20 Ways to Stay Creative When You Feel Completely Uninspired
Let’s be honest. We all have days when everything feels off — when ideas won’t flow, words refuse to form, and even the simplest creative task feels impossible. Sometimes the concepts just won’t click. Other times, it feels like your entire imagination is on pause.
That’s normal. It happens to everyone.
The real question is: How do you stay creative even on your off days?
Here are 20 practical ways to bring creativity back into your life, your blog, and your work — even when inspiration
feels far away.
1. Change Your Environment
Routine is great for productivity, but it can quietly suffocate creativity. When everything looks the same every day, your brain stops noticing. Move to a different room. Work from a café. Rearrange your desk. Even small changes can spark new ideas.
2. Go for a Walk
Researchers at Stanford University found that walking can increase creative thinking by up to 60%. The boost doesn’t just happen during the walk — it often continues after you return to your desk. Movement shifts mental patterns.
3. Make Time to Play
Think about childhood. Most of us were wildly creative at five years old. We painted, built forts, invented stories — without pressure or expectations.
The difference? We gave ourselves permission to play.
No goals. No outcomes. Just curiosity.
Give yourself space to experiment without needing it to “go somewhere.”
4. Try Something New
When I feel stuck, I experiment with a creative hobby outside my main field. If you’re a writer, try photography. If you’re a designer, try cooking. Novel experiences give your mind fresh raw material to work with.
5. Take a Trip
Sometimes changing rooms isn’t enough. Exposure to new cultures, languages, and environments can radically shift perspective.
Research by Adam Galinsky shows that new sensory experiences — sounds, smells, tastes, and social norms — stimulate different neural connections. Even experiences unrelated to your work can lead to breakthroughs later.
6. Find a Mentor
A creative mentor can help you see what you can’t. They listen, challenge you, and introduce you to new ideas or people. Growth often accelerates when you’re not figuring everything out alone.
7. Read More Books
Book discussions can lead to powerful insights. Reading expands your mental library — and creativity is often just connecting ideas you’ve already absorbed in new ways.
Find books outside your usual interests. Surprise yourself.
8. Listen to a Podcast
There’s a podcast for nearly everything. Instead of background music, try listening to interviews with creators, entrepreneurs, or thinkers. Hearing how others approach problems can unlock new ways of thinking.
9. Explore Creative Websites
For designers, platforms like Dribbble or Behance can be endless inspiration. Tech professionals might browse TechCrunch or Mashable. Find a few go-to sites you can revisit when you need a creative nudge.
10. Collaborate with Smart People
Sometimes the solution is already in your head — it just needs conversation to surface. Talking through a problem with someone else often reveals ideas you didn’t realize you had.
11. Study the Past
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. Ask yourself:
Has someone attempted something similar before?
What worked? What didn’t?
How can you improve rather than reinvent?
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Improve it.
12. Borrow Ideas (Don’t Copy Them)
As François-René de Chateaubriand once suggested, originality isn’t about avoiding influence — it’s about transforming it. Use existing ideas as a starting point, then evolve them into something distinctly yours.
13. Start an Inspiration File
In Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon writes that your job is to collect good ideas. The more you collect, the more options you have when creating.
Save quotes. Screenshots. Designs. Notes. Build your own creative archive.
14. Sleep on It
Salvador Dalí believed some of his best ideas came from dreams. Whether inspiration comes through dreaming or simply through rest, your brain needs recovery time to function creatively.
When Dr. Seuss was challenged to write a book using only 50 words, he created Green Eggs and Ham.
Too many options can be paralyzing. Limit yourself. Set boundaries. Constraints often fuel innovation.
16. Allow Yourself to Fail
Mistakes aren’t optional — they’re essential. If you’re not failing occasionally, you’re probably not pushing yourself creatively. Take risks. Fail fast. Adjust. Move forward.
17. Combine Opposites
As Steve Jobs said, creativity is about connecting things. If familiar connections aren’t working, try combining opposites. Unexpected contrasts can produce powerful ideas — comedians and advertisers use this constantly.
18. Keep a Thought Journal
Carry a notebook. Sketch ideas. Write observations. Capture random thoughts. Treat it like a mental warm-up and cool-down exercise, just as athletes prepare their bodies.
Don’t overthink it. Let your mind wander.
19. Ask Better Questions
Sometimes we feel stuck because we’re asking the wrong question — or none at all. Instead of assuming you know the solution, start by reframing the problem.
A new question can lead to a new path.
20. Do Absolutely Nothing
Again, Austin Kleon argues that creatives need time to sit back and do nothing. Rest isn’t laziness — it’s recovery. Step away. Relax. Let your subconscious work.
Often, inspiration returns when you stop chasing it.
0 Comments