Creativity can be defined as the ability to come up with fresh, meaningful and original ideas. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as it sounds. Coming up with a creative process can become extremely frustrating. We call it the ultimate ‘creative block.’ It can be quite a challenge to brush aside the frustration and fight through the creative block, but there are ways to keep your mind fresh to allow for great ideas.
The most obvious choice is to get away from all technology – computers, cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, TV, etc. We live in a high tech world in which we cannot even exist one day without the internet or social media. I myself am definitely guilty of this. But all of this technology can burn out your mind and sometimes your mind just needs some fresh air. Go for a walk, lounge out in your backyard, go to the park or beach or watch the sunset…I think you get the picture. Find a way to just get out of your regular space and let your mind breathe.
Not all technology is bad though. Sometimes it is nice to just listen to music and let your mind go to work. Everybody has their own taste in music but make sure it is not something too overpowering. Remember, the job of the music is to help free your mind, not to distract it and make it over think.
Stop looking for the right answer. Most people think that things have to be done a specific way or that there is a specific solution to each problem. These people do great things but I like to shoot for exceptional. Figure out what you are looking for as an end result or a direction to take, and then fill in the blanks as you go. Restricting your mind to a specific route is clearly a great way to restrict your creativity.
Sometimes creativity finds you in the least practical places. I suggested to get away and take a walk or go to the beach, but some people may have places they can go to get their creativity flowing. Many times these are very odd places. Let me give you a list of possible odd locations or situations and you can work on figuring out your own “you thought of it where?” place: in the bathroom, taking a shower, lying in bed, shopping at the mall or working out at the gym.
When it comes down to it, everybody will have their own way of clearing their minds but these are valid options to try out. It doesn’t matter how or where you clear your mind because the creative ideas and thoughts are the only results that count. So if you find yourself frustrated or struggling to find a creative solution, try some of these suggestions out and see if they work for you.
If you have any other methods that work for you, please comment and share with the rest of our readers!