Professional freelancers who work in creative industries such as writing, design, photography, art, filmmaking, music, etc., rely on their reserves of creativity to continue producing quality work.
But what happens if that creative juice dries up or they hit a block?
Here are 6 simple ways to supercharge your inner avant-garde and banish creative blocks.
Go for a walk in nature
If you find yourself stuck looking at a blank screen or canvas, one of the most effective ways to get your freelance creative mojo back is to go for a walk in the fresh air, preferably in nature.
Walking really is a superpower, and not only is it good for your health, but it can spark your creativity, allow you to find solutions to problems, give you that break away from the screen (or task) and provide you with an often much needed and stimulating change in environment.
If you can practice grounding, too, this is of great benefit as well. Grounding is simply connecting with the earth by removing any footwear and standing barefoot in some grass, sand, or even soil. If you live in an urban area or don’t have a garden, try a walk to your local park. Connecting to the earth in this way can have a nice calming effect, which can boost your mental reserves.
Exercise
Exercise is an excellent way to refresh and renew your energy.
Who doesn’t feel great after their favorite sport or activity?
All sorts of healthy hormones are released during exercise that positively impact your physical and mental well-being and can help your thought process. Exercise can be a form of play, which is another way to clear your mind and encourage creativity.
You only need to look at children playing and running around enjoying themselves to see how it helps them interact with the world. It’s not just about the physical aspects.
Likewise, when you do a different form of exercise or learn a new fun thing such as handstands or juggling, this all uses and therefore contributes toward more creativity.
Do something different
Sometimes, to reboot creativity, you need to ‘break state’. This means you stop your current task and do something else instead.
You can do something completely different such as getting your admin done. For example, invoicing your clients simply and swiftly with the help of Invoice Ninja (if you haven’t already got it, you can try it for free here). Or it can be a more creative pursuit.
For example, you might go from painting to baking, writing to knitting, playing a musical instrument, or learning a card trick. The list is endless!
Creative pursuits can help you process your thoughts, get into ‘the flow’, calm your mind and increase happiness.
Alternatively, listen to some mood-boosting music. Curate a playlist you know will get those creativity juices flowing full speed ahead!
Sleep on it
Often, when you are presented with a problem and need to think creatively to come up with an innovative solution, it’s a good idea to sleep on it and let your subconscious do the heavy lifting.
You might even consider keeping a dream diary by your bed to tap into the imaginative power of your dreams. This can be a great way to boost your creativity and help you interpret your dreams, which is super for storytelling, seeing patterns and connecting the dots in your life.
Meditation is also a mind-strengthening technique that can clear your mind and elevate your creativity. You don’t need to be a yogi or Tibetan monk to practice it either. A simple 30-minute guided meditation can do wonders – even for beginners.
Slow down
Sometimes, you have to slow down to catch up. You may be spinning too many plates in the air and simply need to refocus your efforts and recognize when you are doing too much.
Always being in a mad rush to complete a task or running until completely out of creative steam (and it feels like the ‘muse’ has gone on a walkabout) will further drain energy and compound the creativity conundrum.
Stop when you are a little before the end of a task when you know what the next step will be – write it down and return to it when you are feeling fresher.
When you return to the task, you’ll know where to pick up, and the break should provide you with the right downtime for your creative juices to be topped up and ready to re-flow.
Make use of the third brain
Discussing ideas and problems with another person (or group of people) is a fantastic way to make use of ‘the third brain’. In other words, you both come to a solution by putting your heads together.
Sometimes, simply being around positive and inspiring people and fleshing things out that are bothering you with them can result in some amazingly creative solutions.
So, if you have a group of freelance business buddies, or even if it’s just you and your partner or bestie, make time for ‘third brain’ sessions and foster healthy social interaction – so it’s not just you on your own trying to figure things out all the time.
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Creativity is a key part of freelancing and entrepreneurship. After all – we are only limited in what we can achieve in business by our imagination!
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