The past few months have been tough on everyone. Cities are on lockdown and being in a state of emergency takes its toll. While many are out of work, there are others struggling to find balance working from home. And if your job requires you to think creatively — writers, graphic designers, independent artists, architects, entrepreneurs, and more — it can be difficult to harness your creativity when you’re stuck inside during a global pandemic.

Hopefully, we’ve gotten through the worst of this crisis, but we’re still navigating through it and figuring out what the new normal looks like. Throughout this transition, how can you continue your creative work and pursuits? What do you do when you feel like you’ve lost all your inspiration?  

Here are 6 different ways for sparking creativity that we’ve found helpful during this time:

According to a recent study, listening to “happy music” increases listeners’ creativity. In music, valence describes the positivity conveyed by the song. A song with high valence sounds more positive and “happy” while a song with low valence sounds more negative. (Cool fact: In the study, Vivaldi’s classical Four Seasons came first place as the most creativity-inspiring.) The researchers concluded that the high valence created a more positive mood which helped the listeners come up with more creative solutions compared to working in silence.¹ When you’re feeling uninspired, turn on some happy tunes and whistle while you work!

Here are some of our favorite upbeat Spotify playlists:

Upbeat Morning Playlist
Energy Boost
End of Day Uplift

Right now we all feel a little stuck. Life seems to be at a standstill. As uninspiring as that is, try imagining what the future holds to bring back the creative juices. Imagine life in one, two, ten, or twenty years from now. Getting out of the here and now could be exactly what your mind needs to spark some new ideas.

There’s nothing like being surrounded by nature and fresh air to inspire you. Try a new walking route or head anywhere green when you’re looking to spark creativity. Time in nature is similar to meditation, which can be calming and stress-relieving. Being in a more relaxed state can help free up your mind so you can connect with new ideas.

Following the same routine day in and day out can, without a doubt, kill your creativity. When you feel stuck in a rut, mix things up! If you usually work in the morning, try working at night. If you always work at your desk, rearrange your furniture and move your workspace to a new spot. If binge-watching Netflix is leaving you uninspired, pick up an old or new hobby. Getting out of your rut could be as simple as switching up your routine.

While we’re constantly glued to our tablets, cell phones, and laptops to help us work, there’s something about putting pen to paper. Whether it’s for jotting down notes and new ideas, or doodling in the margins, let your creative ideas flow from the ink of your pen. Writing exercises can also be helpful to fuel your creativity when you’re feeling stuck.

When you can’t quite create a solid strategy or see the big picture, creating a vision board can help you visualize your thoughts and ideas. Whether online or with actual paper, clip images, colors, words, and ideas into one space to bring your ideas together. Even if you have no concept to begin with, this fun and creative exercise could pave the way for radical and innovative ideas.

If you feel like your creativity has run dry, you aren’t alone! This quarantine life has been hard on everyone. If you’re looking for some inspiration, whether it’s for work or personal endeavors, try these tips for sparking creativity! What’s your best tip for fueling your creative side?

References:

¹Ritter & Ferguson (2017). PLoS ONE 12(9): e0182210. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182210&type=printable