When you have a blog, it's a lot like having your own magazine, only without a staff (assuming you're not Arianna Huffington). You're the Editor-in-Chief, Art Director, Photography Department, Copy Department, Publicity Department, and Publisher, all in one.
I'm often asked how I manage to produce posts three times a week. Honestly, it's not easy! But I have found some ways to break free from writer's block (more accurately: blogger's block), and I think these tips can apply to anybody who's stuck in a creative rut and can't find the way out.
1. Take a walk. Staring at a computer screen or a blank canvas when the ideas aren't coming is not helpful. It's like the old saying: "A watched pot never boils." Get up, get out, and get a change of scenery. Fresh air and a little exercise will help your brain function better.
2. Take a power nap. I'm not talking about a three-hour nap that leaves you sleepier than when you conked out. I'm talking about a cat nap--20 minutes, tops. Set an alarm that sounds really...um...ALARMING, one that jolts you off the pillow, to get back to work.
{I took this photo in Edith Wharton's bedroom at The Mount. She wrote many of her now-classic novels in this bed.}
3. Plug in to music. When I was in college and had to create studio art projects, I liked to listen to David Bowie, Kate Bush, and Talking Heads. Creative juggernauts put me in the mood to be creative myself! I still love them, but now I'm just as likely to listen to Bach's Cello Suites to put my mind in creative mode, and sometimes it's better for me to listen to music without words if I'm trying to form sentences.
4. Find unofficial mentors. (I say "unofficial" because I'm talking about people you'll probably never meet, so they won't know that you chose them.) Find two or three people whose work you admire and then research how they got to the point they're at now, paying special attention to the baby steps at the beginning. Make envy work for you!
5. The Creative Whack Pack is a great resource that helps you look at creative problems from new angles. You can get the actual deck of cards or the the app for iPhones and iPads.
6. Be a student again. Take a class that challenges you to be creative on a schedule. My friend Cathryn takes drawing e-courses regularly to stay creatively active. Along those lines, I'm happy to announce that enrollment opens TODAY (10/1/14) for my intermediate photography e-course, The Art of Photography: How to Take Your Pictures to the Next Level, which will run from November 3-21.
7. Austin Kleon wrote two fun and inspiring books on the creativity process: Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work!
8. Do something creative that you loved to do as a child. Color with crayons. Play the piano. Break-dance. Basically, you're giving your brain a dose of pleasure instead of thinking of the task at-hand, so you can return refreshed.
9. Take little breaks for fuel. There's a very good reason for tea-time in England!
10. Doodle. Sometimes, if you let your mind wander with a pen in your hand, you can come up with the best ideas.
{Writing desk at Edith Wharton's house, The Mount.}
11. Stay hydrated. I don't like to drink plain water, but I like seltzer. Find something that makes you drink regularly. (Not whiskey!)
12. Clear some space. It's hard to think clearly if you're surrounded by a big mess.
If all else fails and the creativity is just not coming to you today, remember "this too shall pass," and as the never-say-die Scarlett O'Hara said, "Tomorrow is another day!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
How 'bout you? How do you get your creative juices flowing again? I'd love to hear it in the comments section below!
********************************************************************************************************************
SPECIAL NOTE: For one week only, October 1st through October 7th, I'm offering an Early Bird Discount on my online photography course, The Art of Photography: How to Take Your Pictures to the Next Level. Save $15 by registering today!
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing (at upper right).
Or catch my latest posts by "liking" my Facebook page, following me on Twitter, or circling me on Google+.
Thanks for reading Joyfully Green!
****************************************************************************************************************************
© 2014 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. All photos and text digitally fingerprinted and watermarked. Please do not use any of my photographs without asking me first for permission at [email protected] and then clearly linking back to this site with photo credits. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
Comments