There is nothing more frustrating in life than being in the middle of writing a story or essay, painting some art or taking photographs and losing your creative flair. For anyone who loves a creative hobby or has a creative job, it can be incredibly annoying to lose your way and you can easily find yourself in a creative rut which you can’t pull yourself out of. If you are struggling at the money to find the right words or take the best photo, here are some tips to try and get you back on track.
Try a new style
Sometimes what you need to get that motivation and energy back for a job is to simply think about trying something new. You can think about trying something different with your writing such as going from an essay to a short story, you can change your painting or drawing style, and you can try a new setting on your camera. When you step outside the norm and use a fresh method it can inspire you to do more and it can give you the motivation back.
Shoot everything
As a photographer it can be difficult for you to get that perfect shot, and it can often take a lot of time to really nail what you are looking for. Instead of waiting until the right moment to get the shot you want, you are better off taking photos of everything that you can. Often we miss perfect opportunities if we wait, and you might find looking through your photos later that you have captured something amazing.
Look at inspiration
If you are running out of ideas for your stories or your art, why not take a look for some inspiration on a site such as Pinterest. Pinterest can be the best place for you to come if you are struggling with being inspired because you will be able to see other people’s work and their creativity shining through and this can bleed through to you. Simply look up something vague such as nature watercolour, and you will be immediately met with hundreds of amazing pieces of art which will make you want to pick up that paintbrush once more.
Join a group
You know what they always say, two heads are better than one, if you are struggling with your inspiration and you are looking for something to get you back on track, it can be a great idea to find a group of people who are also doing the same thing as you and you can bounce ideas off each other. Everyone has a different perspective and a different way to approach things so you might learn some new skills from these people.
Read your favourite work
If you ever want to get back into the swing of things with writing, you need to start reading. Writing a story for a novel, poems for your own amusement or an essay for your school project can be incredibly hard. And you could take the easy route out and buy essay, copy work and give up: or you could read. Reading is a great way to gain that spark back in your mind because it opens up your vocabulary and introduces you to different themes and techniques for writing. It can really be the best way to inspire you to write once more.
Buy new equipment
Sometimes the lack of inspiration you have in your work can be done to the fact that you don’t have the best equipment at your disposal anymore. If you are working with an old lens on your camera or some manky paintbrushes it won’t inspire you to keep going, see if you can find yourself a new gadget to play with or a new notebook to write in and this can be a sure fire way of giving you motivation to keep going again.
Take a trip
When you are stuck in a rut creatively it can also mean that you feel stuck in a rut in life itself. When you feel this way it can be difficult to imagine having the motivation to do anything you enjoy and it can mean that you stop doing your hobbies completely. Do yourself a favour and take a trip away from work and your normal life for a while. You will see new places and experience new things and this can bring that inspiration flooding back. Maybe you saw a scene which needs to be painted, or maybe you imagined what it would be like for a story to be set in this place… whatever it is, it can be amazing for your creativity.
Take a tea break
A lot of the time we overdo it trying to be creative and after a while that spark will begin to dwindle and fizzle out. If you really want to make sure that you stay focused and carry on with good quality work you need to know when to stop for the day. If you are getting tired and your words or paint strokes are becoming less precise, think about quitting for the day and enjoying a cup of two instead. You will be able to calm the mind, refresh and be ready for the next time you want to pick up your camera, pen or paper.
Look for great lighting
For photography in particular, you need to make sure that you always have some top class lighting for anything you decide to do on screen. When you take a photograph of a subject it is always better to start off with as much natural light as you can, and if you do want a shadowy effect you can always edit the image later. Make sure you always find a light spot in your home or failing that, go outside in the garden and use the natural light there to make your photographs really pop. Light can also be a great way to make us concentrate so it can be useful always trying to paint or sketch or write somewhere close to a window. The light can keep us awake, focused and ready to succeed.
Experiment with apps
When we think creativity we often think of the old fashioned things like pen on paper, but technology is adapting to our every day lives and our hobbies and there are many apps which can be perfect to let you play with that creative edge. For example, if you like painting, why not use one of many art apps on an iPad which will allow you to paint with a fake paint brush and digitally creative stunning artwork. Sometimes bringing yourself into contact with new apps like this can be what gives you the much needed drive to try new things and experiment.
Join a contest
For anyone who is really down on their ideas and their luck, one thing you can always have fun doing is joining a content or entering a competition. When there is a prize at stake for your work you will always be more motivated to succeed and they will often give themes to stick to which gives you a sense of direction with your work. It can be a fun thing to do because you will be motivated to try your absolute best for the prize, and you might even win which can make you incredibly happy and feed your creative flair for months to come.
