Every artist goes through a period when everything seems like a blur - you seem to get the idea, but then nothing comes out on your canvas. No, we are not talking about a creative block, but boredom - when you get tired of working in a similar style or medium. You want a little change, but want to stick to your style too. What do you do in such situations ? Can an artist get bored of creativity ? No, not actually. But every artist is bound to feel this way, at some point of time.
"You cannot use up Creativity. The more you use, the more you have."
- Maya Angelou
But on days, when you feel you've used up creativity, here are 10 simple hacks that will help you to boost your creativity and put on your artist cap again.
MEDITATE
The simplest, natural, and most beautiful way to boost creativity is meditation. But no, by meditation, we don't necessarily mean the traditional way of meditating by folding your legs, closing you eyes or spending hours chanting. Including the true sense of meditation is the primary concern. Focusing on a singular emotion, object, sense or spirituality is what defines meditation. Even sitting and relaxing out in nature for some time, being at peace, and allowing the free flow of thoughts pours out creativity back in business. To begin with, just pour your favorite beverage - tea or coffee or grab a cup of ice-cream and head to your terrace. Observe the sky, the trees and the birds. Imagine you are hugging the sun. As you sip in your drink, release all the thoughts you are carrying. Bring your attention to your breath and notice the patterns of breathing. Do you feel at ease ? Having said that, inculcating this in your routine and meditating over regular intervals of time is highly beneficial.
DAYDREAM
No, you did not read it wrong. Daydreaming is, surprisingly, proved extremely useful in increasing your creativity quotient. It might often be labeled or thought of as simply a waste of time, but very few know that it does wonders to creative minds. After all, thoughts and ideas exist only in places where there's room for them, and hence, daydreaming is not a sitting idol at all. Taking out some free time for yourself and doing no amount of work in that period of time gradually relaxes your mind, frees it off all the stress and workload, and helps you have a clearer, more vivid perspective. This is the time when your brain cells rest and revive for the next hour when you can plan your work. A trick here is to think of two very unrelated things/objects/experiences and build a chain of interactions that can build a link between them too. Go as hypothetical as you can. Imagination has no rules.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
This is a statement spoken by every person who needs something new to work on, but what does it really mean to think outside the box ? Does it mean to act impulsively on any new idea that pops into your brain ?
Well, not at all ! Thinking outside the box means trying to see something from a different perspective and angle altogether. Even some minor changes and improvements in anything can drastically change and improve it, the displacements and arrangements just need to fit perfectly. Sometimes, it is necessary to allow and welcome new ideas and into your mind, and it is completely alright to replace old ways with new ones. For this, go and talk to a child or an elderly person if you can - they have insights which you might have missed. Another trick is to share your work or idea with a complete stranger, but yes, be aware of who you are talking too.
SCRIBBLE or DOODLE
Always have a small book handy even if you are travelling. When there's no thought in your mind, let the pencil work on its own. Don't think about the final result. Let your pen or pencil flow. This becomes an outlet to all those superficial emotions that have been disturbing you and becoming a barrier between you and that big idea. You never know at which point you'll find the answers you seek and that'll spark a new series of ideas.
EXERCISE YOUR EYES
This is a relaxing practice used to calm your mind and freshen you up. The eyes are one of the most sensitive organs, and also the ones who work the most throughout the day by conscious and subconscious efforts. However, taking constant care of them is something we are not habitual of, also because we are unaware of the fact that tired and worked out eyes have a mental impact as well.
Lying down in a place with no or dim lights, and massaging your eyelids proves to be very relaxing. Taking a nap or icing your eyes is also great in helping and contributing to the purpose. Useful eye exercises help you to gain your focus back and relax your mind.
TAKE REGULAR BREAKS
The people who have a constant need to be productive and efficient often end up burning out and losing energy in a very short span of time. Hence, taking breaks is extremely important. Taking breaks and being in a free zone does not mean you are running late or you would not have time. Instead, it will indeed help you to speed up your work and pace it up much more easily and comfortably. Sometimes, it is okay to sit back, relax, take your time to process things, and let new ideas pour in, giving a new level and pace to your creativity. This helps you to restore your strength and clarity, and then get back to work, with refilled energy, and multiplied power to work more extensively.
DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF
Comparing your art to another's and criticizing yourself is the utmost insult to the entire art community and the beliefs of creators. Dear artists, take a step back and realize that every artwork is different, every kind of creation owns its value, every art piece impacts differently. A comparison cannot be drawn in things that are different in every sense and every way. Considering your artwork superior or inferior to anyone else's does not do any justice to the world of art. Take a different view, think and process, and constantly try to work on polishing your own skills and improving the quality of your own work by bringing new ideas into the picture.
IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP CYCLE
Having an eight-hour sleep is often advised by doctors and professionals, and it should be worked upon so regularly and strictly. But, having an eight-hour sleep does not mean having it in breaks, or staying half-conscious through it, or being disturbed in between multiple times. Sleeping, for no matter how many hours, is only beneficial when it is uninterrupted, sound, and peaceful. It is therapeutic to have a managed and constant sleep cycle, and it also helps in clearing up your mind of all the anxiety, so as to make space for amazing creativity.
TRY NEW APPROACHES
This way of boosting creativity is not chosen easily, because taking risks for an artist can be quite hectic and stressful. However, trying and exploring new ideas and ways of experimenting with new art forms and styles boosts your creativity exponentially. The number of new approaches that you try just double the amount of creativity you get from them. Every art form may be different, every art style may vary, but art, as a whole, connects and ties all its roots together. Hence, trying new approaches increases productivity and improves creativity level to a great extent.
LOOK FOR INSPIRATION
Getting inspired by someone and being jealous of someone has a very thin line in between, but creates a world of differences and highly varied effects. In the course of time when you lack creativity, it is very easy for you to be vulnerable to every productive and creative person around you. So, why not use that vulnerability as an asset, and find inspiration in every piece of art that you see? It takes a whole lot of effort to convince yourself to do something, but considerably less when an external factor motivates you, so look around, there's always something to motivate you to do that task.
JOURNAL
Just write about your day or an incident. Write about a bird or a person you saw. Go abstract - build your own story and write about it. This is not an English exam or a grammar competition. Nobody is going to judge. But journaling pushes your brain to see the details and find the extra-ordinary in the ordinary. It gives you a sense of satisfaction and a roadmap as to where your interest lies. You can see your dreams, goals and aims in a better picture.
Try all of these or any one of these, but I'm are sure it will create a difference in the way you create.
Creativity is Intelligence having Fun.
- Albert Einstein
Whatever you do, there is always 'a creative escape'. All you got to do is #StayRad !