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What to Do When in a Hole

May 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What can you do when you find yourself in a creative hole? It happens to all of us, even those who seem to be the most creative of the bunch. We all get stuck. From time to time we run out of ideas, don’t know what to say or what to do or get caught in a rut that it may seem difficult to get out of. But the more discouraged you allow yourself to be, the more troubles you will face. Instead, there are steps you can take to become proactive and pull yourself out of a hole.

When you’re ready to see your creative side again and ready to get out of a hole, think for a bit about the things that inspire you, the things that make you happy or the things that get you fired up. Emotions are a great pathway to creativity. Just take a look at famous poets and artists. You also need to get your stress in check as this will interfere with your abilities to be creative.

When you find yourself in a hole, consider these ideas:

• Do something for yourself- treat yourself to a favorite meal, favorite movie, bubble bath, etc
• Do something nice for someone else- this can leave you in a happy, giving mood which often helps you out of a creative hole
• Visit with the greats- take time to honor or remember creative greats. Painters, singers, artists, inventors and more from the past can help you climb out of a creative hole. Read about them, watch movies or study their work to get inspired.
• Take a break- sometimes people fall into a slump because they’re just pushing themselves too hard. Taking a break could be all you need to get rejuvenated.
• Try something new to stretch your creative juices. Do something different from what you are currently trying to do. Something new or something different can help get you out of a hole and give you fresh ideas.
• Brainstorm aloud with someone else. Sometimes getting thoughts and ideas out through voice with someone else can help you out of a rut and leave you feeling more rejuvenated.

We find these ideas and tips helpful when in a creative slump and hope that you will find them useful as well. Whatever happens, if you are in a hole, don’t just stay there. You can take the steps to be proactive about it and get your spirits up once again.

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How to Stay Focused

May 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When it comes to creativity, staying focused can sometimes seem like a challenge. You’re not alone if you feel the focus is fading away from time to time- or even more often than not. However, there are things you can do about it. When you learn ways to stay focused, you will see your creativity soar and grow. You may even discover new ideas and new ways to get creative when you take the time to learn how to stay focused.

Here are some ideas on how to stay focused:

• Write down your ideas
• Use clustering and brainstorming to focus your general ideas
• Ask for opinions and advice of people who’s opinions you respect
• Have a special “quiet spot” where you can go to think creatively
• Have quiet time for yourself all day
• Remember to distress- stress constricts your creativity

It can sometimes be difficult to stay focused, especially with so many things going on. We live very busy lives with many activities happening on a regular basis. In addition to this, there are many stressors that we face on a daily basis. This can take its wear and tear on the body and mind but many people don’t realize it takes a toll on your creativity and ability to focus and concentrate on tasks at hand.

When you feel stumped for ideas or that you are having trouble focusing on a project or assignment that you’re trying to complete, do you ever notice patterns of stress of busyness in your life? These factors can contribute to your inability to focus. This will make it difficult to get your creative juices flowing.

It can be hard to focus on a project or task at hand when you are faced with many distractions. For some people, music, television and even other people can be distractions that disrupt their focus and creativity. If you find yourself being affected negatively by these things in your life, you need to find someplace quiet and alone to get focused. Ask those close to you not to interrupt you during this important time.

When you use these tips and ideas, it can help you remain focused in whatever areas you choose to work on. Your creativity will increase and you will find you are getting more done in less time and being more productive with your time. There may be creative sides to you that you have never seen or experienced before and when you learn to focus, you will see those sides come out strong.

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Finding Creativity

May 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

No matter what your career or your job in life, creativity can be very important. You don’t have to be an artist or in part of a “creative” profession to make creativity work for you. You also don’t have to depend on creativity in your profession only. There are many places in your life that you can use creativity. Some of us are born with more of a natural incline towards being creative than others. If you’re one of the many who doesn’t feel “gifted” in this area, how can you go about finding creativity?

Creativity is lurking out there, just waiting for you to discover it. There are so many ways in which you can use your creativity to better yourself and those around you. From improving your work to decorating your home or creating a special gift for someone in your life, creativity helps keep you on your toes. It challenges you to do new things and experience all that life has to offer.

Here are some ideas to help you in finding creativity:

• Spend time with creative people
• Read a book of poetry
• Visit an art museum
• Brainstorm for ideas
• Try something new
• Go for a walk
• Jog or ride a bike
• Spend some time in nature
• If you’re from the country, visit the city
• If you’re from the city, visit the country
• Join a club or group
• Play with a child
• Talk with a child
• Finger paint a picture
• Get a change of scenery
• Listen to a favorite song
• Listen to different music

These are just a few ideas to help you find creativity. You can use these on a regular basis in your life to refresh yourself and keep your creative juices flowing. This will help you in many areas of your life- in work, family and recreation. It can also help reduce stress and make you feel like an all-around happier person.

When you feel like you are stuck in a rut, lost for fresh ideas or just feeling down and depressed and need something new to focus on, try these techniques for refreshing your creativity and you may find your days feeling a bit sunnier than before. Everyone needs a break from their routine and day to day tasks often suck the creativity out of us so these ideas can help you recapture some of that.

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