Have you ever had staring matches with the wall and had lapses in memory, not knowing what we were doing, in the middle of doing it?  When in the middle of a hectic day, it's impossible to concentrate and whatever we do seems mundane and inconsequential?


When this happens, we can identify it as something akin to "writer's block".  And yet, not only writers experience this onslaught of nothingness.   The drought of original ideas and creativity is encountered by artists, composers, designers and everyday normal people like you and me. 


Why does this happen?  Sometimes when we are barraged with a confluence of information and stimulation from books, the internet and just the world around us, our minds get overwhelmed and consequently, just stop working.  Pressures from work and stress can sap all of our energy


Do not panic!  You won't be in a rut forever.  But there are certainly ways to deal with this conquerable dilemma.  Here are a variety of ways you might not have tried - in getting you out of that particular undesirable place.  Pick 1 or 2 to do when you need a little pick me up.





>>> 1
Just as it Looks

Claude Monet is one of the world's most prolific painters and is the founder of French impressionist style.  He looks at a scene with an ultra-observant eye!  He doesn't focus on what the objects are but instead focuses on their shapes and colors.  To see things differently and create something out of the ordinary, try this technique.  Look out your window or go outside carrying your art materials with you.  Try to put on paper what elements you see in nature.


>>> 2
Make a Story
One must sometimes redirect to be able to focus.  Constantly doing the same monotonous tasks are counter productive to innovation so you need to force your mind to think of something other than your project (for the moment).  Let's say you are given 3 totally random words.

Ex. PAVEMENT    GALAXY    PENNY

In your mind, picture a penny dropping on the pavement.  The sound reverberates throughout the galaxy.  The penny landed precisely on a cleverly concealed crack on the sidewalk, hidden through the ages to open a doorway to the center of the earth.  Who put the opening there and where is it going?

See where fanciful thoughts can take you?  This exercise is meant for you to think out of the box and open up new possibilities.  You can use this Random Word Generator online to start your story.



>>> 3
Draw what isn't there
Using the Torrance Tests for Creative Thinking, you can fill in your mind's gaps by using your imagination to complete a drawing.

See the example below.  Look at the squiggly lines on the first row.  In 2 minutes, try to draw something interesting using those as a start.



Download the free sheet below for a creativity boost!  {Just right click on the image and save}




>>> 4
Creativity Group Game: Pass it Around
Drama classes have a game wherein they pass an invisible object around.  They use their imagination to guess what object it is.

This isn't that game but it also uses your imagination.  This is when you have an actual object like for example, a golf ball and pass it around.  But when you pass it around, you need to say something it can be used for.  It doesn't have to be totally practical, remember this is an exercise in creativity so it doesn't have to be wholly true.  A golf ball can be a diamond on someone's ring, or a bunny nose, or a magnifying glass as long as you act it out.



>>> 5
Travel
Mozart is one of the most famous classical composers of all time.  His father recognised his potential for greatness at an early age and set out to give him as much exposure and learning as possible.  He took Mozart to visit various cities in Europe - lending his music an air of universality.

Though travel may be too much of a luxury for you, this doesn't mean discounting this tip altogether.  Travel is going where you have never been.  Whether it is to another block, another town or another country is all up to you.  Nowadays you can just Google Earth yourself to someplace special with a press of a button.



Note: Did you notice what the brain was made up of at the top of this post?




We hope that you will find a wellspring of inspiration every time you try these tips and exercises.  May you create something beautiful everyday!


Let us know how you get inspired by commenting below!