Miles Diner (from Banshee) Mooresville, NC
1. Clear your head
Go for a walk. Visit a new place. This can be as simple as a new coffee shop, park, or a new road on the way home from work. I always gain inspiration from visiting a new location.
Research has shown that creativity is enhanced when performing straightforward mechanical tasks such as jogging, cooking, and driving. Unobstructed thinking time is always useful. -the rosie project, graeme simsion
American Classic Antique Mall Mooresville NC
2. Rest
This is counterintuitive but so helpful. Take a break and work on a different project. If it is late, go to bed and start again early in the morning. I am most fresh and full of ideas early in the morning. Ideas that seem full of problems often work themselves out after a break.
3. Read
Reading is a great source of inspiration. I typically read one fiction, one non fiction, and a few magazines at a time. The magazines update me on trends, writing style, and photography. The non fiction is encourages my business ideas, and fiction is my escape (see point 2).
What I remember most vividly was how the legs of that old chair poked up from the weed-choked ditch. And how, when I pulled it to the side of the road and stood it upright, its threadbare seat exhaled a tired puff of dust into the air. Even beneath the layers of dirt, I could see that the chair was beautiful. -looking for me, beth hoffman
Mooresville, NC
4. Visit a place with unexpected things
A thrift store, a farmers market, an estate sale. Finding a place where the inventory changes will challenge your mind to think about new ideas. Thrifted products often provide me with DIY ideas. A farmers market might inspire a new color combination.
American Classic Antique Mall, Mooresville NC
5. Give to someone else
Again, counterintuitive. Taking your mind off of yourself and your lack of creative ideas may be just what you need. Make a meal for someone. Take someone out for lunch. Volunteer.
“The problem is that we have plenty coming in but we are not giving out to others” -streams in the desert
What do you do when you are scrambling to solve a creative problem? I would love ideas!!
