Having been in college now for just a little over three years, and having been doing art for years now, I have had my fair share of blocks, and have had to punch through them like Rocky with his fight against the Russian.
So, how do you get out of them?
Everyone has their own little trick to get the creative juices flowing again. Things ranging from a run in the park to dancing around your room singing into a hairbrush (I have done this on multiple occasions). But, obviously, not everyone can get out of the horrific rut the same way.
To help out those in need of any processes that may get them out of that rut, here is a small list of things that could help you get the juices flowing once again!
1. Listening to some music.
Anything from classical to black metal! Put a few different genres into a playlist on your laptop, your iPod or MP3 player, or whatever musical device it is that you have, and hit the shuffle button. You don't have to pull a Britney Spears impression with your hairbrush, but just sit there and LISTEN. You'd be surprised just how many ideas you can come up with just by listening to a few different songs.
To aid those in need of creative flow ASAP, here's a song that I actually like to listen to when I'm sitting at the computer for hours on end and want to smash my face into the keyboard:
I know, not everyone's cup of tea. But hey, I'm a rocker kind of gal.
2. Step away and take a walk.
I know, easier said then done. I'm not saying walk away for hours until you forget what it was that you were working on. Just take a 5 minute walk around the house. Or, if you're like me and stuck in a class building, just walk around and see what everyone else is working on. I get some pretty good ideas just by going up to fellow classmates and asking them what they're working on. And, every once in a while, asking them to take a look at what I'm working on. It's better to get some creative feed back from someone with fresh eyes.
3. A drink never hurt.
I'm not saying drink until you can't see straight. Save that for a weekend or after you've accomplished the project at hand. But just ONE drink (if you can have it) will help you loosen up just a little bit. And it doesn't necessarily have to be of alcoholic nature. I actually find having a cup of coffee on hand helps me to straighten out my thoughts (when I've been able to sleep in the last 3 days). One of my friends actually has a drink while she is writing because it helps her to think and come up with some new ideas.
In fact, here's a drink recipe for those of you who feel a little cocktail will help you get the creative block out of the way. And if not, it's tasty enough to just enjoy as you curse out the universe for such a pain in the tuchus:
4. A movie and some ice cream.
Ah, a female's best friend (at least this female). This goes along the same lines as asking for some creative view points from others. Only this time, you don't have to walk up to them. Just pop in your favorite DVD and chill out with a pint of Ben & Jerry's. Yes, you're taking a couple hours away from what you should be doing, but at least when you return to the ordeal on hand, you will be refreshed, and hopefully with some new ideas. My favorite movie to pop in? Either The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, or The Proposal (because Ryan Reynolds is just a sexy beast of a man). Any of these and a tub of Cherry Garcia, and I'm good.
Again, I know that not everyone runs the same in the brain, so don't hate me if none of these work for you. These are just some of the techniques I myself have tried out to get my creative juices flowing, and have found to work.
As for those times when you've been in a creative slump for days? I suggest all of the above (but double the booze and ice cream).
No comments:
Post a Comment