If you're responsible for generating fresh and new ideas frequently, you know how difficult it can be to remain fresh and creative. Here is a list of 70 ideas on how to stay creative. They're organized into five categories:
Organizing Ideas - Most of our best ideas come at the wrong times. You need a system to record ideas as you have them, and then be able to retrieve them when the time comes.
Breaking Through Barriers - We've all had the frustration of seeming to hit a barrier with our creativity. Here are some suggestions on how to break through creative blocks.
Staying Inspired - Here are some suggestions on how to keep your mind inspired.
Self-Examination - Here are some suggestions on how to continually evaluate your work.
Better Yourself - Here are some suggestions on how to continually grow as a person.
Organizing Ideas
01) Get Evernote on your phone and record every interesting thought you have
02) Make lots of lists
03) Constantly take notes
04 Weekly organize and review your lists and notes
02) Make lots of lists
03) Constantly take notes
04 Weekly organize and review your lists and notes
05) Create a system to organize your ideas
06) Remember and write down the stories of where your best ideas came from
Breaking Through Barriers
07) Challenge yourself to create something new for 7 days straight
08) Share or create something that is embarrassing
08) Share or create something that is embarrassing
09) Create a derivative work
10) Watch an old movie or listen to some old music
10) Watch an old movie or listen to some old music
11) Free associate - Pick a random word or idea, and write all the thoughts that come to mind related to that idea
12) Reverse your perspective
13) Ask other people their perspective on a subject
12) Reverse your perspective
13) Ask other people their perspective on a subject
14) Start over from scratch
15) Write down 10 solutions to a problem (ignoring whether they're good or bad solutions)
16) Write down 10 possible directions for a project for you start
17) Identify the obstacles and roadblocks you're facing
18) Ignore all of your usual routines and patterns
19) Create something in a genre or style you wouldn't normally create
20) Take a break
21) Analyze something which you think is great, and write down specifically why you think it's great
22) Create templates from your favorite pieces of art (stories, songs, works of art, designs, etc.)
23) Create a playlist which communicates the emotion of the project you're working on, and use it as a soundtrack while creating
24) Create something just for fun
25) Clean your office
26) Create outside of your normal workspace
27) Take several of your past ideas and merge them into a single project
28) Drink a large amount of your favorite source of caffeine
29) Listen to a new style of music
30) Look into new designs
31) Stay up really late at night working on a project
32) Restrict your freedom on a project
33) Remove all rules and restrictions
34) Work with someone else
35) Create things regularly that NO ONE will ever see
36) Write a story or a song or create a piece of art just for yourself
37) Take a day off from all technology
38) Spend several hours alone with just yourself and a notebook
39) Stop over-thinking while being creative
40) Work on something where you don't stop to critique until you've created a full draft
41) Stop aiming for perfection!
16) Write down 10 possible directions for a project for you start
17) Identify the obstacles and roadblocks you're facing
18) Ignore all of your usual routines and patterns
19) Create something in a genre or style you wouldn't normally create
20) Take a break
21) Analyze something which you think is great, and write down specifically why you think it's great
22) Create templates from your favorite pieces of art (stories, songs, works of art, designs, etc.)
23) Create a playlist which communicates the emotion of the project you're working on, and use it as a soundtrack while creating
24) Create something just for fun
25) Clean your office
26) Create outside of your normal workspace
27) Take several of your past ideas and merge them into a single project
28) Drink a large amount of your favorite source of caffeine
29) Listen to a new style of music
30) Look into new designs
31) Stay up really late at night working on a project
32) Restrict your freedom on a project
33) Remove all rules and restrictions
34) Work with someone else
35) Create things regularly that NO ONE will ever see
36) Write a story or a song or create a piece of art just for yourself
37) Take a day off from all technology
38) Spend several hours alone with just yourself and a notebook
39) Stop over-thinking while being creative
40) Work on something where you don't stop to critique until you've created a full draft
41) Stop aiming for perfection!
Staying Inspired
42) Take something apart and put it back together again
43) Listen to emotional music while day dreaming for at least 15 minutes
43) Listen to emotional music while day dreaming for at least 15 minutes
44) Talk with energetic children frequently
45) Record your dreams
46) Go for a walk without music
47) Go for a walk with music
48) Go somewhere you've never been before
49) Go somewhere with old architecture
50) Dedicate 15 minutes every day to brainstorming
51) Meet with creative people
52) Seek out people whom you respect and ask them lots of questions
47) Go for a walk with music
48) Go somewhere you've never been before
49) Go somewhere with old architecture
50) Dedicate 15 minutes every day to brainstorming
51) Meet with creative people
52) Seek out people whom you respect and ask them lots of questions
53) Learn a new instrument or art form
54) Learn a new word each day
55) Write down the reasons you love creating things
56) Get lots of rest
57) Observe someone else being creative
58) Do something you did for fun when you were young
65) Get feedback
54) Learn a new word each day
55) Write down the reasons you love creating things
56) Get lots of rest
57) Observe someone else being creative
58) Do something you did for fun when you were young
Self-Examination
59) Make a list of your favorite things you've created
60) Make a list of your least favorite things you've created
61) Analyze the differences between the best and worst things you've created
62) Analyze the differences between the best and worst aspects of other people's work in your style or genre
63) Listen to inspiring music and imagine creating an incredible piece of art
64) Get a coach60) Make a list of your least favorite things you've created
61) Analyze the differences between the best and worst things you've created
62) Analyze the differences between the best and worst aspects of other people's work in your style or genre
63) Listen to inspiring music and imagine creating an incredible piece of art
65) Get feedback
66) Go back and look at your work from 5, 10, 15 years ago
67) Create an improved version of a previous project
Bettering Yourself
68) Read all the time (books, blogs, articles, etc.)
69) Learn about something new
69) Learn about something new
70) Create a tutorial on how to make something
This is amazing! I saw it on Pinterest and instantly loved it! Thanks so much for sharing!
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