Creativity is a very important part in a writer’s, painter’s, designer’s or sculptor’s life and the absence of it may cause serious frustration to any individual. Also known as creative block, many people have it due to emotional barriers, communication breakdowns or other personal problems. Having your brain shut down when a deadline approaches, it may easily end your career.
There’s no need to panic, there are many ways that you can overcome this mental blocking. Here’s how.
Analyze yourself
The first step is to stop and try assessing yourself by getting to the core of your problems. Questions like Why can’t I feel motivated? or What’s blocking my mind? can help a lot.
Search your muse
Go online or take a magazine and try looking at other’s works, maybe you will tickle your imagination. Take a walk to a museum or art gallery, connecting with the artist’s work will give you some inspiration for your project.
Music and doodling
It’s said the plants love music, it helps them grow. Try turning on your speakers, get a paper and a pencil and start doodling. Not only your drawing skills will be enhanced but you’ll never know when a bright idea will strike you. Music can heavily boost anyone brain with creativity.
Take a vacation
Sometimes, when nothing works, the best way is to unplug everything and take a vacation. It doesn’t matter where you go as long as you can rest your brain. Recharging your batteries can have tremendous effects on your work. If you can’t afford a vacation, a simple walking in the park or riding your bike can do the trick. In no time, your creativity will be back.
Make friends
Make new friends outside work. It’s a great idea meeting others because you can ask their help on overcoming your mental block. Simple conversations with random people can open your eyes and brain. Next time when you are on a bus or a train, try having small talks with other passengers.
Don’t forget to sleep
Sleeping a couple of hours per night days in a row will kill your creativity. Our brain and body don’t function properly without a good night sleep. Studies have shown that those that sleep more during the night had an improvement on their mental agility. People are increasingly more creative after a good sleep.
Play and have fun
Playing is for adults too, not only for the kids. Why do you think that companies like Google, Yahoo or Ebay have a recreational area? They understand that their employees produce more after they clear their minds. Playing opens door in your brain that lets all the creativity to flood it. When you play a computer game or any type of game, you become curios at some point and you want to discover all the insights of the game.
Use maps
No, not road maps. Have you ever had a group brainstorming? When you brainstorm an idea, usually you write everything on a board. Take a piece of paper and write everything that relates, or not, with your project. At some point you will discover that the solution was pretty simple and right under your nose.
Take risks
In life we usually have to take risks if we want to achieve something. Try new things, think ‘in the box’ or ‘outside the box’ and challenge yourself to become better. It doesn’t matter if you fail. Learn something from this experience, get up and start again. If you hadn’t took the risk you would’ve regret it.
Get out of your comfort zone
If you are a writer and you spend all day on your computer, try to write on paper. If you paint in colors, try painting in black and white for a change. Do the opposite things, escape from your daily routine and the comfort zone that you are used with. Let your mind be free.
