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How to rediscover your creative spark

16 November, 2015 by Giselle Rochford 10 Comments

It should be no surprise that I’m a creative person. I like to write, I love to bake, I like to take pictures and I share all of these things here on the blog. For the most part, being creative comes easily to me. It’s part of who I am. But, occasionally, my creative mojo can go missing. And, unfortunately, that’s happened quite a bit over the last 6 months. 

5 tips to help you rediscover your creativity via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

I’ve written before about how to avoid writers’ block, which can be a huge issue for any blogger. But, writing isn’t my only creative outlet. And it’s not the only one that can get ‘blocked’. Sometimes I’m just fresh out of new and exciting recipe ideas. Or a specific recipe just isn’t working. Or a food photoshoot just doesn’t want to come together. In those cases, my tips for overcoming writers’ block are pretty useless. So, today, I wanted to talk about a few things that can help get the other creative juices flowing.

5 tips to help you rekindle your creativity #healthyliving #creatives

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1. Challenge yourself

Sometimes you just need to light a fire under your butt to get things moving. Take #pumpkinweek2015 for example. Before that week, I struggled to post even one recipe a week for the longest time. But, I gave myself a challenge to post four times that week and I did it. It wasn’t easy, but it helped me break out of the recipe rut I’d been in before. And I’ve since been sharing content a little more consistently. 

2. Try something new

Staying in your comfort zone can actually stifle your creativity. I tend to shy away from savoury recipes because baking is a lot easier for me. That being said, I can, and have, occasionally run out of baking inspiration. Usually when that happens, I just don’t share recipes. But last month, I decided to give a savoury recipe, this kale walnut pesto, a try and it was the most alive I’d felt in the kitchen for a while. Making that pesto actually ignited my passion for cooking again and I plan to share more savoury recipes from now on.

3. Take it back to basics

Conversely, trying new things can totally fail and obliterate your confidence and creative inspiration. When that happens you can give up, go sob into your pillow and not post anything that week. Which I have done before. Or, you can just do what comes naturally. I love making new granola flavours and coming up with new ideas for quick breads so that’s what I do when I run into problems. And it never fails to get me centred and back on the right creative track.

4. Take a course

It may be a hard pill to swallow, but your lack creativity can be due to a lack of knowledge. For example, photography has been challenging for me, because I don’t really know much about it. As a result, I sometimes have trouble translating my photo visions into reality. It got to the point where I would make something that tasted amazing, but never share it because the pictures just didn’t come out right. So I started looking into, and eventually taking, photography courses. I still have a lot to learn, but I have a lot less ‘blocks’ when it comes to photography these days. 

5. Remove the pressure

Stress can have a huge, negative impact on your creativity. Having to turn out quality work on a set schedule gets old quickly. So, if you find yourself dreading your ‘work’ times and procrastinating more than usual it may be time for a break. I much prefer sharing quality content when I’m back in my grove instead of posting any old thing just to meet a quota. Plus, it’s awesome to get in the kitchen and cook just because, without deadlines bogging you down.

What about you?

  • Do your creative juices ever stop flowing?
  • What do you do to rediscover your creativity?

Share in the comments below!

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Comments

  1. CARLA says

    16 November, 2015 at 5:19 am

    Im with you SO MUCH ON THE DO SOMETHING NEW and taking a *course*
    I find when I cant do that simply taking a new route to an old place works wonders and gets my brain moving differently.
    CARLA recently posted…We cant make time…

    Reply
    • Giselle Rochford says

      16 November, 2015 at 10:30 am

      ‘A new route to an old place’…I LOVE how you put that.

      Reply
  2. Maureen says

    16 November, 2015 at 7:59 am

    Great tips to get those creative juices flowing! Right now I am all about removing the pressure and stress.
    Maureen recently posted…In Defense of Listening to Christmas Music Before Thanksgiving

    Reply
    • Giselle Rochford says

      16 November, 2015 at 10:39 am

      Same!! And weirdly enough, now that I’m not so bogged down by all the deadlines, I’ve been creating and coming up with new ideas like crazy!!

      Reply
  3. Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says

    16 November, 2015 at 9:49 am

    I love the take a course tip, how often do we avoid things we are uncomfortable about? I would definitely add just start, sometimes I avoid avoid avoid then I realize once I sit down to do something the first few minutes are ROUGH then once I just start word vomiting or designing or whatever it is… magic happens and I surprise myself so much! PS your photos look awesome keep it up!

    Reply
    • Giselle Rochford says

      16 November, 2015 at 10:40 am

      LOVE that suggestion! I have that issue as well. Where I keep putting things off until the, ever elusive, ‘right time’. Or until everything is ‘perfect’. But just starting is really half the battle.
      And thanks 😀

      Reply
  4. Ivanna says

    16 November, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    Great Tips, my creativity flows at random times that is why I carry note books everywhere. Whenever an idea hits I write it down so I won’t forget it. Thanks for sharing these tips also.
    Ivanna recently posted…Plum Deluxe Tea Review

    Reply
  5. Lisa @ Lisa the Vegetarian says

    16 November, 2015 at 2:33 pm

    I agree with point #5 – I’m not a naturally creative person by nature, so I feel like sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to be more creative and that always ends up counterproductive.
    Lisa @ Lisa the Vegetarian recently posted…So I Went Wedding Dress Shopping

    Reply
  6. Katerina says

    16 November, 2015 at 8:49 pm

    As a new blogger and owner of a website you have such amazing information. I am always worried I was lose my creative spark or run out of ideas what to say; however, anytime I get a slight burst of inspiration I always and I mean ALWAYS write it down or open up a note tab in my phone. As a new girl in food developing and recipe developing how many times do you experiment with a recipe before you post it on your blog? Or how many times do you make it before you will decide it is perfect enough to share? I am worried about posting some of my creations to soon.

    XO
    Katerina recently posted…Noodleless Tuna Casserole

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Invest in yourself for your health and happiness - Diary of an ExSloth says:
    30 November, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    […] get creative […]

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