I applaud all of our Entrepreneurs here at Cornerstone. Your dedication and creativity is inspiring. Let me tell you a secret, my creative juices begin and end with Pinterest. The ability to take something from scratch and turn it into something great isn’t a talent I have. My Pinterest is full of pins that never have and probably will never turn into anything. Sometimes creativity hits me, but it doesn’t stay for very long. I read these 5 tips by Ben Simkin, and it was originally written for Entrepreneurs, but I liked it so much, I’m going to apply it to my life and see what happens.

1.    Buy an Alarm Clock:

Sleep resets your brain, and having your phone right next to your head while you’re sleeping doesn’t help you sleep. If you are absolutely opposed to buying an alarm clock, at least plug your phone in on the other side of the room. Who knows, maybe actually getting out of bed to turn your alarm off will stop you from hitting snooze 5 times each morning. (Don’t deny it, we all do it!)

2.       Get a Variety of Perspectives:

Ask for opinions and ask for help. I am so guilty of not doing this. I get stuck in my own mind, and think there is only one way to do things. I get frustrated, give up, and then Robbie, my fiancé, shows up. It’s fixed within a matter of minutes (pretty annoying if you ask me.) But Robbie and I look at things differently. I tend to look at what’s directly in front of me, and he looks at the bigger picture. Sometimes you need that in order to get things done.

3.       Travel

Step out, take a break. The best things in life come when you aren’t expecting them to. Nothing gets your creative motivation back like trying new things. Look at different cultures and find inspiration throughout them.

4.       Step away from the Desk:

Here at Cornerstone, we are a big fan of ‘creative walks.’ You will periodically see a group of us strolling down West Crogan street together. We take our walks to get out, let our brain reset and refocus our attention. Sitting at a desk all day is draining. Get out, take a walk around the building, go grab a coffee, and when you get back, you’ll see how much difference 10 minutes away from the desk makes.

5.       Draw your strategy:

Ben says to literally draw it, that doesn’t work so well for me. I like to think of myself more as an abstract artist (meaning 1st grade level artist.) But what works for me is planning it out. Making stepping stones to achieve my goal. I’m more of a words person, but if drawing things help get your creative juices flowing, then do what works for you!

Here’s a bonus one… Get Vulnerable.

Step out of your comfort zone. Do things you would never do. Go take an off the wall class, go talk to a stranger. Maybe you’ve hit a creative road block because the best things in life are right on the other side of your comfort level. I like how Ben finished up this article with saying that being vulnerable reminds you that you don’t know everything. Open up your mind and see where it takes you.

Dig deeper into Ben’s tips to creativity here