Crank Up Creativity

Creativity: Raring to Go!

Let’s admit it. Some days the well seems dry. Ideas just don’t flow. Deadlines approach and stress sets in. Coming up with creative solutions is impossible. Or so you think.

According to Hubspot’s Brittany Gellerman there are ways to get the juices flowing. Her blog, 11 Ways to Jumpstart Your Creativity, outlines several techniques that could prove useful.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Start with a morning freewrite. 

Gellerman writes “…one way to refocus is by doing a morning freewrite …   regular workplace journaling allows you to rediscover your perspective and become more productive.

We think very highly of the art of writing and know from firsthand experience that such a practice can in fact loosen up creativity. This is especially true when the writing encourages freedom of thought (and speech).

Here are three jumpstart ideas we’ve found useful:

A favorite project of mine is….

Connecting the dots between ….

My work allows me to …..

Brainstorm while you exercise.

Body movement can actually relax the muscles and open up the joints where tension gets trapped.  So swing those arms and move those legs for a half hour or so and ‘enjoy’ the release.

Research has proven that exercise calms the nerves and makes it possible to deflate anxiety. The rhythm of exercise can also help you ‘let go’ of whatever thoughts and feelings you are clutching. This is when the space opens up for new ideas as well as new attitudes.

Incorporate breaks into every work day.

This may the most important tip of all. With our extensive journalistic experience we can tell you that media deadlines can be grueling. Sometimes, when there have been no breaks, the mental treadmill gets stuck. Your brain fog can only clear when you’ve had a chance to step away from the work and catch your breath.
Gellerman suggests that you “make sure to allow yourself to block off designated break sessions in your calendar so you don’t lose that time after being scheduled for endless, back-to-back meetings.”

Very good, very smart advice.
To read Gellerman’s blog, click here.

Related Information

Mistakes = Experience