Boost Creativity with 6 Easy Hacks

We recently talked about breaking through a content rut. Getting out of a content rut is about 90% how you think about it and about 10% what you do about it. That 10% still matters a great deal. What are some ways you can boost creativity in order to get out of a content rut? We have 6 easy hacks to get you started.

·      Go for a walk

·      Brainstorm & write down ideas

·      Learn a new skill

·      Step back from a task and start at the beginning

·      Search for images that inspire

·      Reward yourself when work is complete

Go for a walk

Walking clears your mind and produces endorphins. Endorphins are feel-good hormones that flood your body with good things. A study from Stanford found that walking does boost creativity by 60%. Step outside or hop on the treadmill because the location isn’t what matters. The act of walking is what boost creativity.

You can read about the study here:

https://news.stanford.edu/2014/04/24/walking-vs-sitting-042414/

 Brainstorm & write down ideas

When you were originally learning to write essays in middle school, the activity of brainstorming was taught to help you think of all the things to include in your paper. A personal favorite was the bubble technique. The center bubble is the main topic. The center bubble connects to a ring of smaller bubbles, which would be equal to the number of sub-topics. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you can create additional ring layers in order to have other topics. The idea is to get your ideas on paper. Keep in mind that when brainstorming, no idea is a bad idea. Get all thoughts onto paper and write freely without restrictions.

Learn a new skill

Sometimes a content rut begins because we grow tired of what we’re working on. Set the task aside for a determined amount of time and try to learn something new. You can also pick up an old skill that you haven’t done in a while. If you used to knit, crochet, sketch or even play tennis, now is the time to start a new, small project. Your mind will tell you this is a distraction from the task you need to complete. Instead, you need to view it as a break for your brain to just do something fun. The break might be exactly what’s needed to have a renewed sense of excitement over your normal work.

Step back from a task & start at the beginning

It can be easy to get tunnel vision when working on projects daily that require the same level of thought, creativity and execution. If a creative project has you particularly stuck, it might be time to take a step back and start at the beginning. Start over, start fresh and see it with new eyes. As a content creator (blogging and social media), if a particular topic has me stuck, I will close the file and start something else entirely. The file is saved for the future when new information breathes new life into it. Sometimes those files never get finished and sometimes they do. The point is this: don’t focus on something that isn’t working. Try something else and stop wasting time on the other. Wasting time is unproductive and thwarts creativity.

Search for images that inspire

Working in print media, one way to find inspiration is to look through other printed pieces. It’s easy to find layouts, designs and images that inspire creativity. It’s also easy to find things that are ugly, unattractive and poorly designed. I find that both help with creativity. One provides ideas to do and the other provides ideas on what not to do.

Reward yourself when work is complete

When working toward a deadline, setting a goal to complete is essential. Once the goal is reached, create a reward for yourself. Rewards don’t have to be large, expensive or excessive. When I work hard on something, I give myself time off from that work as a reward. Time off is essentially a free activity. It allows me to rest, read, sleep in or work on hobbies. Pick something that will refresh you and set it as a reward for completing the task that has you feeling stuck.

Flywheel Marketing offers creative solutions for small businesses. We partner with you to help you achieve success in the growth of your online brand. Working with us is simple. Click the button to ask for a quote. We will be in contact within 24 hours to provide brief tips on tangible items you can do now to grow your brand. We will then provide a quote on what services we can provide to be most helpful to you.

Creativity slumps or content ruts are not permanent. They’re just signals that our brain needs a break. Try out one of these hacks, and you’ll be back on track in no time at all.