What do you do to get into your creative zone ? (e.g. music, walking, running, doodling?)
What sparks your creativity?
Replies20
- I always find a walk with your thoughts, your partner or a friend can help. My partner and I often walk in the morning and chat about briefs - something about the fresh air and another person's perspective.
- Finding the right space to sit and work for me is key. Coffee and music also help!
- I like to have a routine when I want to hype myself up. I get dressed in something comfy and nice, I do my little skincare routine, brew a coffee and put my playlist on and remove any distractions.Usually works and freshens me up.
- Depends on the day and my mood, but getting out into nature always helps replenish my creative juices/energy and wellbeing in general. Taking care of my plants has a similar effect actually!I usually do have music on when doing anything creative, and certain music definitely helps put me in a better, more focused mode. - What works for you, depends on what you listen to, etc. Some people can't listen to stuff with words as they get too distracting, while I know some that can listen to podcasts while working, and that helps them too.
- Music, art, gardening, riding, walking, dancing, stitching. And cigeteretts ...... natch
- Whenever I hit a creative block I go for a walk.Within 50 meters I have the beginnings of an idea.A blockage puts the mind into analytical mode.Walking distracts the logical mind and reduces stress.We know physical movement and exercise improves our mood.That good mood allows space for the unconscious mind to play with unlikely hunches and new connections.Having those ideas makes us feel good and encourages more divergent thinking.At some point, we will converge on a single solution.Sound logical?
- If I know that I have ample time to work on the creative I get going by mostly everything that has nothing to do with the task at hand. Going out for walks works wonders, meditation or breathwork can be a powerful tool as well. If the creative needs to be delivered by a tight deadline, then I try to surround myself with everything that gives me a boost: nice snacks, good music, pens and paper to doodle, nice scents: everything that puts a smile on my face and increases the energy levels of the space I'm in.
- Moodboards
- Weather dependent a walk is always good! I think the slower pace of walking compared to running gets me in a bit more of a creative flow.I've also started reading a book for half an hour in the morning (rather than scrolling through Instagram).It's been having such a good effect on my productivity and creativity at work. OR just sitting having a coffee in bed NOT looking at your phone really helps. It forces you to just sit with your thoughts rather than get distracted.And lastly - instrumental music ;-)
- I was recently recommended a book called '642 things to write about' which has lots of short exercises to help you break through creative blocks. Things like "Write a text you wouldn't want your mum to read", or "A conversation you weren't surprised to overhear"https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15720499-642-things-to-write-aboutI also really recommend getting outside, deep breaths and getting some exercise - for me it's dancing classes because they engage your body, your mind and you get to listen to awesome music. Means you have to no choice but to leave your subconsious to do some work!
- When I'm starting my day: a great breakfast and film scores.When I'm slacking: Watching VFX "Making of's".
- Music but, instrumental - I analyse and think about the lyrics too much! I also work better at night which, is actually quite annoying, ha! :)
- Meditation and breathwork help me a lot with finding clarity which creates space for inspiration to flow. I use the Wim Hof breathing method every morning. I highly recommend it even just for a general sense of relaxation/wellbeing.
- As funny as it might sound, having a shower always brings me inspiration. It's a moment of relaxation and it doesn't require much brainpower.Meditation cuts all the noise and helps me to remember things that were previously hidden or went unnoticed somewhere in my mind.A craft that requires repetitive hands-on activities, the automatic movement always gets me thinking + you end up with a beautiful crochet hat.Boredom is a great one too! We are constantly surrounded by stimulus (screens, notifications..) so it's nice to give your brain a rest to come up with great ideas!
- Hi, here to be a deviant and bring a little ND perspective.It's funny, but I'm having a bit of an epiphany/connect-the-dots moment about this: this has always been a hard question to answer. The tips never really worked for me. I now totally think this is due to ADHD, and I think I used to confuse 'hyperfocus' for 'creative zone' for years.I suspect this is the case for many people here whether they know it or not, but divergent thinking is such an intrinsic part of ADHD brains and such a helpful tool for creativity I feel like creativity is never fully off or far away–just, perhaps, sometimes a little less socially acceptable when it manifests while trying to have a regular conversation :-)Either way, I'm most creative when I'm really feeling the task or project or idea and then hyperfocus kicks in and I can lean into it. I learned to just go with the flow with my brain. Ideas are always there, and there is always something to work on, so I sort of envision it as being on a sailboat and leaning into it to steer. The wind and current will take you from there. Something not clicking? That's alright, you can actually jump over to the other sailboat. There's a fleet of sailboats! (Yes, I too think I need to work on this metaphor)I'm least creative when I don't get enough sleep or forgetfully skip meals, or there are a lot of other distractions. My manager used to give me the go-ahead to WFH whenever I had to work on logos or branding in my day job before COVID, since our office could get a bit chatty/noisy. Being alone lets me get into it and take off.For inspiration, it can be anything and everything, we are always passively or actively soaking up information so I feel like those things just marinate in our heads until we land on the right 'outlet' for something.
- I lay down, close my eyes and surrender to my thoughts and visuals. Amazing ideas can surface
- I stick on some synthwave music and find something to panic about. That usually gets me making something
- @Maciek Wojciechowski will check it out
- Have you heard about Julia Cameron? Her book The Artist's Way is all about that. Highly recommend.
- Having a clear mind and clear surroundings.....and some nice easy listening music
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