What do you do if your creative well runs dry?

Rest? Oh, you mean that thing we all forget to do sometimes? Yeah, I've learned the hard way that rest is just as important as hustle. So, I make it a point to set aside time to step away from it all regularly. Weekends are sacred in my book—I don't even think about work. And after 2 PM? Well, that's my time to unwind and recharge. Unless it's a Thursday, of course—that's when I do my weekly lives. But even then, I make sure to carve out space for rest and relaxation. Because sometimes, the best ideas come when we give ourselves the chance to just be.

One thing that has been incredibly useful is that I've been keeping my weekends sacred since the beginning of my creative career. I don't engage in any work-related activities (or thoughts) over the weekend. I can't always control how long my weekdays stretch, but keeping my weekends free allows everything to reset, and gives my creative mind a rest.

A theory I found on 'Slow-Motion Multitasking' changed the way I work. It's the idea that we should have multiple projects running parallely - and there are many benefits to doing so... Such as: -creativity comes from taking one subject elsewhere -we get assistance when feeling stuck in an area -we’re cross training our minds I run many projects simultaneously, and when I feel stuck with one, I just pick up a different one for a bit. On another level, I find that having other creative hobbies - such as improv comedy or swing dancing for me - can unexpectedly benefit my creative mind - the ideas and insights are often transferrable.

When my creative well starts to feel a little dry, I turn to the world around me for inspiration. Because, you know what? Inspiration is everywhere. Whether it's a stroll through the neighborhood, a podcast that sparks new ideas, or even a conversation with a friend—there's always something waiting to reignite that creative spark. I've learned to keep my eyes and ears open, ready to absorb the little nuggets of inspiration that come my way, no matter where I am or what I'm doing.

To start; 1. Set back relax and go through the work completed. 2. Look for the available solutions. 3. Research 4. Go through others work. 5. Continue the work with the study, what are being covered in point 1 and 3. 6. Start again....

Work out to get blood flow to brain while changing scenery in the process. Once done slowly reengage with work and make it good.

It's a little known fact about me that I'm kind of a 'digital nomad' these days. So I'm a big advocate of changing scenery.. This decision was made for this very reason - almost all of my creative work happens remotely, and I find it easier to flow in my work if my environment keeps changing as well. So these days I move around in the UK or the EU - not every week, just every couple month or so... and this allows me to be in a constant state of discovery and wonder!

Ah, one of my favorite tricks in the book—changing scenery. Just because we work remotely doesn't mean we have to be stuck inside the house all day, right? So, when I feel like I'm in a creative rut, I lace up my sneakers and head outside. Whether it's a walk in the park, a coffee date at a local cafe, or even just setting up shop on my porch, getting out and about always helps to get those creative juices flowing. Plus, bonus points for documenting the journey along the way. Who knows? That change of scenery might just turn into some killer content.

Although I love being an independent, small business, I have to admit that a self-employed creative path is quite a solo one. I soon realized that I'll need friends along the way... There's a growing community of Graphic Recorders & Facilitators - and I've found a few wonderful, like-minded people I can get together with every few months or so. These get a coffee and share experiences, learnings, and hopes for the future. These little meetups always leave me inspired and grateful for what I get to do for a living.

I keep an excel sheet for the projects I run - -one column for things I should be working on today -one column for things to do later that week -one for things to do 'one day' The items inside keep moving around as I go. However, I have another column - where I place everything that's been done! It's quite rewarding to look at a growing list of things that were once in the 'To Do' lists... and it reminds me that no matter how busy I am, I'll get everything done eventually - as I always have.

Sometimes a project requires slow and steady progress … little chunks of concentrated time. Also consider when “your best” time of day is and give that to the project.