Those creative juices just don’t flow at all times. There comes a time when your creativity hits a roadblock and no good ideas are coming to mind. Unfortunately, creativity is something that you can’t force. You have to be in a certain state of mind for it to start flowing again.
The good thing is that ideas are all over, and could be hidden in the things around you. You just need some inspiration to see what you can’t see at the moment. It helps to find a place that can shake up your mind and give you a different perspective.
Here are five spaces that can spark some much-needed inspiration to ignite your creativity the next time you feel stumped.
1. Around nature
Being around nature has a way of impacting positive feelings in humans. It stimulates the release of hormones that make you happy, on top of boosting your mood and spirits. The fresh air out there rejuvenates the body and refreshes the mind to get the creativity flowing.
Sometimes all you need is to get out there and immerse yourself in nature to find the inspiration that you need to find ideas needed to complete a project. When you start feeling uncreative, you can go picnicking at the nearest nature trail. You could also relax at a local park. You will be surprised at how your mind will shift. If you’re lucky enough to live near a forest or a river, then take a stroll through the trees or walk along the riverside and let the surroundings get the best of you. Just be sure to carry a notebook to record any ideas that strike you if you can’t carry your laptop out there.
2. Quiet places
Not everyone who thrives in a noisy place. Sometimes it can be hard for new ideas to form in the midst of ringing phones, noises from your colleagues, or other background distractions at the office or in your home. In this case, finding a quiet place might help you calm the mind and find the balance that you need for creative thought.
A coworking space provides a good alternative to escape to when you need the quiet. The atmosphere in coworking spaces is that of serious people concentrating on their work. It is very hard to find distractions in these spaces.
Thankfully, the coworking trend is growing all over the world, which makes it easy to find one around you. If you live in Toronto, for instance, coworking Toronto has been embraced all over. You can be sure to find a good coworking space without much hassle. You will have all the conditions that you need there, including a temperature controller that helps to create the ideal room temperature to boost work productivity. Your own home office can also be beneficial in this situation, so if you notice that your own personal space helps better, you should just go back to the familiar setting and get back to work.
3. Busy spaces
Just as it is possible to find inspiration in a quiet place, it is also possible to get ideas flowing in places full of peoples’ movements. Watching people doing different things or interacting with them can sometimes spark human inspiration that can go a long way in boosting creativity.
Try working in a coffee shop the next time you are feeling uncreative. You can also spend some time on a bench in a busy area of the city and just watch people as they go about your day. Better still; go to places of social gatherings such as bars or coffee shops to interact with other people. You might happen to overhear a conversation that can culminate into a good idea that you can use for your project.
Social events can bring new viewpoints so another good idea would be to meet with your friends and visit places where you can meet new people and discuss different topics. Even if the topics are not related to your work at all, it is always good to explore new opinions and new domains, as you never know how they might be useful to your work.
4. Artistic places
Art is all about creativity, and there is no better way to boost creativity than through pieces that have been made by creative minds. You can seek places where you can find unique pieces. You are likely to find inspiration for your own work by trying to find the inspiration behind other peoples’ work.
A good example of an artistic place is an art gallery. You can find one where you can go to see art pieces. Supermarkets are also great places that are full of artistic ideas. Item labels that are uniquely designed can have a big impact on your thinking. New ideas are likely to flow just by looking at the images, the writings, and the color selection on the labels. Music concerts, theatre shows, or orchestral performances can also boost your creativity as well. You will get to involve all your senses and let the absorption bring inspiration for you.
5. Your past
Sometimes what you need to do so you get the inspiration back is visit places from your past. Especially if it has been a long time since you visited a familiar place, the fact that you might have changed together with the place from your past might boost your creativity and give you new ideas. You will start to look at things in a new way.
You can consider this as a break and a time travel adventure that will give you new insights. You can choose to keep notes if you come up with something new while you’re visiting. Or you can choose to firstly grasp everything and then later put down the new ideas that arose from the experience.
Conclusion
As touched on earlier, different situations spark different emotions that are enough to find a new perspective and approach to a project. The worst thing that you can do when you are stuck is sit down there and wait for ideas to flow by themselves or try to force them. While it is possible that they can start flowing, it might take a while before it happens. Get out there with a curious mind; chances are that you will stumble onto something that inspires you.
