We all want to boost creativity when the afternoon rolls in after lunch and suddenly your brain seems to come to a complete stop. Sometimes when our energy vault is running low it’s hard to get the creative juices flowing again no matter how hard you try to concentrate. Whether at work or at home it’s common and quite normal to hit a writer’s block. But when we have to come up with a new way to promote a client’s brand or even just write a new blog post, our creative hats need to be on. Here are five ways to get that spark of creativity back when you need it the most:
Make Your Top 5 To-Do List
When you have a massive list of things you need to do floating around in your head, it doesn’t leave much room for the creative thought process to take place. Making a list of things you need to do takes the tasks out of your head and onto paper so you can concentrate on the task on hand. Once you do this, make a separate list of the top 5 things you want to complete that day. This helps narrow your attention down to the most important tasks for the day, without feeling overwhelmed by everything on your list.
Say Goodbye to Social
You might think that lifestyle social media provides inspiration. And it can in little ways. But in BIG ways it masks your own point of view. Plus, it’s a huge procrastination outlet. We’ve all checked our Instagram feed before and suddenly 45 minutes fly by. You’ll be more creative and productive overall if you resist the temptation of social media until your task is complete! Can’t stop checking no matter how hard you try? If it’s getting to that point try putting your phone in a different room.
Take a Break
Sometimes it’s important to take a step back from a project. Taking a break to get some food or do an activity you love can be very beneficial to your creative process. If you give your brain some time to relax, it can jump start your creative juices when you return to your project. For us getting a little exercise can be the key to unlocking our brain when we get stuck. We love taking a SoulCycle class or going for a walk along the beach. The most important thing is to find what works for you!
Talk to a Friend
Another way to boost creativity is to bounce ideas off a friend. If you’re stuck on something talk to a friend, family member, or coworker. Talking it out with someone who knows you can help you come to an even better end product. When one of our team members is feeling like they’ve hit a dead end we schedule a brainstorming session. We try to do these out of the office as we’ve found that even being in a new setting can help get the ball rolling.
Be Prepared
Have past examples that you’ve worked on or screenshots of projects you admire saved on your phone or computer. This way you can look through your photo stream for inspiration without being distracted on social media. Looking at past projects can refresh you on something you were proud of and boost creativity as a whole.
