While things are finally starting to open back up, we still have to be vigilant about our health and public safety. Many businesses have yet to make the return to the regular office work day and others have decided to keep employees remote for the foreseeable future. With everyone still working from home, the creative energy you may have been used to has not yet made its triumphant return. The world is getting better but it’s still not there yet and a lack of creativity could still be lingering.

Here is a list of a few ways to get those creative juices flowing that don’t require risking your health or wearing a mask!

Morning Pages

Julia Cameron wrote about the practice of Morning Pages in her book, The Artist’s Way. She describes morning pages as “the bedrock tool of a creative recovery.” Put simply, Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing done first thing in the morning.

This leaves a space for you to brain-dump any thoughts, ideas, worries, or grudges rattling around in your brain. By getting them onto the page, it frees up more of your mind for the creative thinking you want to do throughout the rest of the day.

The point is to write what you are thinking, rather than thinking about what you’re writing. It doesn’t need to flow, it doesn’t need to make any sense, it doesn’t need to be anything more than words on a page. Try to avoid putting any pressure on the product; refrain from thinking your great-grandchild will be going through it in a hundred years and it needs to be perfect, you can write your memoirs later. Right now, this is to clear out the bad, to make way for the good.

Set Boundaries

How long have you stared at a blank piece of paper not knowing where to begin? You’re sitting there with endless possibilities but you’ve got nothing.

Try instead to set some creative boundaries.

  • I can only use these 3 colours
  • I can only use things I find in my junk drawer as props for this picture
  • I have to have exactly 452 words

Setting limitations is like pre-editing your work as you create it. It means you can produce work quicker, without compromising creativity.
Did you know that Dr. Seuss set himself a task to write a book using just 50 words? That book was “Green Eggs and Ham.”

Give Your Brain Space

Some people work better on a messy desk. I am not one of those people. I need my space to be clean and organized before I feel ready to take on a task.

When you’re struggling to be creative make sure your outer world isn’t in disarray. The book, Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin is all about decluttering your life. It has a lot of great tips and tricks for how to clean your space but also dives into how by creating a clean space, it leaves more room for creativity. For most people, an orderly environment helps them feel more energetic, more creative, and more cheerful.

For myself, it might have something to do with being able to control my environment. If I don’t feel in control of my mind – begging it to come up with a great idea and it just won’t – I can control the space around me and alleviate some of that anxiety around the task and maybe afterwards something will inspire me. It also allows you to take a step away from staring at that blank document for a while and come back to it with fresh eyes.