You’re stuck in a creative rut. How can you get out of it and come up with fresh ideas?

I've run ideation sprints in various unconventional places - including a Sports Bar, Central Park and even the Staten Island Ferry. For the Staten Island Ferry Sprint, I organized a small team of 6 people and briefed everyone properly while waiting for the ferry. For the 30 min ferry ride from Manhattan to Staten Island, the two teams of three focused on divergent ideation. 30 mins was then spent marinating and synthesizing their ideas while walking around Staten Island. The 30 min ferry ride back to Manhattan was spent pitching and building upon the teams' ideas. It was low cost (just the price of beers to drink on board), memorable and above all effective. Use your imagination!

I have almost broken limbs by throwing myself out of the shower too enthusiastically to grab a pen and paper when an idea has struck. And my long-suffering husband has been woken up in the small hours of the morning more times than either of us can count my me rooting around for my phone to make notes about something that just came to me. My point is, no one comes up with great ideas at a desk, in front of a screen. Which does beg the question why creative agencies are enforcing back to office mandates ??

One of my favourite quotes about taking a break comes from Dan Pink who says that “breaks are part of the creative process, not a deviation from it”. Our natural creative process - which is well documented by scientific research and anecdotally - requires incubation time. Mental space and time to noodle on the problem. It’s something that we are very poor at in business with back to back meetings and non-stop calls. It’s why we have our best ideas when we’re not thinking about the problem - daydreaming, walking, showering, running, walking the dog. Allow yourself, and crucially others if you want their creative input, time to process, noodle, digest and consider the problem. The old adage ‘sleep on it’ has good reason!

Whenever I feel the need to refresh my mind, I head to the local supermarket. The vibrant colors of fresh fruits and vegetables, the fragrant aroma fill me with a sense of renewal.

I find travel helps me to see things differently. I will see something that triggers new thoughts. As you fill your mind with new sights, new sounds, and new experiences, you can draw from all of these to find new insights and fuel your creativity.

Collaboration helps you to understand better your ideas and other’s. A feedback gives you an broader insight of what to do or expect. Collaboration and feedback fosters diversity of perspectives, helps identify loopholes, prevents time wasting and resources.

Navigating a creative blockade often involves inviting others to dance with your ideas. Seeking feedback is like opening a window to fresh perspectives, constructive critiques, and collaborative brainstorms. In this symphony of creativity, your colleagues, friends, mentors, or clients become valuable collaborators, offering opinions, suggestions, and insights that breathe life into stagnant thoughts. Embracing online collaboration tools like Miro, Figma, or Slack transforms the creative process into a dynamic dialogue—where sharing, communicating, and co-creating with others not only unlocks innovation but also turns the solitary journey into a collective expedition of ideas.

Feedback aids creativity by providing new perspectives that break cognitive patterns, helping us to see ideas from angles we might overlook. Constructive input challenges assumptions, highlights blind spots, and can spark unexpected connections or refinements. Additionally, feedback creates a dialogue, encouraging iterative thinking and inspiring us to go beyond initial ideas, which can lead to more polished, innovative outcomes. By opening ourselves up to diverse viewpoints, we expand our creative capacity, transforming isolated ideas into collaborative, multidimensional solutions.

Jump on forums, ask your mates, speak to colleagues or approach your mentor. Just some of the options you've got to get project feedback! Never be too scared to sit down and go over the brief again making sure you're answering the project checklist. A good option for feedback can also be asking people who aren't in your industry or have no idea how you do your job. This is where the obvious questions come to light about what you have produced.

?? Creative block ?? We've all been there. Staring at a screen, hoping a winning idea will materialise out of thin air. But, as anyone who has had an ill-judged kebab after a night out will tell you, output is directly correlative to input. Nothing new coming in = Nothing new coming out. Time to try something fresh. It needn't be prescriptive but here's a few ideas to get you started: - Smother yourself in Lurpak and go for a run with a trusted family friend - Start wearing a monocle and ask people to refer to you as 'your highness' - Spend a day eating grass and mooing to see what cows know that we don't - Try and start an overly long-winded catchphrase such as, 'No more tea for me thanks Margaret'

A few things you can try: - try approaching the project from the perspective of someone else (a client or consumer) - go back to the classic pen and paper - do some spider diagrams and see what pops up - look at different inspiration sites - change your inspiration approach - look for inspiration on a different subject, sometimes you find things when you aren't looking

Das bewusste Brechen von Regeln oder Beschr?nkungen kann ein Schlüssel zu kreativer Innovation sein. Wenn man das Gefühl hat, durch bestimmte Vorgaben eingeschr?nkt zu sein, bietet das gezielte überschreiten von Grenzen eine M?glichkeit, neue und innovative Ans?tze zu entdecken. Oft entstehen gerade durch das Heraustreten aus gewohnten Denkmustern unkonventionelle Ideen. Dieser Prozess erfordert die Bereitschaft, Konventionen infrage zu stellen und neue Wege zu erkunden. Das Experimentieren mit unkonventionellen Ans?tzen kann zu frischen Perspektiven führen und den kreativen Denkprozess stimulieren. Die bewusste Entscheidung, Beschr?nkungen zu brechen, er?ffnet Raum für originelle Ideen und tr?gt dazu bei, kreative Blockaden zu überwinden.

Estar aberto a conhecer novos caminhos para se reconectar com a criatividade, é fundamental para quebrar a rotina dos processos formais de cria??o. Experimentar um novo olhar sobre lugares distantes das nossas fontes de inspira??o, ajudam a quebrar ciclos que indiretamente nos fazem estabelecer, mesmo que inconscientemente, mecanismos de produtividade que levam a este lugar. Portanto, interagir com pessoas de outros ciclos sociais, frequentar lugares que nada tem a ver com nossas fontes conex?o criativa, e até meditar sobre aquilo que n?o queremos que esteja presente em nossas vidas por alguns momentos, podem contribuir para esse desprendimento.

Engage in new experiences: Take a class: Learn a new skill or hobby that can lead to unexpected connections and ideas. Travel to a new place: Expose yourself to different cultures and ways of life. Volunteer your time: Helping others can be a rewarding experience that can refresh your perspective. Embrace a playful mindset: Do something you loved as a child: Reconnect with the joy of experimentation and imagination. Create without judgment: Allow yourself to make mistakes and explore freely without worrying about the outcome. Collaborate with others: Bounce ideas off each other and build on each other's creativity.

Blank page syndrome is a real thing, when stuck in a rut where anything can be created its often hard to narrow down on one thing. In those situations I like to add self imposed constraints. These constraints can be in the form of time, size, design element anything, so long as anything beyond what is decided in not allowed. Eg: I want to design a ball pen, this task can be daunting as I can design the pen however I like. Now imagine adding constraints like the pen can only be made with one material now suddenly I have a direction to start designing towards. Or restrict the end consumer and design a pen for elderly people, that will make me focus on grip, lid opening etc. These types of constraints can be used as a starting point when lost.

Studies from Harvard University show that exercises with boundaries can help alleviate anxiety associated with unlimited choice, guiding the brain toward alternative thought paths. ????

Embrace constraints and forced connections to unlock creativity by tapping into the brain's natural associative thinking. It's about leveraging neuroscience, allowing the mind to make unique connections between seemingly unrelated elements. View constraints as catalysts for innovation, providing a framework for creativity to flourish.

Quick wins are definitely using SWOT, SOAR, and SMART systems. But I highly recommend you do this with someone else. Not on your own. If you struggle to find out more, message me. I've got resources and a workshop that will help.

Studies demonstrate that spaced repetition improves memory retention and associational thinking. Instead of thinking of your memory as a tape recorder, think of it as a living realm. Think of taking a break from a problem creates a space of "not knowing" that the "knowing" can move into. After all, we only need to think of Newton discovering gravity when an apple fell at his feet or Archimedes discovering how to measure the weight of gold while relaxing in the bathtub.

Sometimes you just need to take the pressure off, lower your expectations, stop trying. Just let go and ‘be’ for a while and see where thatlads you.

The idea comes to you. Of course you have to put your mind to it. But sometimes when it's not happening and you are trying too hard, it won't happen. My own way of dealing with it is to do something else, while having a part of my brain still thinking about it.

My brother always says, 'have a few projects on the go'. Be brave. Test ideas out. Low cost of course. But put some energy into your ideas and don't be afraid of failing. Through failing we really learn. Embrace a childish wonder of what next and ask people who you think are going to invest, support, champion, and buy. There's your research. Go for it!

Rückblick auf Vergangenheit für kreative Inspiration: Ein Blick auf vergangene Erfolge kann ein wirksames Mittel sein, um kreativen Enthusiasmus zu entfachen. Erfolgreiche Projekte oder Ideen aus der Vergangenheit dienen nicht nur als Best?tigung für bisherige Leistungen, sondern k?nnen auch als Inspirationsquelle für zukünftige Ideen dienen. Dieser Rückblick st?rkt das Selbstvertrauen, da er zeigt, dass bereits bew?hrte Ans?tze existieren. Er er?ffnet die M?glichkeit, erfolgreiche Elemente zu extrahieren und sie in neuen Kontexten anzuwenden. Diese Reflexion f?rdert eine positive Einstellung und ermutigt dazu, auf vorhandene St?rken aufzubauen, um innovative L?sungen für aktuelle Herausforderungen zu finden.

To break out of a creative rut, it’s essential to adopt a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset views failure as a threat, something to be avoided, which limits exploration and innovation. A growth mindset, however, sees mistakes and uncertainties as natural, enriching parts of the creative process. This perspective transforms obstacles into learning opportunities, encouraging continuous improvement. Techniques like creative journaling, the “what if?” approach, and scenario analysis can help internalize this mindset, allowing you to reflect on experiences, explore alternative possibilities, and see challenges as a path to strengthening skills, expanding ideas, and building resilient creativity.

Here's a little secret: it's okay not to be creative all the time. You need breaks. There's this well-known study showing that people who allow themselves to get bored now and then actually end up being more innovative compared to those who try to stay constantly creative. So if you're feeling stuck, let yourself be bored. Embrace those mundane tasks or even dive into something you're not fond of. I'm convinced that the best creatives intentionally weave moments of 'boring time' into their routine. :)

Para romper con una rutina creativa, lo primero es conocer cómo funciona nuestro cerebro. Sabemos que las actividades más creativas pueden activar el hemisferio derecho, mientras que el hemisferio izquierdo se ocupa de las actividades analíticas. Cambiar entre estas tareas puede fomentar la flexibilidad cognitiva y ayudar a generar nuevas ideas.

Give your creative ego a high-five! ??? Look back at your previous projects & accomplishments. Reflecting on your successes can boost confidence and remind you of your creative abilities ??

You’re stuck in a creative rut. How can you get out of it and come up with fresh ideas? 1. Stop your work entirely and put it away. 2. Find a recipe you've been meaning to try. 3. Gather the ingredients you have on hand. 4. "Creatively" substitute the missing items. 5. Play some music and prepare the meal. 6. If you can, share the meal with a friend. 7. Intentionally eat slowly and deliberately. 8. Rewrite the recipe with your revisions. 9. Clean up, put everything away, and smile. You just cleared out the idea rut - get to work!

I find doing mindful activities ups my creativity. Things where you must be in the moment - a long walk or run in nature, catching up with a friend, seeing a movie or a play, downhill skiiing, playing golf, riding a rollercoaster in a theme park, doing yoga - whatever works for you.