It has been a week, let me tell you. I was sick on Monday and couldn’t get as much done as I’d like, followed by the usual stress at the office job. On top of all of that, I’ve been hitting a creative slump more than usual.
I’ve still been able to keep my 365 words a day (61/365 as of today). Don’t know how much of those words I’ll end up keeping, but I’m proud that I’ve been able to use those muscles every day (yes, even on sick days). There are some days, however, where I worry that I’m writing isn’t very good or creative. So, I’m trying to pull myself out of a creative slump.
Rather than trying to force new ideas, I try to let my brain work through the problems on their own. I’ll take some time to identify what needs work and then leave it to stew. I try to get as far from my work as possible, rather than forcing it. The office job sometimes helps with this division, letting my creative brain work while my rational brain is distracted. But sometimes, even a desk job doesn’t let my brain work through the problem properly.
When that happens, I’ll do one of two things.
First thing is I’ll go out and do something. It might be a walk in the woods, a trip to the zoo, or just a walk to get groceries. I need to get out of my head and let the ideas work themselves out. It’s important to let the brain go through the motions without forcing things onto paper. I usually take my camera, so I’m focused on the area around me rather than my brain still focusing on the problems in my creative slump. Sometimes the act of looking at things more carefully gives me a better creative jumping point for when I get back to the keyboard.
Alternatively (or additionally), I’ll bake. My coworkers call it ‘Rage Baking’. During a particularly bad snowstorm, I brought cookies for everyone at the office who braved the weather (snickerdoodles, by the way). When they asked about why I bake, I said it helps relieve stress. I find baking (and cooking) to be systematic and methodical. You have to follow the instructions of the recipe: measure things out, mix them correctly, and cook them at the right temperature. It’s simple and allows my creative brain to do its own thing.
What are some of the ways that you get creativity flowing again?