6 Simple Ways to Break Out of Your Creative Rut
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
When you’re a creative person you go through mountains and valleys. There are some days where you don’t have enough hands or time to get everything that is in your brain out into the world. Then, there are other days when you feel your head has become nothing but a cavern of perfectly uninteresting crickets.
So, what do you do when you have a mental block? How do you push through and get yourself back into a creative head space? Here are some thing that help me when I’m feeling uninspired.
1. Make a list
List making is one of the best ways for me to find my next move. Because it’s always fun to make it meta, here is a list of list ideas…
Things that make you happy
Things that make you sad
Places you want to travel to
Your favorite things to see/smell/touch/hear/taste
New mediums you would like to create in
What supplies you have in your home or office today
Favorite songs
Favorite artists
Things that remind you of your childhood
List your short and long term goals for life
Once I make my list I like to sit and reflect on the things I’ve written. Then I take to the internet and dig into learning more about the things I’ve listed. Sometimes it’s as simple as a Pinterest search or checking out images on Google.
2. Connect with other creative people
Creative people need to be around other creative people. You don’t have to be surrounded by creatives all day long, but find some fellow makers. If you’re not sure where to start in your town, look for local arts and crafts classes and maybe take one. You never know what connections you might make! Also, sometimes following along a planned class, will spark inspiration for a new idea too.
If online connection is more your style be sure to check out our Art is a Record creatives community on Facebook. It is a place to ask questions, share what you're working on, and be inspired. It is a place where we can share with confidence and encourage each other to grow.
3. Learn something new
This is the big one! We have so much access to new information in this day and age it’s insane. Take to YouTube and learn a new skill you’ve been thinking about for years. Find DIY projects for your home on Pinterest. Give yourself an art history lesson with the Google Arts & Culture app. Sometimes it’s as simple as seeing or reading what someone else has done, to kick start our brains back into the creative zone.
Reading or listening to books, podcasts, or interviews is another great way to learn and gain new perspective on creativity. Here are a few recommendations of my favorites.
Favorite books about creativity + life:
Favorite interviews that inspire me:
This Jack White and Conan O’Brien interview is tremendous. The way they both talk about creativity and creating is so refreshing. This is a long one, but well worth the listen!
This Elizabeth Gilbert Ted Talk is excellent as well. It’s titled, “Success, failure and the drive to keep creating.”
Can you tell I have a thing for Liz Gilbert? She has such great perspective.
Favorite Podcasts on creativity:
Magic Lessons Podcast with Elizabeth Gilbert
The Penduka Podcast with Joy McMillan
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
Seth Godin’s Startup School
4. Visit a local art museum
If you’re lucky enough to have an art museum within an hour of you… go! Go look and be inspired. Take it all in and take a notebook. You may find inspiration for colors, subjects, or composition of others art, or even the architecture of the building itself. Bonus points for researching the featured exhibit before you go, so you can be thinking about what you’re going to be experiencing on the way there.
5. Doodle
No matter what kind of a maker you are normally, I think everyone can benefit from sitting down with a pencil and paper and just going for it. Set a timer for ten minutes or so and just doodle till your hearts content. When you’re done, toss it in the recycle bin, or flip it over, do it again, then toss it. Either way, allowing yourself time to create for the sole purpose of creating, and not to sell it, market it, or make it something amazing is freeing. Not everything we make will be a masterpiece. So, get your crayons and have some fun with it!
6. Get Outside
Spending quiet time in nature is one of the most inspiring things a person can do. Silence your cell phone and go for a walk in the woods. Think about your steps and your breath as you go. Notice all the beautiful details around you. The pattern of a leaf. The way the light comes through the trees. Listen to the scurry of chipmunks and the music of the birds. Hear the way the breeze makes music as it flows though the forest. While there, try to clear your mind and be present. Then when you get back home, get to work and see what happens.
I hope you have found this list, and the lists inside the list, to be helpful in finding your way out of a creative rut. What things do you like to do when you find yourself in a funk? I would love to hear them in in comments or in our Facebook group.
