4 Thingos to "Just Do It" Already

Have you ever stared at a piece of white paper or an empty storyboard for hours and wondered why your creative juices wouldn't start flowing? You get idea after idea and rush to lay them down, but nothing comes out once you get there? I've been stumped many times by this dilema. This "halt" can be very frustrating and to some, depressing. I'm getting sad just thinking about it. Well, before you go stumping off to your room, I've discovered 4 Thingos to help me get going, and I wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!

 Before jumping into "create" mode: 

Thingo 1: Take a Breather

Relax! This isn't rocket science and you won't crash if you push the wrong button. I am a lover of science, but sometimes jumping into the unknown can be scary. Creativity requires a journey into the unknown; it's why staring at a blank piece of paper is so difficult. Most of us struggle to start because we're afraid of the outcome. You have to be fearless when creating. If you want creativity to win, you have to defeat fear. It's always there when a new idea arrives. My challenge for you. Breathe (whoo-saa) and push pass it. Ideas will flow once you get the junk out of the way. 

Thingo 2: Look Around You

Creativity surrounds us. It's in every single element of this planet. If you take a moment to look around you, you'll find inspiration screaming at you. Influence comes from the environment. Go outside. Look at the way things are shaped, their colors, the way they are knitted together. Watch people, especially children, and how they interact with each other. There is no end to creativity. Trust your inner child, when something sparks your interest; think about ways in which that spark can be applied to your work and let it go.

Thingo 3: Write it Down

It doesn't hurt to allow yourself to think before you create. Some people think creativity is the opposite of routine, and requires no brain activity. They run from the word, thinking you will begin to break every rule in the book. While there is some truth here, I believe Creativity actually kickstarts more brain activity than most mundane linear routines. It requires us to be human and use our brains. It helps transcend the traditional and opens a new door of "what ifs." What if you wrote down those ideas that first come to you? Are they crazy? Probably, but these are orginal ideas sprouting before logic begins to kick in. Know one likes to think they're crazy, but I gurantee, if you're true to your wrong ideas, you'll end up at the right idea.

Thingo 4: Just Do It

I tell you what, staring at a white sheet of paper is not going to help you. Back away from the pencil. Sometimes, when trying to get our juices flowing, we just need to take a step back. Look at things from a different perspective. Walk around the room a few times. Wave your arms in a crazy motion and make silly noises. Ok, please do not do this at work, but give it a try, in a secret place. I promise it will get you pumped up and put you right where you need to be: In the creative spirit. 

Are you pumped up yet? See, there's a lot of prepping that happens before the mind is open to creativity. I don't care what anyone tells you, creativity doesn't just happen. It's intentional, and if you're just doing it just to do it, that's not creativity, that's a robot.

 Now go and create something!