You know the feeling. You sit down to work on a creative project and your brain just goes blank. When creative inspiration is stubbornly elusive, most of us turn to the internet for distraction... only to come back to our project three hours later just as stuck as we were before.
But the internet can be your creative ally, not your foe — if you know where to look, that is. These inspiring websites, videos, podcasts, and other resources are sure to rekindle your creative spark.
Browse These Websites for Creative Inspiration
1. Language Is A Virus
A site to cure writer’s block. Daily writing prompts, interactive creative writing games, experiments and exercises, a character name generator, articles on the creativity techniques of famous authors, and more resources to pull you out of a creative rut.
2. Writing Prompts Subreddit
A steady stream of wildly creative, user-submitted writing prompts. Click through to the comments to read other peoples' responses, or just pick your favorite prompt, grab a pen and paper, and start scribbling.
3. Selfless Portraits
Strangers across the world draw each other's portraits. Doodling has been shown to stimulate creativity, so activate a new part of your brain, break through that creative block, and get a cool new Facebook profile photo to boot.
4. The Acoustic Guitar Project
Are you a musician stuck on a set of lyrics or struggling to find your next melody? Plug in to The Acoustic Guitar Project. You’ll get a guitar, a handheld recorder, and one week to record an original song. Use the deadline as motivation, and when you’re done, sign the guitar. It’ll be forwarded to the next musician for inspiration.
If you’re not musically inclined, listen to the soundtrack of previously recorded songs to get in a creative mood as you write, illustrate, edit, etc.
5. Damn Interesting
Fascinating true stories from history, science, and technology to stuff your brain with interesting tidbits. Learn about the furious race between two scientists to achieve absolute zero, the mysterious tragedy of a 1930s ocean cruiser that caught fire after the suspicious death of its paranoid captain, and more strange-but-true stories. Read longform articles (with optional sound effects!) or listen to the podcast versions — either way, you'll pick up some creative ammunition.
6. BrainPickings' Literary Jukebox
A side project of Maria Popova of BrainPickings.org, famous quotes from classic books are thematically paired with a song. Find inspiration and an accompanying soundtrack to fuel your creativity in one beautifully-designed spot.
7. Times Haikus
This site is home to a computer algorithm that periodically checks the New York Times home page, scanning sentences to create spontaneous haikus. Human curators then select the best results to post on the blog. Browse the surprisingly poignant results to get in a reflective or inventive mood, then get your creative juices flowing by picking up a nearby newspaper or magazine (or opening one in a new browser tab) and trying it out for yourself.
8. Do Nothing for Two Minutes
Exactly what it sounds like. This site will force you to take a short break to reset your brain. Don't touch your keyboard or your mouse, or the timer will reset. Just sit back, listen to the wave sounds, and come back to your project refreshed and focused.
Watch These Videos for New Creative Ideas
9. TED Talk: Play This Game to Come Up With Original Ideas
Toy designer Shimpei Takahashi's game shiritori is his foolproof way to come up with new solutions and original ideas. Learn how to play, then see how it can help you tap into greater creativity.
10. How to Boost Your Creativity
Did you know that listening to your favorite music at work can actually make you less productive? This short video is full of quick things you can do in a matter of minutes to boost your creativity.
11. Watch Whose Line Is It, Anyway? clips
Use the zany skits and prompts to get in the right mindset for generating a bunch of new, off-the-wall ideas. Plus you're sure to laugh, which will put you in a good mood and make you more productive.
12. TED Talk: How to Get Out of the Box and Generate Ideas
When someone tells you to "just think outside of the box," do you get the urge to punch something? Easier said than done! Giovanni Corazza steps in with techniques for actually getting outside that proverbial box to promote innovative thinking.
Listen to These Podcasts for New Creative Habits
13. The Accidental Creative
Author and host Todd Henry interviews artists, authors, and other creative professionals for tips on how to succeed in life and work. Each short podcast is 20 minutes or less and features well-known leaders in the creative community, including Seth Godin, David Allen, Gretchen Rubin, Steven Pressfield, and more.
14. Radiolab: Me, Myself, and Muse
Staring at your creative project and drawing a big, fat, blank? Talk to it, out loud, as though it were a person. Ask it what it wants. Tell it to meet you halfway. If a new idea comes to you while you're stuck in traffic, no pen in sight, tell it to buzz off and come back later. This is the technique embraced by famous creatives like Elizabeth Gilbert, Tom Waits, and Oliver Sacks. Learn why it works in this short, 15-minute podcast.
The Best Techniques for Better Creativity
What are your go-to methods for fighting creative blocks? Share your favorites in the comments!
Emily is a former Content Marketer of Wrike. She specializes in leadership, collaboration, and productivity. Her brain is stuffed with obscure grammar rules, an embarrassing amount of Star Wars trivia, and her grandmother’s pie recipes.
7 Sasquatch-Sized Creativity Myths That Need Busting
Praying to the muses, serendipity, eureka moments — the creative process is clouded in superstition and mystery. Despite the ability to peek into the brain and watch different areas light up on an MRI, neuroscientists are still fairly stumped about exactly what happens during bursts of creative inspiration.
With all the obscurity surrounding creative thought, it's no wonder so many myths and misconceptions linger around the topic. But outdated or inaccurate habits can hinder your creative efforts, so we're separating fact from fiction on 7 pervasive myths to set the record straight and help you spark your team's creativity.
Myth 1: Group brainstorming sessions are the ideal starting point for creative team projects.
You've just landed a big new creative project. First step? Get the team together for a group brainstorm! But wait just a second — research actually shows that people come up with more and higher-quality ideas when they work on their own first. Collaborative brainstorming is a great way for people to combine and build off each other's ideas, but not so great for generating new ones.
Don't get straight to work after your brainstorm, either; let people ruminate on the group's observations and ideas for a bit to see what new insights pop up.
Myth 2: Creativity is time-consuming.
Victor Hugo spent 17 years writing Les Miserables. Chaucer invested ten years of his life in The Canterbury Tales, and they still weren’t finished by the time he died. Stories like these make us believe we simply don't have time to devote to quality creative projects. But luckily, that's just not the case.
According to Lee Crutchley, author of The Art of Getting Started, even little things like doodling while you're on the phone, taking one daily photo during your lunch break or commute (even just on your phone), or contributing a single page or paragraph to your book, can improve your creative capacity. As Crutchley says, "The trick is not to worry about whether or not it's good, but just enjoy the process.” So give yourself permission to start small, and remember that incremental progress on your project or skill-building adds up quickly!
Myth 3: Creativity is fueled by "out-of-the-box" scenarios, environments, and mindsets.
The unexpected or random can actually stifle creativity, depending on your personality type and the kind of environment you thrive in. If your best work is done in an ordered, predictable setting, throwing a curve ball into your process or routine can derail your creativity. Only if you feed off of novelty and surprise can mixing things up keep your brain fresh and help you make new breakthroughs. So next time someone tells you to jumpstart creative ideas by trying something new, feel free to tell them to buzz off if that doesn't fit your style.
Myth 4: Creativity is stifled by limits.
How many times have you heard, “Let your creativity run free,” or “Just go with your stream of consciousness”? Many people believe that freedom yields a higher number or better-quality creative solutions or innovative ideas. But studies show that too many possibilities overwhelm the creative brain, and that restricting your options can improve focus and channel your creativity.
As Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile points out, the Apollo 13 missions are a perfect example of this. Ground control was working with all kinds of crazy constraints: scant materials, limited power, a strict deadline, etc. — and yet that narrow scope allowed them to focus intensely on the problem at hand and come up with creative (and effective) solutions.
Myth 5: Deadlines fuel creativity.
Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson
Ask a group of creatives when they're most productive, and many of them will say it’s when the next deadline starts looming large and they're under the gun. But studies show that people are actually the least creative when they’re racing the clock — in fact, there seems to be a lingering recovery period: creativity not only takes a hit for that day, but the next two days afterwards as well.
The fact is, creative ideas require an "incubation period." You need time to mull things over, come at the problem from different angles, and let all your ideas steep in your unconscious mind. So as tempting as it may be to procrastinate, start ruminating on your next project early on for better results, and use the last-minute drive to focus on execution.
Myth 6: Good creative solutions only happen when a group is on the same page, building off each other’s ideas.
The best creative teams are actually those that have the confidence to share and debate ideas. To disagree with each other productively and offer constructive criticism. BUT (and this is a big "but") without attacking each other. Altering points of view and disagreements have to be made in the spirit of collaboration, not competition. When everyone in the group feels confident and supported, disagreements become welcome opportunities to challenge each other and rise to new heights.
Myth 7: You need a fresh brain in order to come up with creative new ideas.
Studies show that you’re actually more creative when your brain isn't running at 100%. A tired mind isn’t as good at filtering out distractions or remembering connections between ideas — both of which can be beneficial to the creative process, where you’re trying to make unusual connections, stay open to new ideas, and take in a broad range of information and observations. So next time you sit down to do some creative work, skip the caffeine — your brain's ability to passively take in a lot of unfiltered stimuli is actually good for your creativity.
Feeling Stuck?
Check out our list of 14 inspiring websites, videos, podcasts, and other online resources that will rekindle your creative spark.
You can also download our free eBook on how to build a world-class in-house creative team. It includes tips for finding the right people, sustaining your creative success, and building the right processes to help your team get from beginning to end.
Get the eBook now: The Definitive Guide to Building a World-Class Internal Creative Agency
Productivity
7 min read
Daily Rituals to Steal From Successful Creatives and Innovators
Walk in the door. Hang up jacket and put on cozy, hand-knit cardigan. Swap loafers for canvas sneakers.
Ever since we were children, our brains have thrived on ritual and routine. And while it’s easy to assume that creative thinkers and visionaries eschew predictability and find inspiration in the unexpected, following an established daily routine is what has allowed many of the most famous innovative thinkers in history to tap their creative potential.
From mid-day ice baths to counting out exactly 60 beans for a morning cup of coffee, read on for the fascinating daily routines of history’s famous minds — plus the most common practices to steal for your own daily habits.
Daily Routines of Famous Artists, Authors, and Entrepreneurs
Victor Hugo
“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labour and there is an invisible labour.”
6 AM: Wake up to coffee and two raw eggs
6:30-11 AM: Writing
11 AM-Noon: Ice bath on the roof
Noon-1 PM: Lunch and socializing with guests
1-3 PM: Vigorous exercise
3-4 PM: Go to the barber
4-6 PM: Spend time with mistress
6-8 PM: Writing
8-10 PM: Dinner, cards, out with friends
10 PM: Go to sleep
Stephen King
“It’s not any different than a bedtime routine. Do you go to bed a different way every night? Is there a certain side you sleep on?”
8 AM: Wake up, make a cup of tea, and take a daily vitamin
8:30 AM-between 11:30 and 1:30 PM: Write 2,000 words, however long that takes. Writing desk and environment should stay exactly the same, even piles of papers kept in the same spot. (For King, this consistency signals his brain that it's time for creative work.)
1:30 PM-End of day: Free to nap, write letters, read, spend time with family, and watch Red Sox games.
Pablo Picasso
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
11 AM-3 PM: Wake up, have breakfast, and spend time with friends
3 PM-11 PM: Paint
11 PM-Midnight: Eat dinner
Midnight-2:30 AM: Paint
2:30 AM: Go to bed
Ludwig Van Beethoven
“There are no barriers for a person with talent and love towards work.”
6 AM-6:30: Wake up and make a cup of coffee, measuring exactly 60 beans
6:30 AM-2: 30 PM: Compose music at desk, with periodic breaks to walk outside
2:30-3:30 PM: Break for dinner and wine
3:30-4:30 PM: Take a long walk
4:30-9:30 PM: Go out to the tavern to eat and read the newspaper
9:30 PM: Bed
Steve Jobs
“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
6 AM: Wake up and log in to computer to start work
7-8 AM: Have breakfast with kids
8-9 AM: Head in to work
9 AM-Noon: In-person meetings with Apple's product, management, and marketing teams
Noon-End of workday: Spend time in the Apple design lab
Evenings: Dinner and family time
Fred Rogers
“The number 143 means 'I love you.' It takes one letter to say 'I' and four letters to say 'love' and three letters to say 'you.' One hundred and forty-three. 'I love you.' Isn't that wonderful?”
5:30 AM: Wake up to read, study, write, pray, and respond to letters from fans
Morning: Daily weigh in (a steady 143 pounds, every day) and swim
Afternoon: Work, take break to nap
9:30 PM: Bed
Elon Musk
"Tip #1: Work super hard."
7 AM: Wake up, make coffee, and head in to work
10 AM: Morning phone calls
10:45 AM: Engineering team meeting
12:30 PM: Propulsion scheduled meeting
1 PM: Eat lunch during meetings
1:30 PM: Work, include a daily walk of the SpaceX factory floor
7 PM: Interviews and events
1 AM: Bed
Common Practices to Apply to Your Own Daily Routine
1. Get Up Early
Examine the daily routines of history's most prolific minds and you'll see it time and again: early to bed, early to rise. For many great minds, the secret to productivity appears to lie between the hours of 4 and 8 AM. As Frank Lloyd Wright says, "I wake up around 4 AM and can’t sleep. But my mind’s clear, so I get up and work for three or four hours. Then I go to bed for another nap." Plus, science shows that your willpower is highest early in the morning. So take advantage of the unique mental clarity and relative calm of the pre-dawn hours to focus on deep creative work and get your most important work done.
2. Break a sweat
Along with rising early, daily exercise is another practice embraced by the vast majority of famous innovators. Whether it’s John Milton walking his gardens for three hours every day, Charles Dickens walking 20 to 30 miles around London each afternoon, or Peter Tchaikovsky’s daily two hour walk, many of history’s geniuses found a lengthy walk essential to both their physical and mental health. Studies have shown time and again how regular exercise boosts alertness, energy, productivity, creativity, and mental focus.
3. Stick to a schedule
Novelist Haruki Murakami compares the repetition of his daily routine to hypnotism: “I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; its a form a mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.”
Whether it’s Steve Jobs wearing the same black turtleneck every day or chef Bobby Flay eating greek yogurt with fruit for breakfast every morning, following the same patterns can trigger the mental flow state that is the key to creative productivity. As Stephen King says, "The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, you’re going to be dreaming soon."
4. Take lots of breaks
Start looking into the daily routines of famous artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and inventors and you'll quickly notice that nearly all of them do creative work in bursts throughout the day, taking several breaks to enjoy a leisurely meal, spend time with family and friends, and explore the world. Not only do regular breaks keep your brain from burning out, new experiences and distractions feed creative thinking.
5. Caffeinate
Drink your coffee (or tea)! Beethoven counted out 60 beans for his daily cup, Kierkegaard started every day by pouring black coffee over a cupful of sugar, and Balzac drank up to 50 cups a day. While you may not want to go quite that far (Balzac did die of heart failure at only 51, after all, and too much caffeine can interfere with sleep and make you too jittery to focus), a moderate amount of caffeine boosts energy, improves cognitive performance, and improves short-term memory, problem solving, and concentration. As any creative knows, 90% of the job is showing up and putting pen to paper. For many inventive minds, caffeine is the key to doing just that.
Simple Ways to Inject Your Day with Greater Creativity and Productivity
Of course, there's no one "right way" to structure your day for better mental performance, but experimenting with the above techniques to find what works for you — and then sticking with your ideal daily routine — can unlock improved focus, creativity, and productivity. Share your preferred rituals and routines with us in the comments below so we can try them out ourselves!
Related Reads:
14 Online Resources to Break Through Your Creative Block
5 Surprising Ways to Spark Creativity
50 Productivity Tips to Boost Your Brainpower (Infographic)
16 Simple Motivation Tips to Get More Done (Infographic)
Sources: TheGuardian.com, Litreactor.com, Marksdailyapple.com, Entrepreneur.com, 99u.com, Onlinecollege.org, Podio.com
Productivity
7 min read
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