to come up with something good isn’t going to do much.
The best way to get ideas to come to you is by practicing the art of letting go.
Give your brain a break, go and talk to a friend, watch a stupid movie, or maybe do something else creative just for fun.
When you stop trying to squeeze your mind into doing what you want, you’ll find that inspiration will arise naturally.
2. Put it down, see what happens
Often people wait for a flare of creativity or inspiration to hit them in order to then spur on action.
However, sometimes the opposite can actually work more effectively.
Let yourself put down any kind of garbage without thinking and see what comes out.
Chances are it will be absolute crap, but the point is that getting started and putting something onto the page will then motivate you to keep going, and hopefully come up with something worth keeping.
3. Move your body, move your mind
Whether it’s flailing your body around to music, skipping on a rope or getting into some yoga flow, exercising is a great way to shift energy and regenerate.
Also, raising those endorphin levels is going to put you in a generally more positive mood which is great for a lot of things, especially opening your mind up to new ideas.
Get into zen mode
It might seem weird that moving around and sitting still can both be solutions to the same problem, and sitting down not doing anything can feel like you’re wasting time, but meditating for even 10 minutes a day has been found to switch on divergent thinking and improve focus.
5. Have a nap
Letting your head rest for a bit can sometimes be like clicking the refresh button on your brain (even if you wake up feeling like you’ve just come out of a century-long hibernation and have time-travelled to a different dimension).
Giving yourself some time to turn off and process your day can create the mental space needed in order to bring about new ideas.
So next time you’re feeling stuck, don’t feel guilty about wrapping yourself into a blanket cocoon and passing out for little (or big) while.
6. Trust in the process
It’s easy to feel like life isn’t moving at the pace you’d like it to be, especially in this day and age where we are expected to produce at progressively faster rates.
Creativity works at its own pace and no matter how hard you try, it can’t be rushed.
This means that there must be an element of trust that daydreaming and having periods where nothing tangible is being shown is all part of it.
7. Don’t be afraid to be silly
Sometimes laughing and finding little bits of joy in your daily life can be exactly what you need to bring on some imaginative thinking.
Allow yourself every now and then to be a bit silly, as lightening up is going to bring on new energy and ideas streaming in.
Sometimes the best ideas can come when you’re just messing around and throwing out whatever bizarre thing comes to your mind.
8. Change up your environment
Seeing the same old things day-in and day-out can make life pretty boring and isn’t exactly going to get you in the creative mindset.
Making changes to your surroundings can be a great way to muster up some inspiration.
Before you go around with a sledgehammer and start knocking your whole house down, all that’s needed is a few small changes to your space.
Even if it’s swapping your paintings around, getting a new candle or lamp, these small things can have a big impact on your creativity.
9. Find words that inspire
Watching or reading some words of wisdom can have a strong impact on our thinking, motivating us to shift our perception and look at things in a different way.
There’s nothing like a bunch of powerful words to get you pumped up and ready to conquer.
It should be noted though that listening to someone else talk about how they achieved something and feeling inspired isn’t enough.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to act on that inspiration, so go out there and create!