101 Ways to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
A recent bout of not being motivated struck. After a few rounds, of clicking into my work and clicking away, and then getting frustrated with myself for not being able to focus, forcing myself to click back into my work, reading a few lines, and becoming bored, I decided it was time to come at the work from a different angle.
It was time to write another blog post, this time detailing ways to get the creative juices flowing.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with motivation from time to time, so I thought this might help others.
So without further ado, the list of ways to get your creative juices flowing. And we'll begin with the one I mentioned earlier.
1. Switch projects.
2. Come at your work from a different angle, Devil's Advocate.
3. Go back to the drawing board.
4. Walk through the work you did last time.
5. Talk a walk.
6. Exercise
7. Day Dream
8. Listen to Music (This can evoke feelings that inspire us.)
9. Meditate
10. Take a nap
11. Take a shower (I've heard many people say they get ideas here.)
12. Phone a friend. Get their advice
13. Talk the idea out by yourself
14. Distract your mind with other things.
15. Do a puzzle (Sudoku, Crossword, Jigsaw, etc)
16. Do household tasks/chores (folding laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming, etc)
17. Think of the idea phase as problem solving. What is the problem? How do you solve it?
18. Doodle.
19. Try changing scenery for work (i.e. trying a different room, or going to the park or coffee shop)
20. Search ideas on Pinterest or Google.
21. Research
23. Play a game (board, physical, or otherwise)
24. Play with an animal (Go to the Animal Shelter if you don't have one)
25. Go for a drive.
26. Read a book
27. Imagine your work in a different medium.
28. Imagine you're being interviewed. What would you like to say about your work?
29. Watch your favorite movie.
30. Take a spa day
31. Get a massage
32. Learn a new skill
33. Brainstorm the individual pieces of your project and map them out
34. Dance like no one's watching
35. Sing like no one's listening
36. Write the idea out on paper (or on the computer if you usually begin on paper)
37. Take the practical pieces and work them out.
38. Soundboard with people on forums doing similar work
39. Listen to or watch an expert in your field
40. Complete a smaller portion of the project
41. Try not to force the idea or stress about it.
42. Make a snack
43. Give yourself permission to suck.
44. Muster some pride for your accomplishments
45. Reminisce
46. Organize your ideas or thoughts in a new way.
47. Build parameters into the project
48. Go to your happy place (or create one)
49. Schedule time for brainstorming and make it a daily habit
50. Visit places that inspire and excite you
51. Work on the roughest outline of the project
52. Edit
53. Re-Edit (Our brains get bored and start paying attention to the smaller details)
54. Go back to an earlier project to see how you worked it out the first time
55. YouTube nature sounds like rain or waterfalls
56. Set time aside with zero distractions
57. Turn off social media (if it becomes a time suck)
58. Set your phone on silent
59. Write in white (cuts the need to edit until the idea gets down)
60. Help a friend
61. Be positive about your abilities
62. Volunteer
63. Be mindful of the world around you. Really focus in on the little details.
64. Try a new look
65. Focus on your senses (Close your eyes, notice what you hear, etc)
66. Try a new air freshener scent (scents are closely related to memory and might jog something.)
67. Chew gum (A study tip I picked up. The same type of gum can link your memories like scents.)
68. Be creative in a different way.
69. Imagine the project as a finished piece, revel in those feelings
70. Imagine the project as a finished piece. How will it be received by others?
71. Recreate environments where your ideas have sparked before
72. Study the work of your peers
73. Dissect professional work to see what works
74. Try a new restaurant
75. Keep notes when inspiration strikes to go back to
76. Keep a journal
77. Keep a dream journal
78. Simply enjoy the fresh air
79. Count all the good things that happened that day/week
80. Recant the plot lines of your favorite book/movie
81. Join a webinar
82. Listen to a podcast
83. Attend a workshop
84. Hone your craft
85. Go out for the night
86. Meet new people, listen to their stories
87. Try a new routine
88. Try a new hang out spot, coffee shop, etc.
89. Learn a new aspect of your field (i.e. if you write books, research publishing)
90. Join a Facebook group with similar interests
91. Expand your horizons
92. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations, so you grow
93. Make a dream board of all the things you'd like to do
94. Scrapbook memories
95. Expand on previous projects
96. Do a joint project with a friend
97. Make a video of the behind the scenes work
98. Organize your work space
99. Make a To-Do list
100. Visit a Theme Park
101. Prepare for good ideas by having ways to take notes and be receptive when they come
Inspiration and motivation are huge factors to the flow of ideas. I hope these suggestions help you to keep moving forward with your projects.
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