There will be times when your are just not at your creative best. If you have a job where creativity is required or your are simply trying to find an “out of the box” solution to a problem that you are facing, not being in a creative flow can be a very frustrating predicament to find yourself in.

We all get in ruts where we feel stuck and unable to find a solution to a particular problem. Even the most revered creative artists, writers and designers have times when they are just blocked. Staring a a blank page, canvas or whatever the medium may be can be incredibly frustrating for all of us. But, do not stress too much about this. There are some simple tricks that you can do to start to get your creative juices flowing again.

So, if you are not feeling very creative, but you do have a little time to try and boost that creative spark? Even if you feel that you do not have the time, making the time for a little creative “fun” may be exactly what you need, right now.

Below you’ll find several tips that will get your brain back in motion, your creative juices flowing and busting through the block that you are up against and, hopefully, in just 30 minutes or less!

1. Create Something With Your Hands.

By using your hands to create something new, you stimulate your brain to think creatively. Buy some modeling clay and see what you can make. Take up knitting or crocheting. Try baking something (especially bread dough that you can knead yourself). Build a small Lego set. Engage in the lost art of whittling or leather crafts. Grab a harmonica and start blowing!

The key is to put your fingers in motion.

2. Get Outside – Specifically In A Green Space.

Studies have shown that exposure to green spaces stimulates the brain in numerous ways – one being in the areas associated with creativity. To get your fill of green, visit a park. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous take a hike. Have some space of your own? Try your hand at a little gardening.

3. Spend Some Time With A Good Friend.

By getting together with someone you know well and have come to trust, you can relax and talk about the things that are really on your mind. A good friend is the perfect person to brainstorm with, or even to talk out a problem. And who knows, they might even have the solution you’re seeking!

These days, getting in touch with your good friend through technology can be easier than ever! Sure, it may not be as good as sitting together face-to-face, but we can still make the best of the current situation with the tech that is readily available. Time and distance should not stop you from making the connection.

4. Try Some Yoga. Really.

The gentle movements involved in yoga makes it an ideal exercise for anyone. But did you know that there were specific poses said to inspire creativity? Add to this the fact that yoga is known to reduce stress and relax the mind. That means it’s the perfect exercise for the person who is stuck and needs to find a creative spark.

5. Do Something You’ve Never Done Before.

By experimenting with a new skill, or even a new recipe, you stimulate parts of the brain that you haven’t used in that way before. That inspires new connections in your neural networks, which are so necessary for creative thinking.

It is important to learn at a measured pace. Rushing through something new by “power learning” or cramming through it may not allow the time for your brain to make the neural connections that we are looking for here.

Take your time and enjoy the process. Allow your mind to build the the connections.

6. Listen To Music

And sing along. Not just that. Get up and dance around the room like no one is watching! Air guitar while you are at it.

For those of us that are a little more roll than rock – Apparently classical Baroque music like Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons can help to synchronize waves in your brain to around 60 cycles per second. This is a frequency that is associated with alpha waves. And guess what about alpha waves! Alpha waves is a frequency in the mind associated with enhanced creativity.

Check out this article for more details!

Medical News Today – https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323956

7. Watch Or Listen To Some Comedy

Laughing has been shown to help people think more broadly, associate freely, and notice complex relationships. Noticing and being aware of complex relationships is basically what creativity is all about.

And laughing is also actually good for your health! Laughing releases the chemicals dopamine, oxytocin and other endorphins. Dopamine has been shown to enhance learning, motivation, and attention. Again, all good things for us to be able to be more creative.

8. Draw Or Doodle Something.

Remember when we were terribly bored in class? In order to pass the time many of us would start to doodle and make drawing in the margins of our notebooks. If we could go over our old notebooks we would probably be amazed with how much time we wasted with all of the sketches in them.

But that time was not all completely wasted. Our doodles were tapping into our creative mind. So grab a pencil or some crayons and a piece of paper and start drawing up something new. You will not be judged by BAM! Free-flow and let the your creation become whatever you want it to be.

Getting back in touch with our inner-child by coloring or drawing can be a great way to get back to the creative groove that you are looking for.

9. Last But Not Least – Take A Nap.

It could be that you’re just too tired to be creative. Half an hour is the perfect amount of time for a cat nap, to rest and recharge that brain!

Even a 10-20 minute “Power Nap” can be enough to get you back on track, not just creatively, but for an overall feeling of being refreshed, re-energized and aware and alert.

Conclusion

Having a limited amount of time shouldn’t keep you from being creative. There’s a lot of things you can try in only 30 minutes or less. The key is to get your mind engaged in something new or interesting. Sometimes all that we may need is to change-up what it is that we are “stuck”in the middle of.

How many times have you been stuck with a problem and then some time later, the answer seems to just pop into your head at a time that you are not really thinking about the specific problem?

Pay attention to what works, and then consider using whatever caused the spark to create a new habit. That can help you keep the creativity flowing year-round!

Be A Man – Do The Right Thing. Take A Some Time To Do Something New Or Different And Reset Your Creativity To Bust Through A Creative Block.

BAM!!! Be A Man! Do The Right Thing.

Be the DtRTy Guy

Sources

1) The Alpha Wave Study:

Right temporal alpha oscillations as a neural mechanism for inhibiting obvious associations

Caroline Di Bernardi Luft, Ioanna Zioga, Nicholas M. Thompson, Michael J. Banissy, Joydeep Bhattacharya

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Dec 2018, 115 (52) E12144-E12152; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811465115

https://www.pnas.org/content/115/52/E12144

2) American Physiological Society. “Anticipating A Laugh Reduces Our Stress Hormones, Study Shows.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 April 2008. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407114617.htm