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Crippled Creativity? On Finding Ideas When There Are None Left

Written by: Steph Ferrer
September 27, 2016 • 5-minute read

Crippled Creativity? On Finding Ideas When There Are None Left

Clients don’t generally see the first drafts of the ideas presented for their approval. What they see are the pitches: some not so great, others worthy enough to win critical and customer approval—but all having weathered the buffeting winds of revision upon revision.

It’s a long way from the drawing board to the board room pitch for both the ideas and the people who produce them, who have to persevere knowing that most of what they produce will never see the light of day.

Creatives thus thrive on a certain kind of loss, not unlike that of an unrequited lover. They see clearly all the foregone opportunities whenever an idea is rejected. Even though this may not seem like a happy situation, it’s proven to be one effective way to innovate. After all, with the certainty of rejection, there’s nothing left but to move on to something new.But in the offices where creative teams brew their ideas, pressure builds from the fumes of failed concepts. It sometimes follows that brainstorms yield dead air as creative juices dry up. This happens to everyone, but for those whose job it is to routinely invert the box in which they think, the stakes are higher.

Here are some things you can do when you’re all out of juice but still need to stir things up:

Fill your cup

By now, you’re probably used to grabbing a cup of coffee as soon as your eyes see daylight. Although this can be a hard habit to break, research suggests pouring yourself some coffee between the hours of 10 AM and noon, or 2 PM to 5 PM, as these are the times that caffeine can really kick in, and more effectively give you that jolt of energy you need.

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Call a friend

Sometimes the best way to get out of your own head is to go into someone else’s. Pick your co-workers’ brains for their opinions on something that they can help you improve on, and do the same for them. Bouncing back ideas between people can benefit all involved, and will help you innovate and even grow your scope on some topics you weren’t familiar with in the first place.

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Channel your inner speedster

For this, you can abandon your Flash suit and just go with his speed. We don’t mean you should rush from one thing to another here, but accomplishing tasks in a short amount of time can help give your brain a boost as you force it to make decisions in a given time.

Engage in exercises like writing a specific number of words in five minutes, or creating a series of drawings in a set of circles in a given time. This will make your brain exert extra effort, and you’ll even get that short burst of creativity and productivity which can surprisingly really help you a lot on your day.

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Get a fresh pair of eyes

See things from a new perspective, and think about things in a different way, or with a different opinion, and come up with different possibilities. Try refreshing your mind with a book or taking a breather. This can help you gain a new perspective on a subject you’re finding difficult to deal with. Whenever you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, remember that you can always take a step back from the picture and go about it with a totally different take. Sometimes, we look at things and problems a little too hard that we don’t get to explore the other options around us that can help us solve them.

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Master your doubts

If you’re struggling with creative solutions to the problem even after asking your peers, trying brainstorming exercises, or taking a breather, consider approaching a master.  We don’t mean shady gurus in gaudy robes—we’re talking about hiring an expert in the creative field you’re dealing with. It’s okay to have someone else do these tasks for you. You just have to remember that they know what they are doing, and that they can help you achieve your goals with finesse. And while they’re at work on the problem, you have more time to do what you do best. The end goal is, after all, making your company happy and successful.

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Drawing creativity and inspiration isn’t an easy thing to do when you’re all out of juice, but with these tips, you can quickly fill your cup again and come up with your next great idea. And if that’s not enough, we’ll be more than glad to give a helping hand! Now, let’s go and create for the world!

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Steph Ferrer
WRITTEN BY:
Steph Ferrer
Stephanie Ferrer is a Social Media Associate at StraightArrow Corporation. On days this Potterhead/full-time geek doesn’t have her nose in a book or making artwork, you can usually find her in movie theaters or binge-watching films and TV series. She hasn’t been everywhere in the world yet, but it’s on her list. She also thinks the world would be better if everything were made of ice cream.

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