But at the same time, it's all too common for people to run out of ideas. Those periods where nothing seems to stick are frustrating, and almost every creative will experience them at some point.
Luckily, there are a number of things you can try to keep the ideas flowing for your creative pursuit.
1. Write Down Your Thoughts as Soon as You Get Them
You probably have hundreds of thoughts per day, if not thousands. But how many of them do you remember?
Waiting for a different time to make a note of your ideas can often lead to forgetting them, which could result in being less innovative with your creative projects. You don't need to do anything fancy for this tip; a simple page within Apple Notes or Google Keep is more than good enough.
You can later revisit these ideas at a time that's most convenient for you. And if you think they're worth pursuing further, you can start conceptualizing them and scheduling when you'll put in the work to bring them to life. You may wish to design a content calendar in Google Calendar to keep on top of what you're creating.
2. Create More Than You Consume
Consuming valuable content, such as in-depth podcasts and articles, can be a useful way to spend your time. On top of that, you might also find that you're able to come up with ideas more easily when you do so. However, you need to be careful—if you don't consume mindfully, you could put yourself at a disadvantage.
Watching or listening to content that provides little value, such as short-form videos that you'll forget about in five minutes, can result in you feeling like you've got less bandwidth to come up with new ideas. More importantly, you might feel like you don't have the energy (or time) to execute your big plans.
A general rule of thumb is that you should try to create more than you consume. Taking a social media detox might help you get the ball rolling in this respect
3. Read Books
Reading is a fantastic way to generate new ideas, and there are several helpful books about creativity that are worth checking out. You might also find new ideas on how to facilitate creative thinking by reading books about productivity, such as Atomic Habits by James Clear and Essentialism by Greg McKeown.
In addition to reading about creativity and productivity in general, it's also worth looking at books related to your specific creative pursuit. For example, if you're a writer, you might want to read On Writing by Stephen King.
Before you buy a book, using a book summary app will help you decide whether the purchase will be worthwhile or not.
4. Experiment With New Things
One of the easiest ways to get yourself out of a photography rut, or any other creative rut for that matter, is to experiment with new things. Going out and working on your craft will breed new ideas—and as you become more proficient, you can start exploring new opportunities.
If we use the example of a photographer, you can try different editing sliders. Once I was comfortable with the likes of clarity and saturation in Lightroom, I began experimenting with the Calibration tool. You can also use different editing programs, try different styles, and so on.
Trying new things will also allow you to innovate more easily, along with getting you closer to developing your own unique voice.
5. Create Content Clusters
Thinking of one podcast, article, or video topic can require a lot of effort—let alone deciding on multiple future pieces. But one thing you can do to keep the ideas flowing is to create content clusters. These effectively work as a series, and all of your posts will link into each other.
For example, a travel blogger might want to write a complete guide to a city. But within that, they might then want to talk about the best cafés, parks, Instagram spots, and so on. Another example could be a podcaster who wants to do a series about a specific sport, and then talks about movements, nutrition, and more.
One of the most useful tools for coming up with new ideas is AnswerThePublic. You can segment based on location, language, and more.
6. Spend More Time Without Your Phone
Ever since first reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport in 2020, I've tried to adopt more of a mindful approach to how I use technology in general—especially my smartphone. While I've certainly not been perfect, I now use my phone for around an hour each day—compared to over five beforehand.
Spending less time with my phone has allowed me to stop constantly stimulating myself, which has given my brain more time to think of creative ideas. Some of those are articles to write for clients, whereas others are for projects I'm building on my own.
The simple act of going for a walk without your smartphone will force you to be alone with your thoughts, and you'll probably find that you've got more ideas when you come back.
7. Pick Up a Separate Creative Pursuit
Although we're often told to give ourselves a singular identity (and that typically is based on our job titles), each person is a creative thinker and has multiple talents. Even if you spend most of your time doing one project, you probably still have other interests that you'd like to explore.
While I write, for example, I'm also a keen photographer and sometimes dabble in video and podcasting.
Picking up more than one creative pursuit will allow you to come up with ideas that you can bring into whatever your main project is. On top of that, you may learn skills that easily transfer across different disciplines. For example, photography and videography have many interchangeable skills.
8. Journal More Frequently
Spelling your thoughts out in front of you will make it easier to connect the dots and realize where you need to make tweaks in your creative work. You can talk about different things you want to try, along with where you feel like you might need a bit of change.
You can use both physical and digital journals to make a note of what you're thinking and how you're feeling. However, many people find that physical journaling is more effective.
Keep Your Creative Juices Flowing
While it's not always possible to avoid creative ruts and blocks, you can do several things to keep ideas flowing more consistently.
Having some time to be alone with your thoughts is crucial, and you should also be mindful of the content you consume elsewhere. Picking up new hobbies and pursuits can also help, as can experimenting with different ideas.
source: MUO
