Creativity can strike randomly. Sometimes, we find an overabundance of it. Other times, we can go for weeks, even months stuck on a project and unable to move forward to something new. But sometimes you can help give it a nudge…
Hope you find some of these useful (in no particular order):
1) Exercise – Get up from your computer, music studio, art easel, whatever your craft and have a jog or a swim…this is a fantastic way to clear your mind. Get away from traffic, go to the beach, the park or some type of green space and connect a bit with natural surroundings. Your personal studio may be a creative space (although some prefer them stark) but undoubtedly some time in natural surroundings, especially stretching your muscles is a wonderful way to clear your mind. In removing excess energy, you will in turn remove excess baggage from your mind. The mind always follows the body.
2) Hit up the local coffee shop – Get a double espresso, but don’t just head right back to work. Stick around for a bit and interact with some of the people hanging around. I’m just as guilty as you are at ignoring the world and spending weekends in a row for months at a time locked away in the studio experimenting with sounds or perfecting that new track. But even if you plan to work for a whole weekend, when you’re going to get your coffee at least put aside 15-20 minutes to interact with other people, then return to your work. The right people are extremely inspirational. Starbucks is good to grab your coffee and go, but try to find a unique/local place to get good conversation.
3) Try a new genre – If you’re way into industrial rock and listen to it 24/7, undoubtedly your going to end up following a bit of a stylistic pattern and formula with your music. But you may be pleasantly surprised by what’s out there. Seek out an artist who is not the obvious choice in a genre you don’t normally listen to. You may pick up on stylistic cues which you never thought of incorporating into your music, and a unique crossover sound may emerge in your mind. You could even fall in love with that synergy. As my musical mentors taught me, unlikely combinations can sometimes yield the most inspired results. This is true with any form of creative work.
4) Seek out a mentor … or an apprentice – If you’re just delving into a new artistic form and are hitting roadblocks or barriers, a mentor is the best thing to move you forward. I’m a huge fan of the master/apprentice relationship, and believe it is worthwhile for both sides. If you’re an apprentice, you’re getting the obvious benefit of working with someone who has years of experience. If you’re the master, working with a bright-eyed aspiring artist will prove a breath of fresh air for you, and you will not only be giving something back to your art form but your apprentice may one day come back to truly inspire you. I have worked to assist two aspiring artists and I believe both of them are already far greater than I will ever be. All they needed was a bit of a push with the technical side of things and then their creativity has soared. It is as rewarding of an experience as making art itself.
5) Add something new to your repertoire – If you’re a music producer, try out a new synth. If you’re a visual artist, check out some new adobe plug-ins. If you’re a writer and stuck on a desktop, splurge on that new ultra-portable laptop so you can work anywhere. These are all just fun ways of mixing things up and perhaps stirring up new creative juices. Sometimes you’ve been working with the same tools so long you may have tapped them completely…at least for new ideas. I’m not saying give up your favorite tools, but sometimes adding something small, but new will spark your creativity in a whole new direction altogether