Running out of ideas is a nightmare for people in creative professions. Whether you are a Ph.D. writer or a graphic designer specializing in typography, your job is always to be creative. But what happens when a designer can’t design or a writer can’t write? Is it the end of their career or is there more to it than that? How can you kick start your creative gears even though you think that you are seemingly out of ideas?

1. Take a creative break

Knowing when to relax and give yourself a break is an important aspect of creative thinking. You will never be able to force yourself to be creative – it only happens in movies and literature. While it may be difficult for a creative person to admit that they are not creative anymore, it’s an important first step in getting back on track.

Make sure that you let your clients or bosses know that you are burned out and that you need a couple of days to get back to your feet. If they are professionals, they will understand and support your decision. You can even ask your friend for help with homework.

A creative break can be anything that works for you personally, but it usually involves doing a little creative work as possible. Try doing some chores around the house, listen to music or simply lie on the couch and nap throughout the day. Stress is the number one reason for experiencing a creative block, so make sure that you are exposed to it as little as possible.

2. Start a creative journal

A creative journal differentiates your standard journal. You can put anything and everything inside – stickers, collages, some of the best writing out there, or simple scribbles that remind you of something. You can even destroy the journal completely and still fulfill its main purpose – kick-starting your creativity. Pick up any notebook or a pad with multiple pages.

Give yourself the task of filling out a single page each day before getting out of bed. This will not only stimulate your brain and wake you up but also have a long-term effect on your creativity. Talk to your spouse or a roommate if you can’t talk to yourself every morning. Sometimes a little bit of effort can go a long way, whether it’s professional writing or creating simple sketches for future creations.

3. Mind mapping

Mind mapping is a tried and true method of working out your creative problems without professional help. All you need in order to create a mind map is a pen and a piece of paper. Try to think about a certain topic or a piece of furniture close to you. Write that word down in the center of your paper and start developing a roadmap of everything that you can associate with that item.

This is an excellent way of visualizing your creative problems and helping yourself without much effort. You don’t even have to be creative or look for help in the cheapest service in order to effectively mind. Do this simple exercise every once in a while in order to stimulate your creative gears and get any excess thoughts out of the way.

4. Puzzle Games

While it may be considered unorthodox, playing games can boost your creativity in no time. Games that focus on solving puzzles and combining objects in order to progress are exactly what a drained-out creative person needs.

Solving inconsequential problems in a virtual environment is a great way to solve your own creative problems without any repercussions for failure. This is a simple and cheap way of becoming creative again without looking for a safe way to buy papers or professional therapy to help you out.

5. Be patient with yourself

People can be harsh on themselves – this goes double when creative people are in question. The reason why so many people are disappointed in themselves is that their creativity is what brought them to this point. Their entire careers hinge on writing a new book or designing a new poster. Without that, they become nothing.

Even though some creative people look for design or custom writing help when they hit a roadblock, many of them turn to punish themselves without a second thought. It’s important to be patient with yourself and take time to heal. It will take some time in order to get back to where you were previously, and even then it will feel different.

6. Know when to give up

Pushing yourself to the limits is one thing, but knowing when to stop and take a look at where you are is another thing entirely. If your efforts at fixing your creativity bear no fruit, stop doing what you are doing.

Maybe the exercise you are doing is wrong and doesn’t work for you. Maybe you are bored of doing the same thing over and over. Evaluate yourself constantly and make sure that you have a second pair of eyes nearby. Someone should always be available to give you feedback on how your recovery is going, no matter how arbitrary it may seem.

The initial road towards creativity is bumpy, and so is the road to get back there. Creative blocks happen even to the best designers, writers, and creative out there. Don’t beat yourself up just because your batteries are drained. Look for a way to fill them back up and become you again.

Author Bio

My name is Angela and I am a beginner in the blogging career.  I like traveling around the world, discovering new places, cultures and meeting new people. But most of all I like writing as I cannot imagine my life without it.

Positive Words Research – What To Do If You Run Out Of Ideas

Take a creative break