How to spur creativity when you’re feeling uninspired

While writing this, I mostly had creatives in mind. But I also think it’s something everyone can benefit from if they are trying to be consistent at an activity.

For most of us in the creative space, we need inspiration to work. In this context, inspiration is the mental stimulation to do or feel something, especially something creative. Hence, inspiration is said to be basic for any form of creativity.

I remember when I had just started exploring the art of writing. I would write when I felt certain emotions and when those feelings were not there, there’d be absolutely nothing for me to write about. I was okay with that till I decided to take my writing seriously and got paid jobs with strict deadlines. It became a serious struggle to keep up with these deadlines and I realized that I needed more than just vibes and feelings. I couldn’t afford to wait for that “inspiration” from within. I know it is way easier to depend on intuitive knowledge because it requires less time and effort but from my experience, it may not be sustainable. Sometimes, you have to do something to spur that creativity which is already in you!

Change your environment

This could mean changing your workspace, eating out, taking a walk, or just exploring in general. This is something I do when I’m blank and nothing seems to be working out. I go on long walks and just look around or observe. Studies also show that a change in environment can give your creativity a jump as you get to experience new sounds and visuals that spark creativity and give you new ideas.

Check out other people’s work

Don’t limit yourself to your own creative work. If you’re a writer, you should read; if you’re a singer, listen to music; if you’re an artist, visit art galleries. Now I’m not in any way encouraging plagiarism. But looking at other people’s creative work could easily give you that inspiration you need to get over your creative block.

Check out creative sites

Depending on your industry, you can check several websites for inspiration. For me, Pinterest serves that purpose perfectly well and is easily one of my favourite platforms to be on. I don’t use Tiktok a lot but it’s also a great platform. If you’re a programmer or designer it might be GitHub or Dribbble for you, respectively.

Find a new hobby or do something new

Another way you can spur creativity is to try out new and exciting stuff that you have little experience in, just for the fun of it. It could be an arts/craft project, dancing, painting, tie/dye (btw I have a super easy tutorial on this). These creative exercises will help you relax and stimulate one or two senses that’ll give you new ideas!

Rest

If you’ve tried everything and it’s not working out, then your body is most probably telling you that you need rest. Try to sleep or just take a break from everything. Sleeping over your work helps. I don’t know how, but it definitely does help you see your work differently. Plus you need rest to function optimally. Don’t put excessive pressure on yourself, listen to your body.

Bonus tip!

I also think you should try to make the most out of your creative flow. If you don’t already know what it means, simply put, it is a mental state where you get completely immersed in your work and you start to enjoy every bit of it and can go on and on with minimal distractions. But for you to get into that mental state, you need to START in the first place. This is where discipline comes into play. A lot of people may not agree, but I think creativity and discipline do not have to be mutually exclusive. With discipline, we are able to work even when we do not feel like it. I have an article written on how to you can be productive on your lazy days which I think you should definitely check out!

If this was helpful, share with your friends and family!