13 ways to get your creative juices flowing when you’re feeling uninspired (2024)

As a followup to3 questions to ask to spark your team’s creativity, here’s a Friday the 13th list post with 13 tips for those all-too-frequent moments when “being creative” feels like an impossible task.

1. Go for a walk.I’ll be the first to admit that Ireallystruggle to leave my desk during the work day. Ironically, the thing that feels so hard to do is the thing that ends up motivating you. Start small. Simple laps around your kitchen totally count. If you can get outside, I highly recommend listening toIDEO U’sguided inspiration walks.
2. Read a blog or listen to a podcast.Most ideas aren’t new. They’re built on top of thousands of other perspectives and innovations. So embrace that! Do some lightweight research to get inspired by other great thinkers. NPR’sHow I Built Thisis a great podcast for big ideas. I love theirWait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!podcast for a reminder to not take life too seriously.
3. Play a game.Playfulness and creativity go hand in hand. My team atTrello has dedicated virtual socializing blocks in between meetings and focus time. Lately, we’ve been enjoying the dry humor ofJackbox games. Here’s a handypublic Trello boardwith more team game ideas.
4. Run a bad ideas brainstorm.This activity is taken fromIDEO U’sUnlocking Creativity courseand works as a team or solo activity — though I have to admit, it’s more fun with a group. In a team workshop this week, we brainstormed our absolute worst ideas for people who want to reduce their phone/screen time. It was such a fun way to laugh, as a team, and get into the flow of more “serious” creative time.
5. Stretch.Did you know there’s a#deskstretchestrend on TikTok? Well, there is. We spend so much time crunched over our desks, and there’s something to be said about the impact that has on our energy levels and overall health. The next time you’re feeling stuck, simply break free from that “crunch” and stretch for at least one minute in a way that’s comfortable and safe for you.
6. Find a creative listening playlist.Listening while creating is quite a personal preference. My own preferences vary from working in silence to blasting show tunes to mellowing out withlo-fi beats. There’sresearchthat backs up this surprising variation, so reflect on the kind of inspiration you’re looking for and create a playlist to suit your needs.
7. Take a break.We’re about halfway through the list, so it feels appropriate to slot in this tip here. There’s a reason why some people claim they think of their best ideas in the shower. Sometimes you just need to step away from what you’re doing so you can come back to it with a fresh perspective.
8. Talk to someone.One of the lessons I remember most from learning to write in school was to“speak aloud”. This common writing tip helps you hear your ideas in a new way and make adjustments for clarity, grammatical correctness, or any number of things. Similarly, speaking to someone about your idea can help you get the early feedback needed to refine or expand upon it.
9. Knock something off your to-do list.There area lotof great research studies and opinion pieces aboutmanaging to-do lists. Regardless of your preferred method, it helps to check in with that list when you’re finding it hard to focus on a creative task. Your mind might be distracted by that life thing you’ve been putting off. If you can time-box that task and then get back to your creative time, you can enter that space feeling a bit more free.
10. Separate creation and editing time.This one is also inspired by a common practice writers use —spend as much time writing as editing. Spending all of your time in creative thinking mode can send you down a risky path towards perfectionism. Set yourself a time to switch into editing or documentation mode. Giving yourself space to reflect onexistingideas is just as important as the space needed to create new ones.
11. Celebrate failures.One of the most common blockers to creative thinking is the fear of failure. To combat this, embrace your bad ideas and mistakes. Adding them to a virtual “Museum of Failures” is a fun way to do this — there’s even atouring exhibitionbased on this concept. I recentlyshared a design failI was embarrassed by and it’s definitely helped shift my relationship to creativity as a practice rather than a milestone to achieve.
12. Exercise.There’s a reason why there are several movement-related tips in this list — becausemoving is a simple way to boost creativity. So, squeeze in 5 minutes of jumping jacks when you need a quick refresher or sign up for that gym session you’ve been putting off. This is a two for one deal — improving your health and your creative thinking all at once!
13. Check in on yourself. Mental health can have quite a big impact on our ability to get into that judgement-free creative zone. I really appreciate the daily checkins apps such asHeadspaceprovide. There are alsofree mindfulness appsandjournaling techniquesyou can explore. Whether you’re feeling stuck in a creative rut or something more serious, please do remember to seek help and look after yourself first and foremost.

Originally posted on Medium.