We all feel like at times we “hit the wall” creatively. The truth is there is no wall. What really happens to creative people is they run out of ideas. We spend and spend and spend our ideas but we never take the time to refuel. Creativity is a muscle and it takes exercise to keep it fit and running at its highest levels.
There is a myriad of ways to get refueled creatively and each person has different “go-to” techniques to fill their tank. Today I wanted to share with you three of mine. These are three I use often to try to keep myself engage and growing creatively.
1. Change the Canvas
I have found that when you identify a different place or angle to work it opens up your thinking. New canvases create new opportunities for new ideas. Maybe it is shifting from an office to a coffee shop. Maybe it means going and sitting in a different part of your building. It may require you to take all the furniture out of your office and change how your office is set up. Finding new canvases is big for me. I may work one day in the auditorium, another in the lunch area, and another outside if the weather is right. Shift your perspective and watch how it shifts your ideas.
2. Research
If we want to create memorable experiences we have a responsibility to study what is happening in the world around us. Not just what other churches are doing but what other brands and experiences look and feel like. An easy hack for this is to load an app on your favorite device and start to explore. Visit Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or Stumble Upon. Find something new that can challenge you. My personal favorite way to do this is though an app called Flipboard. Flipboard was the sole reason I bought an iPad. The function of this app is an aggregator of my favorite online spaces. It does all the hard work for me and all I have to do is open it and skim through hundreds of articles, videos, and designs.
3. Find Your Jam
Music matters. When we adjust the soundtrack to the mood of the projects we are working on or the vibe we are trying to create in a space it matters. If you are working on a kids piece and are listening to death metal, you may not be creating the right tone for your best art. What is the soundtrack for the piece you are working on? What would your design sound like if it was audible? What kind of mood do you want to elicit when someone walks into your space? Further, how do you need to be inspired to create your next thing?
While those are three of my favorite ways to refuel, there are even more. However you do it, find the time for simple, practical ways to refuel your creativity.
More:
We do important work—sharing the gospel—but that doesn’t mean we can work ourselves to death. Learn more about how to fight church communicator burnout.
Photo by Hope Abrams.
