{"id":1227,"date":"2015-09-24T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2015-09-24T09:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.shareasimage.com\/?p=1227"},"modified":"2019-04-09T19:08:17","modified_gmt":"2019-04-10T00:08:17","slug":"creative-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getstencil.com\/blog\/creative-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Break Your Slump: 5 Tricks To Give You Creative Ideas Right Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

About a month ago I sat down at my desk, like I do every day.<\/p>\n

I had my usual piping hot cup of coffee, and I was watching the dog run around the garden.<\/p>\n

Then I turned to my screen. Pulled up my Word Document. And my mind went blank.<\/p>\n

There was nothing.<\/p>\n

Nada.<\/p>\n

Zip.<\/p>\n

And it stayed that way for, oh, I don\u2019t know\u2026about a week.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t get one single idea in my head. No matter how hard I tried.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For the first time in a year of writing<\/a>, I was stuck.<\/p>\n

And it took me a solid seven days<\/strong> of bashing my head off the keyboard before I figured I had to do something about it.<\/p>\n

So I decided to research ways to kick start my creative ideas<\/a>. I already know from my research into creativity<\/a> I needed to be in an open mind.<\/p>\n

But, how could I get there?<\/p>\n

What shortcuts were there to end my slump, right now?<\/p>\n

Well I did my research. Looked for advice. And I found five simple ways<\/strong> to get more creative ideas, right away.<\/p>\n

Here they are for you to try yourself:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

#1: Go For A Walk<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Walking is a powerful tool in a creative arsenal.<\/p>\n

Steve Jobs, Aristotle, Charles Dickens and Sigmund Freud<\/a> all used walking meetings. It helped them connect with their colleagues, students and to conjure new ideas.<\/p>\n

They thought walking conversations were more natural and had less distractions.<\/p>\n

Making their meetings more productive<\/a> and<\/em> brought about more creative ideas.<\/p>\n

But as research from Stanford University shows<\/a>, the act of walking itself could be the key.<\/p>\n

They studied creativity in people sitting, and people walking.<\/p>\n

What they found was that thinking of a solution while walking made you 60% more creative<\/strong> than if you were sat down<\/strong>. You know, where most of us are, most of the time.<\/p>\n

I decided to try this for myself.<\/p>\n

First thing in the morning is when I\u2019d usually outline my articles. But, sat at my desk.<\/p>\n

So, for two days a week*, I decided to take the dog for a 30-minute walk and plan my articles in the notes of my phone instead.<\/p>\n

And it worked.<\/p>\n

My ideas came much<\/em> quicker while I was walking and playing fetch with my dog. So much so that on the second morning, I planned an article and wrote the introduction sat on a park bench.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve kept this as part of my routine, too.<\/p>\n

Try it for yourself:<\/p>\n

\u00b7      Choose a route: <\/strong>So you have to make fewer decisions when you\u2019re walking.<\/p>\n

\u00b7      Set a time: <\/strong>I\u2019d recommend at least 30 minutes. But, whatever time you have will do.<\/p>\n

\u00b7      Pick one idea: <\/strong>Don\u2019t try and create your life\u2019s work on the walk. Just choose one idea and think on it.<\/p>\n

Then, get your strut on.<\/p>\n

 *Why two days a week? I play Rugby twice a week, and I\u2019m usually in pain the next morning. Which means I\u2019d much rather just flop at my desk and plough through.<\/em><\/p>\n

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#2: Read Something Against<\/em> Your Beliefs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For every tribe you\u2019re in, there is an equal and opposite tribe that thinks you\u2019re wrong.<\/p>\n

Like Crossfit? There\u2019s a legion of people who hate you.<\/a><\/p>\n

Like The Big Bang Theory? Most of Reddit can\u2019t stand you<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Eat Gluten Free? Yeah, there are people out there that really don\u2019t like you.<\/a><\/p>\n

And this is true for pretty much every tribe you can think of.<\/p>\n

Which means that for everything you like. For everything you create. And all that you believe in. There is someone out there that thinks you\u2019re dead wrong.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s good. Trust me.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot<\/em> of research to suggest that conflict breed\u2019s creativity<\/a>. Because, if nothing else, conflict creates emotion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It makes you angry and passionate and you do that, \u201cthey have no idea<\/em> what they\u2019re talking about\u201d laugh. Then, it ignites something creative inside of you. That wants to fight back and express your views.<\/p>\n

So when you\u2019re struggling, go out there and find that conflict.<\/p>\n

Read articles that disgust you. Watch a video of someone speaking out against your favourite artist. Listen to a podcast by that guru that you can\u2019t stand.<\/p>\n

And then use the emotion it creates in you to make something beautiful.<\/p>\n

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#3: Try A New Experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/strong>Steve Jobs once said:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\u201cCreativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesise new things.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And his logic is sound.<\/p>\n

The more experiences you have, the more creative you\u2019re going to be. Because you have more to draw from.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re struggling to find your creativity, why not try a new experience?<\/p>\n

Tick something off your bucket list:<\/p>\n