Picture this: It’s Thursday at 3:30 PM. You’ve been working on a project all day and are happy with how it’s coming together. So happy that you decide to pat yourself on the back and pick up another task to finish the afternoon. You high-five your deskmate as you leave the office because your day was a success!
The following morning, you strut into work, start up your computer and reopen your project only to find that your masterpiece is not so great after all. It has typos, design mistakes, wonky sizing and a super weird introductory paragraph (kinda like this one). You try to fix it, but no luck. It’s time to go back to square one, and you have no idea where to start.
You find yourself head-to-head with creative block.
As a writer and strategist here at Barefoot, I’m often confronted by this dreadful, uninspired contender. In these moments, it’s helpful to revisit some of the strategies I use to fight writer’s block. When those don’t work, it’s time to outsource my inspiration.
I went around the office to see what my colleagues at Barefoot do to overcome creative block.
When Kathryn, our director of operations, is uninspired, she likes to take a break and return to it with fresh eyes the next day. She also likes to brainstorm with a team member.
Sarah, our chief purpose officer, likes to go outdoors.
“The best thing I can do is remove myself from work life,” Sarah says. “A walk, a hike, or positive constructive daydreaming outside revives my soul. My brain unlocks by being present-minded and immersing my senses in the outdoors. Next thing I know, new ideas start to flow.”
Nadia, our bilingual strategy associate, likes to step back and consume anything, typically from unrelated sources. This helps her think out of the box and find connections to things that she might not have thought of before. She also likes to draw diagrams to see how concepts, words or symbols can inspire creativity.
A purposeful doodle! I like the sound of that.
“If I’m on a deadline and can’t really take a break, I just let myself write the ‘worst’ thing I can, whatever is in my mind is going down on paper,” shares Carlie, our senior PR associate. “Worst-case scenario: it really is that bad and I can’t write anything worse so I may as well try again.
“Best-case scenario: it wasn’t that bad and I have something to build off! My own insecurity is usually my biggest hindrance, and giving myself the grace to write something ‘bad’ is the best way to clear a path!”
That was my approach to the intro paragraph… I also asked our designers how they approach creative block.
“If I’m stuck coding, I like to take a walk,” shares Jinha, our director of design. “Otherwise, I tend to spiral and get more frustrated. If I’m stuck visually, I like to source benchmarks, look at art, and do research – that usually sparks something!”
Thankfully the Denver Art Museum is right down the street!
Tara, our senior design specialist, finds inspiration through traveling. Whether exploring new parts of her neighborhood or the library, navigating unknown territories helps her see what’s beyond the computer.
All this talk about creativity has left me feeling pretty inspired. Before I get back to work, I want to know how our team can support your next creative project this year. Let us know by booking a time to connect today!
Written by Maura O’Leary, Senior Strategy Specialist at Barefoot PR