5 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY
Feeling creatively drained?⠀
Trust me, I know! It’s a crazy time for a creative mind which is why I wanted to give you 5 tips to boost your creativity!
#1 Start a journal
Grab a cup of tea or coffee (whichever you prefer), then write down your thoughts and projects you’ve thought about creating but haven’t started. Writing them down will help push you to start working on it! I say this from experience that sure I have great ideas but unless I write them down, I'll either forget about them or it never happens. I honestly have a million notebooks on my bookshelves and my desk just filled with ideas and thoughts surrounding my art or just about my life. Writing down all the craziness that whirs in my head actually helps to clear out my headspace and make me feel less anxious. I’m able to calm down and actually relax for once.
#2 Do something you love
Personally, I love getting out of the house and going outside on a hike or even riding my bike. When I tell you I LOVE riding my bike...I LOVE riding my bike and have become super enthusiastic about going out and riding at least 10-15 miles each time. Now you don’t need to ride 15 miles but just go around the park or down the block. Honestly, do whatever is stress free and enjoyable for you! Getting my butt outside actually serves a dual purpose because not only does it help me clear my head but I also get to scout new locations for photo sessions. How perfect is that?
#3 Surround yourself with creative minds!
As an artist we all need critique to help us grow and develop our skills through this journey. Find a few folks that you admire, whether they are in the same career or not. With COVID-19 still among us, I challenge you to set up a monthly zoom call with these selected individuals. Pick someone who is ahead of you in the career you aspire to grow in because that person can help challenge you and give you tips they wish they had at your stage. Make sure that you also have a cheerleader in the group to always share your content and is proud to talk about your work to others.
#4 Invest in your business!
When you are building a business you have to keep learning by investing in yourself. A great way to invest in your business is going to a workshop. With COVID-19 still haunting us, most conferences and workshops are virtual! Take advantage of not having to fly somewhere, spend the money on a hotel room and just take in all the knowledge! Additionally, if you’re struggling with working in manual mode on your camera, pick it up and photograph around your house. I love that we can easily learn things for FREE online. If you struggle with exposure, watch a YouTube video about it so you can really understand the reasoning behind the settings you have to use in manual mode! I love learning about my cameras and their abilities. They each have a specific purpose and I don’t use them for every occasion. For example, I wouldn’t use my large format film camera at a wedding unless it was only for family portraits. However, I would bring my medium format film camera to a wedding because it can be more of an on the go camera. Investing doesn’t always mean spending money so I think you can invest your time, energy, and a few dollars and your business will sky rocket!
#5 Take a break!
We all need a break every once and awhile. SERIOUSLY, it’s the most healthy thing you can do while you’re amidst a busy season. Taking time to unplug, pick up a good book and enjoy your evening without scrolling to see what everyone else is doing at 9pm on a Tuesday. I personally love mysteries and horror books. However, I can’t read them before bed, otherwise i’ll get nightmares related to the books I'm reading. It’s also ok to just lay on the ground and stare at the ceiling. We might not want to admit it to the wider public but the most peace i’m able to achieve is literally laying on the floor. Similar to how you would lay in savasana in Yoga at the end of your class. The key thing to remember is to take it one day at a time, one breath at a time. That’s all we can do.