SHIFT HAPPENS.

Staying in one place dulls the creative mind.

You need to shift your perspective and physical location often to keep things fresh.

This is one reason why I am not a fan of offices when it comes to creative thinking.

Throughout my advertising career not one of my ideas was developed sitting at a desk staring at a computer in an office.

Instead they came to me in cars, in coffee shops, on trains, on foot, in bars, in restaurants, on planes, poolside, on the beach, in the shower, in bed, and just about anywhere else that was not an office.

The office was a place for emails, meetings, time sheets, more meetings, bad coffee, and more meetings about previous meetings. Occasionally there was a donut or two and a birthday cake for someone...but no ideas.

The brain gets used to repetition and at times that can be a good thing. That's how we learn much of what we know, from tying shoelaces, to playing guitar, from driving to surfing, and more.

But repetition can also can dull the creative senses. The same four walls, the same desk, the same Post-It notes stuck on the wall, the same coffee from the same mug, the same snacks in the office kitchen, and so on. It's all a creative killer.

Of course most people need to turn up to an office on a daily basis, that is a given, but that doesn't mean they cannot do things to change the flow of each day.

Shift what you can to keep your brain on its toes as it is expecting you to do the expected, time and time again.

Some small shifts can be:

1. Don't get that same morning coffee, from the same barista, at the same coffee shop. Mix it up. Be creative.
2. Don't order the same lunches. Start ordering things you have never tried. An adventurous palate is a creative palate.
3. Take a different route to work as often as possible. Even if it means walking around a few different blocks en route to the building entrance.
4. If you are responsible for hosting meetings with a team then please for the sake of creativity do not do them in a meeting room, in fact don't do them in the building at all - get out, go somewhere else - a park, a coffee shop, an art gallery, anywhere but the office.
5. If at all possible find different spots in the office to work from - anywhere is better than sitting at the same desk for hours.
6. If you listen to music at work stop listening to what you know, instead seek out the unexpected - try some Mongolian throat singing, then try some Chinese opera, and so on. Music touches the brain in ways we still don't understand.
7. Go for walks, this is a simple and good one. But do it often.

Sure, these are only small things, but every little bit helps.

When I was running ad agencies nothing saddened me more than seeing creative people strapped to computers at their desks all day long. It resembles the slaves and prisoners who used to be chained to oars in the hulls of old ships, forced to row to get to a destination. That's why I told creative people in my creative departments that I didn't care where they did the work just as long as they did the work.

When shift happens it's easier to make fresh creative thinking happen.

Rodd Chant

I'm a Creative Director / Writer / Strategist / Thinker and a bit more. I work with clients/brands directly and with agencies and production companies. I also teach creative thinking and idea generation to groups and individuals. You can read more of my LinkedIn musings here. You can also find me on Twitter,  Instagram and on Facebook. Or drop me an email – [email protected]

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