If you feel like your creativity has taken a nosedive this year, you aren’t alone. This blending of home, work, create, eat, sleep has undoubtedly had an impact on motivation and inspiration - no matter what social media tells you. But as the sun starts to shine, lockdown begins to ease and longer evenings are just around the corner, it feels like there’s positivity in the air. And, as we all start to set the boundaries once again between work and home, we celebrate being In The Office (ITO anyone?) and use the time at home to actively create.
So we challenge you, take a day for you and your Beechmore, and take the first step towards meeting those good intentions you had to write more, get organised or start that business plan. It doesn’t even matter that you haven’t started yet, because now, you start. And just like that, you’ll be one step closer to your goal. Once you’ve got the first 100, 500, 1000 words down on paper, they exist, whether you like it or not.
If you’re still struggling to get creative, follow the steps below, and give it another go.
1. Block creativity blockers.
Doom-scrolling has reached dizzy new heights. The era of information (and misinformation) overload is an exhausting place to live. When there is *so* much news, your attention and emotions are pulled all over the globe from the comfort of your own phone. Try physically leaving your devices in another room during the time you’ve carved out to be creative. That way, when writing, painting, and reading come to a natural break, you won’t get lost in the scroll.
2. Get out of your head
Do you normally have your best ideas before you fall asleep? Many repetitive tasks help replicate this feeling. Activities that don’t demand lots of brain-power (like gardening or cleaning) keep your mind and body focussed but help you simultaneously zone out. It’s in this time your mind wanders, and new ideas are formed.
3. Give yourself small, manageable deadlines
If writing an entire novel or chapter feels like an unachievable task, that’s because it’s a huge goal! But a page? Much more manageable. There’s a reason people say walk before you run and that way you are much less likely to give up.
4. Create a new ritual
If you don’t look forward to creating, you won’t. So change it up. If you normally write in the evening, wake up early, cycle somewhere, and write. Getting yourself out of your own routine can add new perspectives and energy to your work.
5. Go outside
Research shows that people who walk four times a week score 50% higher on creativity tests than those who don’t. Get outside and take inspiration from your surroundings. Don’t forget to take your pocket-sized Beechmore - you never know when inspiration will strike.
