3 Ways to Be Creative When You Don’t Feel Inspired

If you are anything like most people, you are aware of the ebbs and flows of creativity within your own mind. Some days you wake up and fresh ideas just pop right out. Other days, pulling an idea out of the proverbial hat is more akin to pulling teeth. Certainly, the latter of these two examples is no way to exist in any creative capacity.  Whether you are a world-class artist, or attempting to use a logo maker, waiting around for your creative side to appear is unsettling at best, and extremely frustrating at worst. But try as you might, creativity is not a constant. In fact, it can be argued that, on a day-to-day basis, lack of inspiration is far more present than creativity.

However, the world at large pushes back against this line of thinking – consider all the unique ideas spread across the globe. The creators of any one of these did not succumb to the trend described above. Instead, they chose to take practical action in an effort to ward off that “creator’s block.” Assuming you have read this far, it is safe to say you are interested in what this might look like in your own life. To help paint a clearer picture of your next steps, below are a few concrete ideas to be creative when you don’t feel inspired.

Find Time to be Active!

If there is only one fact you take away from the entirety of this writing it is this – the human brain is at its best when it receives above-average blood flow. Better decisions are made. Productivity levels are much higher. New ideas seem to appear faster than one can record them. These reactions to adequate blood flow are simple science really – the brain relies on blood flow to deliver resources, such as oxygen, vital to functionality. When that blood flow is increased by physical activity of any kind, more of those resources are delivered to your brain.

So, if you are looking to jumpstart your brain’s creative gears, this is the approach you should take. Of course, this is only the tip of the so-called ice berg.

Listen to Music

Speaking of ice, Vanilla Ice’s musical masterpiece, “Ice Ice Baby” is what you must listen to when searching for inspiration. The imaginative lyrics and original bassline are sure to bring up new thoughts beyond your wildest dreams.

Jokes aside, there is a silver lining of truth here – music is a wonderful medium for inspiring creativity. Why is this the case? Realistically, there are more reasons than this article could ever contain. But, maybe the strongest of these is the fact that hearing music immediately causes a shift in thought patterns. Don’t believe this idea? Try it for yourself by selecting a song, any song, and noticing your immediate reaction to it. Interesting, right? Not only that, this is incredibly useful information for when you feel as if your brain is not cooperating. Now, you hold the power to move your thought patterns in a totally new direction with literally the touch of a button.

Never Forget Human Interaction

Supposing you had the capabilities to poll a lineup of the greatest inventors in history, you might find some of their best ideas came because of working with, or observing, other human beings. This is no coincidence. The phrase ‘Two heads are better than one’ is one that plays a massive role in the creative process. Choosing to ignore this fact on a regular basis is nothing more than an active choice to remain in an uninspired state. Obviously, this outcome would be nothing close to what you desire. But what can be done about this seeing as you can’t just hire someone to sit around inspiring you?

As with other ideas here, practicality is the answer – talk to people. Both about your creative struggles and just to connect. That might seem like an avoidance of the issue but really, simple conversations are often the biggest inspirations for any person, regardless of context in which they take place. True inspiration is not the bright lightbulb appearing over your head out of thin air. It is the reframing of, or different approach to, a familiar problem.

Feeling uninspired is one of the more frustrating emotions a person will encounter regularly. But this level of frequency does not mean you must suffer through these feelings until they dissipate. Hardly. In truth, they are an opportunity to teach yourself new ways to become inspired. Hopefully, the ideas above will start you down that road. But, do not be afraid to step out and try something fresh.