Photo Props:

As members of a creative teams, what happens when we run out of creativity, ideas, or time? How do we refill the tank quickly without getting on a plane and going to a conference…or a beach…or a foreign country? Here are a few things that have worked for the creative teams I have worked with:

• Schedule time to be creative. Nothing can be less creative than meetings. So, book time to be creative.
• Turn off the distractions – email, computer, tv, twitter, youtube. Sometimes this is all we need to do to have the space to be creative.
• Change the music. Select your music around the idea you are creating. Music is powerful.
• Find some magazines. Magazines blend culture, art, photography and story. They inspire. They also are full of advertising intended to spark emotion and get attention.
• Change the canvas – Go work someplace different.
• Force yourself to use different tools. Breaking your pattern or formula will make you way better. Use tools that are foreign to you in an effort to find a new way of doing what you do. Force creativity.
• Limit yourself – Put yourself on a timer. Remove resources. Force yourself to play inside the lines that aren’t normal in order to be more creative.
• Story-telling – Define the story – more importantly, define the backstory. You have to know the backstory before you can tell the story.
• Collaborate – Invite trusted friends to help you uncover some of the mysteries. Collaboration allows ideas to blossom when done correctly.
• Use Words – Make a list of all the words that remind you of the project you are working on. Then, find out how they tie together. Use them for inspiration.
• Don’t Use Words – Create pictures, draw, or design without words. Figure out how to get the story right without telling the story.
• Edit – Once you have an idea, figure out how to subtract from it. Then, subtract more. Make it as simple as possible.
• Take 15 minutes to focus on another problem or angle. Change your perspective. Walk in someone else’s shoes. It will revolutionize how you see your situation.
• Step away – Do nothing for 15 minutes. Leave the project alone and untouched for 24 hours. The more time we give our ideas to breathe, the better we can be at making them right.
• Ask 5 questions – Why? Who? How? What if? Instead of? These 5 questions will get you to the bottom of things pretty quick.

What are some of the ways you get yourself engage creatively?