Unlocking Creativity: Simple Tips to Beat Mental Slumps

Creative activities can be lots of fun, but many times “creativity” is a learning process, with lots of bumps along the way. Sometimes you have no idea what to make next, or you don’t know how to create it, so you get slowed down while you try to come up with a new plan.
At other times, no matter how many creative hobbies you try out, or how many creativity quotes you search for, you draw a blank for large periods of time. Once you hit this creative block, it’s hard to figure out what to do.
While such blocks are definitely frustrating, they are not insurmountable. In fact, lots of people suffer through creative “dead zones” from time to time, but emerge on the other side just fine.
To help you find your way through such a dilemma, we’ve put together the cheat sheet below. It contains a variety of tips to help you unlock your creativity and get your mental gears rolling again.
FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download the Unlocking Creativity Cheat Sheet .
Unlocking Creativity

Idea
Task Tips

Spark Creativity With Learning

Explore a subject you know nothing about.
Pick a podcast at random and listen to it.

Pick the first word that pops into your head. Read a book with that word in the title or as the subject.

Use the Random article button on Wikipedia to learn about a brand new subject.

Discover one new YouTube channel per week about a topic that interests you.

Build on an area of expertise.
Complete an online mini-course related to your career or hobby.

Subscribe to a YouTube channel devoted to a skill you want to improve.

Sign up for a newsletter based on a subject you would like to learn more about.

Use a historical time period as inspiration.
If you're a writer, write a historical novel.

If you're an artist, draw a poster influenced by that time period.

Google a year from history at random. See what information comes up about that year, and use it as inspiration for your next project.

Let Everyday Objects and Activities Inspire You

Find beauty in the ordinary.
Write a short story about a coffee shop you visit often.

Create an Instagram display featuring everyday items around your home.

Walk through a part of your neighborhood that you've never been to before and snap pictures of your jaunt.

Discover hidden secrets.
Design a treasure hunting map.

Play a mobile game where you have to hunt for treasure.

Look for Easter eggs in apps and services you use.

Learn different ways to solve a Rubik’s cube.

Explore an urban environment.
Draw or paint a picture of an...