How to recharge your creative batteries

Struggling to have that big idea? Running into writer’s block? We’ve all been there. Creativity can’t be forced, but there are things you can do to nurture it.

Here are a few ideas to give your creativity a little boost:

Go for walks

Fresh air and greenery are great for creativity – to allow new ideas to bubble up to the top of your mind and give you fresh perspectives on existing challenges. So even if you can only manage a 10-minute stroll, get your walking boots on and go and blast the cobwebs away. Keep your head up while you’re walking, and you’ll give your eyes a break from the screen too – allowing them to focus on something further away than your laptop.

Do something completely different

If you don’t normally like schmaltz, watch a romcom on Netflix. If you wouldn’t normally read philosophy – or an airport blockbuster – give them a go. If you normally like reading from paper, try Audible. Check out some outdoor sculpture – or an exhibition. Give your brain something new to chew over – and you may be rewarded with new ideas bubbling up in your mind.

Laugh

Have fun, run around, play silly board games, joke and give yourself a laugh. There’s a common belief that creativity is something that soul-seeking, tortured artists do in solitude. But psychologists believe that laughter is a powerful way to get creativity flowing. So make sure you let your hair down once in a while.

Do something creative for creativity’s sake

If you’re used to creating things to order, try creating things just for fun. If you normally write for clients, take half an hour to do a creative writing exercise. If you normally design on screen, pick up some paper and a pen and sketch something by hand. Try a craft or pick up your SLR and take some nice piccies.

Do nothing

Rushing, feeling the pressure of time and filling up every spare moment with social media and reading can cause stress. And this results in hormones like cortisol chugging around your veins and making it hard for you to relax enough to think new things. Of course, you can force half-decent ideas out when you really need to. But research suggests that doing nothing is one of the best ways to boost your creative superpowers. And besides, it’s fun to daydream and let ideas pop up and take you by surprise. Relax and see what happens.

If you’d like to talk to us about creativity, you know where we are.

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