You sit down to write a blog post / start a painting / put together a presentation. You have your ideas, and you have a deadline. But you just can’t seem to get into the creative flow. You are experiencing CREATIVE BLOCK.
Creative block is defined as “a period of time when the creative output of an individual or team falls to low levels. Unlike regular tasks, creativity tends to have great peaks and valleys of productivity.”
At Profit Monkey we love getting creative, and do a lot of it. Here are our Top 4 Tips for getting into that headspace!
1. Create a great playlist.
Listening to the right music can really impact the way you work – but it’s important to get the tone right. If you’re trying to get passionate to start a new painting, listen to something empowering and upbeat. Our Top Picks? Put on some ‘8D music’ with your headphones in – the sounds come at you from all directions and it can feel very inspiring. If you need intense focus, try ‘binaural beats’ – auditory illusions to help relieve stress, and aid focus.
2. Start a moodboard.
This is a great one because you can create a moodboard to help with almost any task. You can always use inspiration, and putting it all in one place can be both inspire you, and often be therapeutic and calming. Mix it up with photos, colour swatches and quotes to help you get to grips with what you want to create. Pinterest and InDesign are great for creating digital moodboards – but nothing beats physically pinning to a board and seeing it all come together!
3. Recreate old habits.
Remember the last time you had a really productive session? Try and think about what your environment was like then. Where were you? What were you wearing? What were you listening to? Try and replicate those conditions, and you may find you can trick your brain into going back to that space.
4. Get outside.
Being cooped up inside an office or studio can tend to hinder your creativity, when you’re staring at the walls breathing air conditioned air. Sometimes all it takes is a 15 minute stroll in the fresh air to get your creative juices flowing, and stretch your legs. Listen to nature and clear the cobwebs, then get back to work feeling refreshed and ready to go.