40 Little Things You Can Do to Break Your Creative Block
Stuck in a rut? Beat your creative block with these few tips
Step Away from Your Computer
Yes, really. Do it!
Go for a Walk
If you only do one thing to get your ideas flowing, go for a walk. Studies show that people have more creative ideas when they walk. After walking for 30 minutes, your creativity is increased by an average of 60% and your creative boost extends long after you have returned to your regular activities. Since you don’t have to devote much attention into the effort of walking your mind is free to wander. This is precisely the kind of mental state that studies link to innovative ideas and sparks of creativity. If you take up walking you’d be sharing a daily creative routine with history’s most famous creative geniuses such as Aristotle, Charles Dickens, Ludwig van Beethoven, Virginia Woolf and Steve Jobs.
Do Something Different
Albert Einstein said that “We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”. It can be easy and comforting to go into autopilot, but when you do something new, your brain actually creates new pathways. When you look at things from a new perspective, or learn something new, your brain literally remodels itself based on your new experiences. The brain loves being stimulated and it adores novelty. Maybe you can take a different route to work. Or change the music you listen to or sit at a different spot at the table. Just do something to switch things up, and you’ll rewire your brain, enhancing your capacity to be creative.
Solitude
Take a moment to listen to your own thoughts. Go within. Reflect. Find focus. Unwind. It can be as simple as enjoying a cup of tea in your garden. As artist Pablo Picasso put it, “Without great solitude no serious work is possible.”
Participate
Take active part in life around you. Spend time with family and friends. Read. Be curious. Ask questions. Notice the small details. Pay attention to what’s going on in different areas of art like street art, magazines, packaging design, fine art, fashion, dance and film. Be present in your life.
Travel
Travelling lets you see the world from a new perspective and is an effective way to broaden your perspective. You also tend to notice even the smallest details more clearly when you travel, so being in a new environment can heighten your senses. But you don’t have to go far. Perhaps you could explore a different neighbourhood close to you or carve out a little mini retreat for yourself.
Collage
Grab a stack of magazines, newspapers, glue and a pair of scissors and make a collage. Since the images and text already are there, you can focus on curating, making shapes, combining and creating something new. If you like you can scan your collage and add some finishing touches digitally. Collaging makes a great break from working on a computer and is an easy way to start working more off the computer.
Add Doodling to Your Daily Routine
Did you doodle at school? Research shows that doodling can help you stay focused, grasp new concepts, retain information and even increases your daydreaming. As a kid you draw without any thought. You just enjoy it. But when you go to art school or become an artist chances are that it becomes serious business and that the playful part goes missing. Take up doodling as a daily practice. Brilliant ideas often start as a scribble on a cocktail napkin or envelope.
Meditate
It expands your mind, boosting creativity and innovation.
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