If you were to study some of the most creative people throughout history, you would find that each of them had little rituals. There were things that each of them did to help keep their creative juices flowing. Whether it was working standing up, taking a bath, or sitting in a particular spot, there are things that can spark the imagination and help you find the ideas you have been looking for!

Finding What Works

If you recall the hit movie “A Few Good Men,” it was Tom Cruise’s character that said he thought better with his baseball bat. It worked for him, and it can work for you. The key here is to find what works for you, so the next time you are stuck, you can immediately turn to that thing that will help you get things going.

There are many ways to get the creative juices flowing, and what works for one person may not for another. You have to try a few and see what works for you, but here are 5 places to start:

1. Take a walk. Alternatively it could be a bike ride, jog, etc. But just get outside and change the scenery. When you do this, you will stimulate your senses, get your blood flowing, increase the oxygen to your brain, and before you know it, you may find the ideas start flowing as well.
2. Keep a journal. Sure, you may be thinking that just having things in your mind is good enough. But trust me on this, when you keep a journal going and just log ideas and things that come to your mind, you will be processing the information differently. This will help with sparking new ideas. Plus, you can always go back to older pages, which can also spark new ideas.
3. Do something different. If you stay in the same rut day after day, you may find that you have a difficult time thinking creatively. You need to stimulate your mind, and one of the best ways to do that is to change things up a bit. Take a couple of hours to go to a museum, sit in the park and people watch, or go to the local library or bookstore and just walk the aisles, looking at the books.
4. Take a media break. If you think about the world we live in today, it is easy to see that we are inundated with the media. Everything from the television to computers to iPods and more. Sometimes you just need to take a break and let your mind work, rather than to continuously process all this “stuff.” Shut all the media outlets off and just be with your own thoughts for a while. You may just be surprised at the flow of ideas that come to mind!
5. Clean your office. Sure, you may not like the idea of cleaning off your desk and tidying up your office, but many people believe that with an uncluttered office you will have an uncluttered mind. Start with a blank slate and see what happens. If you are having a difficult time drumming up ideas, it is worth giving it a chance to see if it produces any results.

Ideas Flow

You may find that you get the best ideas come to you when you have a brainstorming session or you drink a big coffee. And that’s okay! The important thing is to find what works for you, or have a list of these things you can try. When you do that, you will be ensuring that when lack of creativity strikes, you can fight back!