(This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one of my affiliate links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission for referring you. This comes at no additional cost to you. Please note I only offer resources that I have used and strongly recommend!)
There are many different artists out there who have their own ways of doing things, but all artists have at least one thing in common: they all run into creative 'ruts' or 'blocks' where they have a difficult time coming up with new ideas that haven't already been done before. It is frustrating for all, specifically for me because I always end up questioning if I am actually capable of coming up with creative and original ideas.
I compiled a list of different activities you can do to give your mind the break it deserves from all of the stress it might be experiencing:
1. Go for a run
Getting in a good sweat sesh always helps me wind down and calm my mind. Lately, I feel like I have been overwhelmed and underaccomplished with the goals that I have set for myself for 2018 - a couple of times I have been in full panic mode and unable to focus on getting one thing done, leading me to jump from task to task and never completely finish anything. When I start to panic, breaking a sweat and running it out usually helps my brain reset itself.
2. Watch a movie
Movies are a way to briefly escape the real world and see a story from someone else's point of view. This can help your mind go to different places and result in coming up with new concepts that may even lead you to a new series or project idea.
3. Read
Reading goes along the same lines as watching a movie, except it may even be better because when you read a story, everyone imagines it differently. This may lead you to create new ideas that are more original even though it stemmed from a novel.
4. Flip through magazines
Flipping through magazines is one thing that I love to do when I can't seem to fill a blank page in my sketchbook. It seems as though it is a "lazy" way to get something on the page and get inspiration flowing when you are not feeling 100%.
5. Hang out with some friends
Some of the best work that I have produced has been inspired by some of my closest friends, even if they are not artists or creatives. Or, just go to your local coffee shop to work and strike up a conversation with someone there.
6. Go shopping
You need a break. Nuff said.
7. Go to a concert or listen to music
Music always gets my creative juices flowing. The melody and the lyrics help me imagine what the song would look like on a canvas or in another art form
8. Go out to dinner and have a drink
Food is fuel, and so is a glass or two of wine or a whiskey sour. I find that whenever I go on a neverending grind of producing art, I do not treat myself to a night out with friends or just a night of watching Netflix. So it is always nice to get out of the four walls that I am constantly locking myself in and let a little loose.
9. Travel
Every city and every country has a different culture. Granted, it is a bit harder to just drop everything in your studio and go to a different part of the world but I have started to plan and brainstorm a new city or country I would like to visit every year or two. It gives you something to research and something to look forward to.
10. Look at what is in front of you
Sometimes inspiration can hit you from things that are sitting right in front of you. Whether that is a plant, a cup of coffee, a house, a park, or a monument. Your surroundings can be the biggest influence on your creativity and next project. So put your phone down and look at what is in front of you.