In the beginning, it seemed like every time your fingertips grazed the keyboard, ideas flowed from your head to your hands and onto the screen. As time passed, however, ideas became more challenging to come by. You might feel like you would have a better chance of hitting the lottery than finding an idea that would resonate with the audience. So, what do you do when your keyboard and mouse are working but your creative process isn't?
According to an article by Kendra Cherry, MSEd, on verywellmind.com, there are 10 Psychological Tricks to Help Boost Your Creativity. Below are our top 7 tips from the list:
You may have heard that when you're struggling with something, you should research, look at things that inspire you, and stop. Stop everything and go out and do something else. If you're seated at work, a walk will allow you to get some exercise and distract you from the problem you're struggling to solve.
Consider setting a reward for finding the solution to your problem. If you have a reward in mind and it's something you want, you may find the motivation to start thinking differently.
Being surrounded by things that inspire you may increase your chances of drawing inspiration directly from your environment. If your office or workspace doesn't inspire you, it's time to start putting up items like posters, books, movies, music, art, or anything else that will help you ignite that creative spark.
According to the article, being bored encourages creative thinking because it forces your brain to find a solution to your boredom. So, put down your devices, turn the television off, and allow yourself to be bored to see what comes.
Sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is to look at it from a different angle. You could start by returning to the original problem and looking at it as if you were a child, a grandparent, another gender, or another culture. They may all look at the situation differently – and that's exactly what you need.
According to Kendra's article, whether you're in a good mood or not – both emotions allow you to be creative. If you can channel your feelings and focus on the problem, you have a high chance of reinvigorating your creativity.
Have you ever tried meditation? While meditation is commonly used for relaxation, the article mentions that open-monitoring meditation can encourage the generation of new ideas.
Eric Maisel once said, "A creative block is a fear about the future, a guess about the dangers dwelling in the dark computer and the locked studio." Sometimes, there's nothing scarier than a deadline approaching when you're searching for ideas. There will be times when your creative process is out of whack. The tips above might be exactly what you need to approach the problem from a different perspective and bring your creativity back.
Want more marketing career tips? Engage with us on LinkedIn or sign-up at CMA NXT to unlock free access to our exclusive video platform and subscribe to our biweekly e-newsletter.
The NXT Voice is your one-stop shop for tips, tricks and inside information about all things marketing, where Chartered Marketers share what they've learned with you. Today's topic is 'Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Marketing with Maheen Ahmed, CM, Specialist, Marketing and Communications at CBV Institute.
Confidence comes from being comfortable in your own skin and making the effort to improve and get better, at whatever it is you do. Remember, everyone makes mistakes. If there’s one thing to consider when it comes to confidence or a lack of it, maybe John W Hayes said it best, when he said, “What’s the worst that can happen?”
Picture this: It's early November, leaves crunch under your feet as you walk up the front steps to the annual CMA Award Show & Gala at the Westin Harbour Castle in downtown Toronto. When you look around, it's clear that everyone, like you, is dressed to impress. There are over 860 people here tonight, including Canadian marketers, advertisers, sponsors, and CMA staff.
