Things we can do when creativity just isn’t flowing right

Posted on 21st Mar, 2010. Posted in: Freelance

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When I was asked to write a guest post for PM Design I was so excited to have the opportunity of writing for such an excellent blog, but then I started to struggle when it came to finding something to write about. I really wanted my post to be different and I didn´t want to just put a random list of top 50 this and top 50 that together.

So, I found myself sat at my desk while staring in to the screen of my computer and expecting for that eureka moment to happen any time now, but it just wasn´t coming to me. So I started to wonder what other designers, bloggers, or any creative people do when they are having what I call a creative block.
And then it came to me… I am going to ask a whole bunch of different creative individuals what they do to overcome a creative block and then share it with you all. So here is what I have gathered and hopefully this post will provide the solution to everyone´s creative block the next time they are having one.
I have used various different social networking sites to ask my friends one question… What do you do when creativity just isn´t flowing right, and here is some of the answers I got.

Sleep

sleep A few different people came up with this answer and that is why I have made it number one in this list. Sometimes creative ideas come to people when they are laying awake, while others need to actually fall asleep before anything will come to them. I believe the way this actually works musts be due to the individual being completely relaxed. This gives your overloaded mind time to unwind and reflect on everything around you. Another thing I discovered which I believe falls under the sleeping category; designers like to work at night. A few different designers admitted this and have claimed that they find new ideas come to them much easier if they sleep more during the day and work more at night. Now I work during the day and part of most nights but when I think about it, I do get much more work done during the evening and early night.

Bath or Shower

bath Ahhh again another way to really unwind and relax, I believe relaxation crops up a lot in all of these answers I have been given. Sometimes when I am in meetings with my clients and listening to their ideas and requirements, I can feel myself drifting off as my mind is already working overtime to come up with ideas and solutions to what this client is presenting me with. Designers are very prone to over active minds and imaginations and maybe it is due to this that we sometimes have these blocks and simply need to take that step back to relax and reflect.

Driving

drive I thought this answer was a little strange and wondered how anyone can find driving relaxing enough to be able to clear your mind and find inspiration. I cannot imagine driving around a busy city while probably getting lost being relaxing, but I suppose being on a long distance drive on an open road with a little bit of music on could prove to be quite an effective technique.

Nature (long walks)

nature Going right back to basics and taking in all of your current surrounding can be an excellent way to unwind and empty your mind. If you have plenty of land around where you live, then long walks in to the countryside could be a great way for you to straighten all of those current ideas you have swirling around inside of your head, and enable you to see your ideas in a much clearer frame of mind. If this doesn´t work for you… well it was good exercise for you.

Gardening

garden I suppose this all depends how you take to gardening in the first place. The idea of mowing my massive lawn is enough to force me back in to my office while I will just keep trying to think of something, but for those people who love gardening and find it relaxing, I guess this activity could work wonders for you.

Doodle

doodle I do not think we need to be having a creative block for any of us to start doodling. I love to doodle, I have my own doodle book which I will have on my lap while relaxing in front of the TV most evenings. It is a great way to come up with new ideas; it is relaxing and the most productive way of finding creativity for me so far. I do not even need paper for me to start doodling, if I am given a pen I will often find myself doodling on almost anything without even realising it. Do you do this?

Time Out

timeout You do not need to be sitting completely still, sleeping, walking on your own etc to find relaxation. Sometimes all you need is some time out away from all of your work, go and spend some time with your kids, partner, friends, anyone who you enjoy sharing company with.

Reading

read Again, by reading an interesting book, magazine, or anything else you fancy reading, you will be taking your mind away from your current task and even though you will be concentrating on what you are actually reading, you will also be giving your mind a rest and time to reflect on any ideas you may have been trying to force through.

Sitting on the toilet

toilet I wasn´t going to include this one because when it first came up as an answer, I thought that person must just be a little strange, but then three other people came up with this solution to their lack of ideas. I cannot say that I have actually thought to try this one myself but let´s just think about how this could actually work. While sitting on the toilet you are obviously alone, so it is quiet and depending on how long you spend in there I suppose it could give you enough time to relax and unwind. There, enough said on this idea…whether you choose to try it is your choice.

What do you do when you are having a creative block and your ideas just will not flow right?
Can you relate to any of the above answers?
I really hope you found this post to be useful, as I had a lot of fun while putting it together.

About The Author

Michelle Kirkbride has many years of experience as a web developer & consultant. She currently lives in Yorkshire, UK with her two beautiful children and loving partner. She spends far too much time at her computer and is currently addicted to her work. The founder of Kaplang is also a business Mentor with D100, a Success Doncaster mentoring programme run by Deloitte and funded by the Doncaster Council.