When your brain says no to being creative.

Having a creative mind is a blessing and can be a dynamic force. It enriches our lives but sometimes it’s not always as easy to keep it coming up with great ideas. You have to train your brain and make sure your practicing but it takes proper care to stay strong and vibrant. People think design is all about how something looks but really the main part of my job is all about problem solving, to make sure my clients customers are being reached in the correct way. 

Understanding creativity

Creativity is often misunderstood, as a mysterious gift only a few have, but that isn’t the reality. People can develop skills through intentional practices and habits. At its core being creative is the ability to generate new ideas, connect seemingly unrelated concepts, and transform these ideas into something valuable. Its about about breaking free from conventional thinking and exploring uncharted territories of thought and expression.

From experience creativity and solutions usually come at the weirdest of times, when your making tea or just as your about to go to sleep or when your day dreaming walking around the supermarket. Being a designer, isn’t a 9-5 job, you don’t finish for the day and they you forget about the work. Good ideas need time to develop, making decisions in your head before you put pen to paper. 

Don’t get me wrong some days, I read a brief and I stare at a blank piece of paper or a blank screen and ideas seem to hide in parts of my brain just out of my reach. And still 13 years into my career I panic every now and again ‘will I ever find the solution’ but with some confidence I can say. I haven’t had a brief I couldn’t answer so far and I always love a challenge. 

Some days there are a million ideas waiting to jump out your head and other days it is a struggle to pull out one good one, but it is all part of the creative process. 

The importance of creativity.

Problem solving - 

This is a good skill to develop as we all face problems everyday big and small. Creative problem solving skills, helps you see around problems, approach things from different sides and angles. 

Personal growth

Trying new ways of doing something or developing skills in a creative outlet, can help develop confidence, resilience, and a sense of accomplishment. This can then help with professional advancement in your job role, as it drives innovation and improves productivity.

Emotional Expression 

Creativity can be a good outlet for letting out emotions and promotes a good well-being.

Cultural Enrichment

The richness of creativity in societies can shape and inspire generations. Visiting galleries, painting that picture, write that play, compose that music inspires others. 

So for me how do I keep creative when my brain just says no!

1. Embrace Curiosity

I think the more I am curious about the world around me, it fuels me. Ask questions, seek new experiences, read that book, go to that museum, watch that documentary, watch something that sparks a light in your mind, do a mood-board of things you found in that month that you liked, go and find other creatives seeing someone else inspired is so up lifting. Try something new you have never done before, go plant a plant in the garden and nurture it through the seasons. The more knowledge and experiences you have and the more you learn, you have more material your mind accumulates the more your mind has to work from. Letting your mind absorb things you enjoy, keeps you inspired and keeps your ideas on trend.

2. Free think, doodles and writing ideas down... be playful.

Just write something a short story, a poem, how your feeling, pick a colour and describe it. Draw something, what you can see, a dream you had, your partners face, your dog. Get a dictionary and randomly pick and word and draw it. Anything to make your brain work and think in a different way. It doesn’t have to be anything to do with what your working on its just a great activity to get your mind working. Those words you look at spark and spark and link together and thats when the really magical happens.

3. Think about the space around you

Your environment around you, is important. Make yourself a creative space, fill it with colour, things that inspire you and sparks joy and imagination. Listen to that music and sing along at the top of your lungs, it clears your mind. Changing scenery can make all the difference, move rooms, go to a friends, go sketch in the art gallery. Letting your eyes see different things, will help your mind think differently. 

4. Be kind to yourself. 

Creatives are the worst at this generally and i’m absolutely no exception. I am my own worst critic. Everyone is quick to be annoyed or frustrated at themselves or pick apart something I have created and honestly can be the worse offender. I try the tact a wise person told me once, ‘speak to yourself like you would your best friend or someone you love.’ Use positive and encouraging words in your inner conversations. Positive affirmations are such a powerful thing. Creativity is very much an energy and mindset too. A short meditation to calm your mind, a hug from a partner when you can’t find that kindness yourself, or something yummy to eat. 

5. Embrace failure

Failure is inevitable, and the fear of failure can stop creativity. I have done briefs for clients before and think I have absolutely hit the brief and when feedback comes absolutely didn’t. But it’s not a failure but a learning opportunity, it builds a client relationship by listening and then working out the new direction. It’s not easy sometimes when you love an idea a client hates but being able to let it go and then find the perfect solution, and the personal development that gives you. Doing pottery also helped me embrace failure, so much can go wrong at every stage of making and firing and the ability to go, it’s ok, next time I will do it like this instead and actually mean it. 

6. Limiting the doom scrolling social media

One week I looked at the hours spent mindlessly scrolling and thought gosh what if I used all those hours for something creative and develop a new skill. So many of my friends have said the same to be over the years and if anything social media platforms are only becoming a bigger and bigger part of our everyday lives. Don’t get me wrong social media in parts can be great for inspiration and connecting with other creatives but it also can be a place where creativity goes to die. Mindless scrolling, is just a distraction and energy vacuum. 

7. Never under estimate a power nap. 

Being over tired is like the enemy to ideas. When ideas don’t come, most people panic and then end up staying up late trying to play catch up. This never works you end up using hours of time thats not needed doing nothing but getting more frustrated with yourself and still no answer. Sleep is essential. Some people think naps aren’t good for you or not what adults do, but listen to your body is whats most important. That hour of napping can really change your perspective and feeling refreshed you unblock what’s been stopping you thinking of those top ideas. Also your subconscious will still be working and dreams can be great inspiration. 

8. Consume positive news

I say positive news as there’s so many news outlets now, with a click of a button you can find just doom and gloom and with nothing nice to say about anyone. It makes you feel like this is what the world is like but I assure you there are good people and things happening just unfortunately these days you have to know where to look. One place I always go for stories is The Happy News by Emily Coxhead. If you haven’t seen it before google it and find out about it, I promise you wont be disappointed. Look at local positive new pages on social too, like Nas Daily or more local ones, one in Manchester which started in lockdown called Vibe Manchester. Look for positive new outlets ones showing love, compassion and inclusive to all. I promise it makes you see the world differently. 

9. Eating and Drinking Well. 

This isn’t a paragraph about eating clean everyday and doing thousands of steps, or that you should be counting calories. Of course nurture your body and give it what it needs, but also a little of what you fancy does you good. Your weight does not equal your worth always remember that. Something I think society has forgotten. So eating and drinking well, is of course eating things your body needs with a bit of what’s not as good for you on the side.  

10. Write some lists

I cannot stress this enough. It’s ok writing a bit list of all the things you have to complete but it can be overwhelming and then you complete nothing and it definitely does nothing to help with being creative. I set all my actions into separate lists for work, and home and things with are essential or nice to have. If something has been put back 3 times on my list it comes off as it can’t be that important to start with. List writing can be very therapeutic and ways to clear your mind of having to remember everything so your mind is free to be inspired, so don’t worry I’m not against lists. Just has to be realistic lists. 

Don’t worry I’m not perfect by a long shot and some days, creative block gets the best of me, but after this many years in my career of design plus many years of pottery and crafts. I have learnt how to pull my mind in different ways to help sometimes. 

Creativity is a powerful and transformative force that enhances every aspect of our lives. Creativity isn’t a destination, is a journey as cheesy as that sounds but it’s true. By nurturing it, you unlock so much potential in all aspect of your life. Everyone has the ability you just have to let your mind go, embracing the process, let your imagination lead the way, and just explore creating. I have always found being creative such an escape and a way to relax. 

I feel blessed that my job is to create and the amazing possibilities working with so many different sector of business. That each new brief is a new opportunity to do something new and exciting for my clients.