Creative power operates in cycles. It has a rhythm similar to the life-death-life cycles of nature. But death is not death to the creative person’s project. It might feel like death, and may even look like death, but it’s just a metaphor for death. In this case, death is simply another plateau, or desert, or brick wall. It might even be an oasis or a place to rest and regenerate.
Opening up to inspiration and experiencing new levels of creativity may not be what you think it should be. You have to stop in order to start again. You have to stop trying to create.
One of the best things you can do to get your creative juices flowing when you are stuck is to lose yourself in a mundane activity, or at least a far less complicated creative process.
Take yourself away from your project and:
- Bake a cake
- Tinker with your car
- Go for a bike ride
- Weed the garden
- Pot some plants
- Go for a walk or run
- Have a coffee with a friend
- Fix something broken
- Clean out your closet
There is one condition. Don’t try to solve your creative problem or talk about your project while you do these things. Presence of mind is one way to boost your creativity and refresh your inspirations, so give your complete attention to the activity of your choice.
Let yourself lose track of time.
Concentrate fully on listening to your friend.
Focus 100% on what you are doing.
If you are usually a reasonably disciplined, creative person, then you can afford to take this sort of time and energy away from your project. However, if you struggle to show up to your projects on a regular basis, then this type of process may not work for you. In this case, your challenge is to show up on time, every time until you go over, around, under or break through your brick walls.
Instead of expending so much energy trying to produce something, get up and do something else. Keep doing something else until your inspiration returns.
Gail Goodwin 