Shake Things Up to Get Out of a Creative Rut

When you find yourself stuck in a creative rut, the best thing you can do to get out of it is shake things up. I find myself in  ruts a lot lately. Seems in times of stress or constant activity, I end up blocked for weeks. Complaining about about being stuck does not help the situation and neither does giving up. If you want to regain your creative spark, learn how to recognize a rut when it is happening and start doing something to move past it. Here are a few things that have helped me move past my ruts and get back into a creative groove:

• Take an art class. Whether online or at your local art school, being in the presense of like-minded people will instantly lift your spirits and make you feel more creative. If you go in with an open mind and do not fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, an art class is a great way to get your creative spark back.
• Find a few mentors. Reach out to people you admire and get their advice on moving past creative blocks. Having someone who is doing the kind of work you want to be doing is a valuable relationship. Mentors do not have to be someone in your specific field. I believe everyone is creative regardless of whether or not they are artistic. You can learn a lot from connecting with people from a variety of backgrounds. Knowing I am very right-brained, connecting with a very left-brained person has often given me a new perspective on projects I may be struggling with.
• Read everything you can get your hands on. I LOVE magazines and have made quite a few trips to the bookstore to thumb threw some of my favorites and a few new ones. I always end up with at least ten new ideas simply from looking through magazines. The best ideas always seem to come from magazines I regularly do not read.
• Get a new perspective. Go to a place you normally don’t go and soak in everything about environment. Again, an open mind is a great tool for this. When was the last time you went to the local farmers market? I know I have not been in a while, but when I do go, I always find something new to try out. If I really pay attention, I notice smells and sounds and people that end up being just the jolt my creativity needs.

Shake things up. Take a class, connect with someone new, read…a lot and get a new perspective. Any and all of these can help move you back into the creative space you want to be in.