Inspiring Yourself to Think Creatively: Creative blocks can be one of the most frustrating and anxiety inducing predicaments you can experience. When you set up your creative endeavor, very excited and ready to create…and literally have crickets chirping in your brain, and you can’t even come up with one single idea. Your brain is entirely blank like an old television set with static. 

And for those of you out there that say, “ I am not an artist, so this doesn’t apply to me.” Don’t think you need to be an artist or a writer to be considered creative. Being creative is applicable in all kinds of careers. From the medical profession, space travel, computers, florists, to quilters and crafters that create from home. They all have an element of imagination, and creativity is definitely necessary to cure, invent and create. 

But I Can’t COD – Creativity on Demand

Personally, I go through this dilemma every week to create so I can post on social media. It is sometimes a little frightening because you think you are never going to have a creative idea ever again. Maybe the creative well has run dry in the brain. But the truth of the matter is, with that mindset you are putting yourself in a state of stress, then it becomes difficult to create anything. I’ve learned to put aside that feeling…just ignore it and just start to create. Draw a mark on a canvas or paper or a swoop of paint. Or just start typing on your computer, the right words seem to know where to land on the page, if you just persevere. The important thing is to not be judgemental of your process and enjoy it. Fair warning though, at first when you begin your project, it might not look or read very well at all. But later as you continue your creative quest, you will be amazed at what you can create. Releasing unrealistic pressure is freedom that let’s creativity flow out of you. So just breathe and go with your flow even if you’re not feeling it quite yet.  

Creativity on Social Media

How many of you don’t post because it seems kind of scary? Your post doesn’t seem cool or interesting enough compared to everyone else’s. Or you just don’t want to put your creativity out there for fear of being judged. Reality is…creating content on social media can be challenging for many people. The constant posting can sometimes be a little daunting and causes many just to not post at all. Just know…there is no “right kind of post”. They should be what you feel comfortable posting. You, personally, have interests in all kinds of things, activities or artistic endeavors. And if you are feeling the “imposter syndrome” of  “I’m not good enough” to post my creative works. Just know that you don’t have to be “good enough”, you just have to be you. That is all. People want to get to know YOU. And the nice thing about social media is if you run into a random rude person, you can always erase their comment and block them. 

But on the occasion that you need a little pick me up on inspiring creativity in your life. Here are a few things that I find essential to get past the creativity road block. 

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Sometimes creative blocks are an indicator that you are mentally or physically tired or stressed. Make sure that you are doing the most basic thing — getting sleep. Nothing throws your brain for a loop faster than lack of sleep. Practice good bedtime hygiene of winding down. Start by putting your cell phone away from you at least an hour before bed. Fix yourself a cup or chamomile tea. Listen to relaxing music, read or just daydream and give your body and mind a chance to wind down from your day. 

Self-Care…Are You Pampering Yourself? 

After all if your internal well is depleted, you won’t have any creative love to give to anyone. Contrary to some articles that you may read, self care doesn’t have to take all day. It doesn’t have to cost a lot either. Self-care is the little things that you do for yourself, that only you can do. Like have a square of chocolate and listen to a song, or have a special cup of tea and read, lay down in bed and take time to meditate or go for a walk. These all sound cliche right? But in reality it’s the little pops of self care that you do for yourself everyday that make you feel like you are nurturing yourself. 

Have You Stopped Being Curious?

If you’ve ever watched children play there is one thing for sure, they are creative. In fact, I’ve witnessed little arguments when someone is not letting someone explore the way they want to. Curiosity is one thing that adults seem to gate. Maybe they deem it as childish or inappropriate in the adult world. Being curious everyday is a sure fire way to ignite creativity and imagination. 

Go out of your way to be curious when you go for a walk. Look at the birds, the rocks, investigate the different leaves. Go out of your way to be curious at every turn of your day. 

Eating Healthy is a Must

I bet you give more thought to the kind of gas you put into your car than what you put into your body. Many of us don’t give a second thought to drinking an energy drink or having a bag of chips or other treats. Or maybe you run out of time and count on frozen or pre-made dinners to feed the family. If you consistently don’t eat healthy, you will feel it later. Try and work with the 80/20 rule. It works like this, 80 percent of the time you eat healthy and 20% are the treats, eating prepared or restaurant food. Ways to stick to the 80%, eat at home or bring lunch to control your food intake. Cut out all the foods that have ingredients that you can’t pronounce. Stick with basic foods like lean meats, veggies,fruits and whole grains. 

Give Yourself Time to Think

This one on the surface is easy. Give yourself more time to think and ponder. In our busy, hectic lives we all seem to be on an agenda to do something. Give your brain some downtime. Even for a few minutes a day. No distractions, no cell phone…nothing. This will allow you to daydream and think. This is the best solution for the creative block in most cases.

Starting out with some of the steps above you may experience some awkwardness in making an effort to be creative. But know that creativity is not always spontaneous. Your talent lies deep within your mind, heart and soul and needs to be nurtured in order to produce creativity. Take the time to treat your creative process as a tender young seedling that needs a little care and you will be greatly rewarded with an abundance of creativity any time you wish to create. 

The best part about nurturing your creativity is the rewards that you receive on the inside and outside. You’ll discover everyday becomes filled with creative joy and a sense of inner peace and less stress and anxiety.