Creativity can truly be the bane of one's existence, simply because when you hit that creators block, everything seems impossible — and I mean
everything! With this in mind, a study conducted by Ad Age showed that “75% of people think that they are
not living up to their creative potential.”
Wowzers!
So, how come creativity comes so easily for some, while others seem to struggle when trying to unlock that magical chest of wonder?
Well, it could be because of your negative self-talk or how you take care of yourself physically. If you are not taking care of your mental and physical health, it will
definitely affect your creativity.
But
enough of the “why not's” and
more of the “how to’s”. So, do you want to play a game? Let’s play hide and seek. Your creativity is hiding and you are
seeking!
Ready or not, here we come!
1. Be gentle with yourself
When your creativity is running low, it can be so easy to be hard on yourself. And all that this does is block your creativity
even more and make you feel bad about yourself. As a marketer, being creative is an
essential quality to have. So, when it seems to be non-existent, you may start to feel pressure from all sides.
In times like these, the best way to go about things is to be
gentle with yourself. Look back at all of your successful marketing campaigns that you have created and how
well they performed.
It’s all you, babe!
Also, take time to remind yourself that you are
amazing at what you do. This type of self-love will allow you to feel less pressured and better about yourself. And who knows, your next million-dollar idea might be
right around the corner.
2. Trust yourself
At times when creativity doesn’t flow like a river, it is easy to start thinking something is wrong with you. This is when marketers start looking to others for inspiration — but before you do that, move away from all the noise and look within. You are where you are because of
your fascinating ideas. So, never ever doubt yourself or your abilities.
You know that little voice in your head that tells you to not eat another cookie? Well, that
exact voice is the one you need to listen to when you are running low on creative ideas. Why? Well, “If you don’t listen to it, you wouldn’t benefit from it,” says
Tochukwu E. Okoro, contributor for Medium. And, the best way to get that voice up and running is by spending some quality alone time with none other than …
yourself!
3. Let your inner child out to play
As a child, you
never once thought, “Oh no, what am I going to do once all the creative juice is gone?” Instead, you would just play and find new ideas as you get on with it.
Although there is a medical reason why adults start to be less creative with age, there are still ways to encourage that.
And no, it is not binge-watching SpongeBob Squarepants! (Although that is
almost what you need to do).
*GIF sourced from GIPHY
As a marketer, you need to work extremely hard to ensure your clients are happy. This sometimes means working overtime and not taking proper breaks. But be aware, dear marketer, this is also one of the surest ways to kill your creativity. So, it’s time to learn a lesson or two from children. Yes, those little human beings running around with sticky hands and sherbet on their mouths.
So, what should you learn from them? Well, according to
Dropbox, check out the following:
Take a play break What is that I hear? You
usually take your breaks at your desk?
Well, no more of that! From now on, when you take a break, be sure to go and
play. You can do this by relaxing with play dough, scribbling stick figures on a piece of paper, or baking the ultimate cupcake! Playing will give you a childlike mindset, which in return will allow for creativity to start flowing again.
Allow yourself to make a mess
As a child, you would colour outside of the lines (well most of us) or make your tiger’s stripes each a different colour. As we get older, we start colouring in between the lines and our tiger’s stripes end up being
just black. Attention to detail in the marketing industry is crucial but it’s time to get a little
messy. Take an idea you have and just run
wild with it. See where it will take you and find the creativity in the chaos.
Move your body Not a big fan of running?
Neither am I! But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get up and move. Creativity flows but how can it flow when we are sitting in front of our desks only moving the bare minimum.
This is not Squid Game — you are allowed to move! So, next time you think your pets might judge your dancing skills, look them straight in the eye and remind them who feeds them! Then put on your Celine Dion and go crazy! Moving is a great way to get creativity flowing through your veins!
What other crazy ideas do you have for marketers in desperate need of creativity? Please let us know in the comments section below.
Did you know that professionals in the marketing industry need an ego every now and again? If not, be sure to read up on Three reasons why marketers need creative confidence.
*Image courtesy of Pexels