It happens to the best of us. You sit down to start a project or feature article...or a blog entry for the Communicators Forum and you get stuck. The blank page or screen is the biggest dam for creative juices. How can you get them flowing?
Just start writing. You could just get out what you want to say and agree to come back later and fix it or you could just start with a stream of consciousness.
Get up and go somewhere else. Maybe if Charlie had moved his typewriter to a less dismal location, inspiration would have hit!
Exercise! A quick walk around the block or a trip to the gym might give you a bolt of creative energy from just getting your blood circulating to your brain.
Look at something completely unrelated. Watch a short TED Talk, open book of images, or read an article about a new science discovery. The point is to break out of the subject matter you are dealing with and come back to it with a new perspective.
What other tips do you have for getting un-stuck? Share them here and help your colleages!
I am so with you on the exercise idea. Especially on the Minneapolis campus, we can take a walk across the river (the #9 bridge is preferable) and look for raptors, look at the skyline, and let our mind wander to more creative places. I can't tell you how many times I've solved a creative problem by getting outside.
ReplyDeleteSt. Paul, Duluth, Morris, Crookston--every campus has its beauty spots. For Rochester--well, there is always that spinach quiche at Mac's next door.