Do you ever sit down to do something creative but you just don't feel inspired? Whether its drawing, making music, or even writing something for school or work, creativity is something that flows. You can't force ideas to come to you. And if you try too hard to force it, you just end up with something you scrap later on.
Whether we consider ourselves to be creative or not, it's something we all have access to. With time and practice, it can become easier for us to tap into. But everybody, even the most creative of the creatives, can get stuck sometimes.
Here's some of my tips on how to get the most out of my creative energy.
1. Rest/meditate
I always feel the most creative first thing in the morning after waking up, or when I'm about to go to bed. It's when I'm fully receptive and feel tapped into the universe. If you're feeling stuck, try to relax...WITHOUT stimulating your mind with TV or the phone. Try meditation if that's something you're into. If not, do something that can help get your mind be more relaxed, like cooking, folding laundry, or taking a shower. You can still get into a meditative state when doing those regular mundane tasks. Just wait and you will likely get ideas and answers that come to you.
2. Use it or lose it
I noticed that sometimes creativity doesn't come on your terms, it comes on its own terms. Whenever I feel super inspired to create something or have tons of ideas flowing in, I try to act on it immediately. I'll write things down in my journal, or draw pictures, or anything that will help cultivate those ideas (even if it's at odd hours of the night!) Any time I ignore those ideas or don't write them down, when I need them later they've already totally escaped me. So whenever I do get random hits of inspiration, I consider it a blessing!
3. Write down everything
Keeping a journal by me is always a good idea. I like to use colorful pens that spark even more creativity just by looking at all the pretty colors in my notebook. I write down thoughts, ideas, goals, quotes, doodles, words, imaginations, ANYTHING. And I try to write in it often. It's a good tool for lots of different occasions. Whenever I feel stuck creatively, I just go back and look through it and it's bound to spark something in me.
4. Go outside
Ideally, I would make this tip to be "get out into nature". But being in the city, that's not a quick and easy option. For me, I just know that I have to at least go outside and get some fresh air on a daily basis. If I'm stay in the house all day, of course energy is bound to get stuck! Going outside is cleansing, connects me back to the Earth, and gets my mind off of whatever I'm working on. Oscar and I like to unwind after a long day by taking a walk or going to the park to watch the sunset. The next day I feel totally refreshed and ready for tons of new ideas and creativity! On days where I'm really feeling low, and stuck in a rut, I like taking a whole day to go out into nature. Going to the mountains, or on a hike is the best cure for any bad vibes.
5. Collect art that inspires you
I like to keep a list of things that inspire me super handy so I can always refer back to it when I need to. For example, I have a bunch of different Pinterest Boards with ideas on anything I'm into. From picture edits, to designs, to video edits, to outfit ideas, to home decor ideas, literally ANYTHING. I like to save images that I really like. Another tool is using Instagram's save feature and then organizing them into collections. I also have a notebook that I fill with magazine clippings taped together (its pretty much a Pinterest Board but in real life). Whatever you use, just start making collections of your favorite images that will inspire you later when you feel stuck.
See more of my Pinterest boards here.
6. Get active/exercise
Getting active is a great way to get unstuck. Exercising changes your state, makes you happier, and gets your energy flowing. Right after a workout is a great time to create. If a workout isn't your thing, try just taking a walk, stretching, or doing yoga.
7. Work on other things
If all else fails, it could just be that you're still trying too hard to force it. Try another project or just put whatever you're doing on the back burner for now. When you're busy working on other things, all of a sudden you might have the right answer for the very thing you're stuck on. I even like to switch between projects multiple times throughout the day. When I'm over editing a video, I'll switch to designing a graphic on photoshop, and when I get over that, I'll switch to a different project. Just to keep ideas and perspectives fresh. I once saw something that even the greatest inventors, like Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein would work on multiple inventions at once.
So those are some of my favorite ways to hone in on my creativity. But I would love to hear from you. What are some of the ways you tap into your creativity? Were there any tips here that you're going to try? lemme know!
peace - Judy