Monday, February 27, 2012

Jumpstarting Creativity


Last week I was creatively dry. After spending most of the week sick, I had run out of ideas for blog post subjects, and was stuck in my story, even with an outline. Nothing seemed worthy of writing about.

Then, on Friday, we decided to go out and have a Friday adventure, which included lunch in the park. It was the most beautiful day we’d had in a while, with blue skies, warm air, and lots of sunshine.

Sitting out in the park watching my sisters whizzing past on their scooters, I found inspiration pouring into my head. I could write a blog post about this subject. That would make an awesome photo. Hey, this could happen in my story.

Out in the fresh air, it seemed like I could never run out of inspiration. From struggling to compose a blog post, I was filled with creativity and ideas. I was writing blog posts in my head while snapping photos and following a subplot for my story. I was recharged.

Was it the fresh air? Or maybe the change of scene? Was it the fact that we were doing something out of the ordinary? Or maybe it was the fact that we finally had some nice, cheerful weather?

I believe it was a combination of all of these. Going somewhere different, spending time in a different place, doing something different, these things all seem to help me relax and think.

So, next time you’re having trouble thinking of blog post subjects, a plot twist, or if you’re just feeling creatively dry, consider going out, sitting in the sun, observing life and relaxing. Doing something different might just help your problem.

What do you do when you run out of ideas? What helps you think of things to write about? Any tips for me?

6 comments:

  1. When I run out of ideas to draw or write... I take a break. Sometimes, a few days of not doing the creative things helps me to get ideas when I start up again.
    Other times, I just sit at the table or my desk and just stare around the room until inspiration strikes! :P

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    1. I do the same thing for drawing. When I run out of ideas I just take a break and wait. They'll come to me eventually.

      Sometimes for writing I'll email my cousin who's sure to give me some ideas. Or I'll talk to my sister, or do some brain storming, or plan something new. They all help.

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  2. Definitly getting outside helps. Sometimes I watch nature documentaries or favorite movies to rest my brain. And finding a good book helps, but it has to be a REALLY good book, the kind that makes you forget time.

    If nothing else works, sometimes just putting on some music and dancing around in the kitchen will jar something loose. :)

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    1. Good books always seem to help. I try to keep a few good books on hand in case of problems. And music is a great help too. I listen to it while writing, and I'm sure I get more writing done while listening to music than I do without.

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  3. I know how that feels, but I can't say being creative dry is my problem. It's just being too busy. But yes, stepping out and doing something outside the norm always helps me out of a rut. :)

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    1. Right now I'll feeling the same thing. No time. I just started uni, so I'm trying to organise life, schoolwork and uni, as well as cramming in writing.

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