I have always experienced that moment when you think that your brain cannot give any more new ideas throughout my professional life. Creativity is a thinking skill that we have all needed to apply in different aspects of our lives. We know it is not the same situation when your profession requires creative thinking as when you have to use your creativity to help your children in their Halloween costumes.
When you perform in a creative career, you know that it is crucial to always look for ways to stimulate creativity. Your work will always require that you stay inspired to find original and different ways to express ideas or solve problems.
However, we have all experienced times when we feel that the imagination has left our minds. These barriers to inspiration are also known as creative blocks, which is nothing more than the inability to access our inner creativity. It is a temporary condition that commonly affects creative professionals such as musicians, writers, and artists. And can happen for different reasons. It may be that we are overthinking things, we are experiencing too much fear, or our creative process is no longer working.
That is why all of us who do creative work need to search for new ways to stimulate our creativity. In my professional life, I have found some activities that have helped me turn on that light at the end of the tunnel to continue creating ideas.
Here are some easy ways to stimulate our creativity when we feel the inspiration is gone.
Just Read
Reading is an excellent way to relax and make our imagination fly. Through books, we can learn different life stories or ways of thinking that can open our horizons in creative thinking and make our imagination fly to other places to find the idea we are looking for. Literature is perfect for our well-being as it encourages us to expand our creativity and rewire our minds to be more compassionate to others, including ourselves.
Expose Yourself to Art
Contemplating paintings, sculptures, or any artistic expression you can find in a museum can develop our creative side. We all know that this past year because of the pandemic, it has not been possible to attend entertainment venues like art galleries and museums, but each day we are closer to the time we can all be there in person again.
Nowadays, the reopening of artistic centers is already taking place. Just make sure always to wear your face mask and respect social distancing. We can also visit museums online if that is more within your reach.
Music is another expression of art that can work to improve creative thinking. A study suggests that listening to classical tunes could energize your brain, helping you to find innovative ideas.
Stay Active
There is no doubt that exercising is good for our health and well-being. A daily workout is beneficial to unwind us from the stress and clear our minds. Exercise is stress-relieving, mind-focusing, and can improve our memory and productivity. And in addition to all these good things,
Staying active is something we must do daily to be healthier, and now there seems to be evidence that can help people be creative. So when you feel like you need help narrowing down your thoughts to come up with that great idea you need, go for a hike, do some push-ups, or try a yoga session at home to help your brain get back on the creative path.
Go Travel
When we faced a creative block, something highly recommended is to plan a getaway to see new places and change the scenery. Taking that mental break will help us to have positive thoughts, feel happier and more inspired. It can be as simple as choosing a beach or a lovely mountain town close to home where you can have a safe and relaxing weekend.
If this is not possible for you, technology allows us to travel from our home to any place of the world we want to enjoy. We can find incredible videos on YouTube that can transport us to the most beautiful places in the world.
Watch an Inspiring Story
Exciting original motion pictures and shows with different worlds and ways of thinking can become sources of inspiration for our work. Science fiction can boost our imagination and lead us to come up with some good new ideas. There are countless options of great movies that you can watch, such as Alice in Wonderland or The Shape of Water, both inspiring and visually stimulating stories. TV shows on professionals creative like Blown Away or Ink Master can also help us finding inspiration and stimulate our creativity.
Be More Creative
Many of us can suddenly feel stuck in our jobs’ tasks, and if our profession requires creative thinking, trying any of these activities can be a great help to keep great ideas flowing. Just give it a try and see how only good things will happen.