Due to the popularity of the 30 day productivity challenge, I decided to create a 30 day “how to break out of a creative rut” challenge. Creative dry spells are awful, some are short and some are (hopefully not in your case) a long one. Take a deep breath, it’s a natural part of the creative process. I’m excited to share with you these creative boosting tips which helped kick me into gear. Please join me on this journey!

1. Change your Scenery

If you’re like me and you work from home, it’s uninspiring walking over to the computer from your kitchen every day. Today, head out to a coffee shop or a park. Every time I go to a coffee shop I get inspired – it may be the free coffee refills kicking in.

2. Create an inspiration board

This is fun and a great way to jump start creativity! Take an hour of your day today to create an inspiration board about anything – it can be about a project your working on, your dream life, or any goals you may have. Title it and find images that you can add to your board. The “board” can be a simple piece of computer paper with printed google images – as long as your board is visual and up somewhere for you to see. I’m inspired by crazy fashion and I like to create fashion boards based on colors and themes to inspire my digital work.

3. Browse Pinterest

Yes, today I’m giving you a free pass to browse Pinterest! Use the Pinterest search tool to look up keywords associated with the project you’re working on. Save inspiring pins to new boards. Try and find a pattern with the pins that inspire you. As a bonus, save the images to your desktop and print them out for your Inspiration Board.

4. Get outside and Go for a walk

Today’s goal is to get outside for at least 30 minutes and walk with a purpose! This means no cell phone, no music and no devices. Just you and your brain getting some fresh air. Let your mind relax and wander!

5. Go to A Museum

Museums can give you a creative boost. Bring a notepad and take note of what inspires you whether it be an image, a color, or a mood. You don’t have to visit a nationally recognized museum to do this exercise, visit a local museum and support local artists. You will be surprised what may inspire you!

6. Challenge Accepted!

Join a challenge to give yourself some creative inspiration. I am a #plannernerd so I like to check out trending design challenges on Instagram. This gives me inspiration on color themes and designs that are popular for the month. You could also join a more general butt kicking challenge such as the 30 days of productivity challenge.

7. Take a Break

When we’re in a creative block, our minds are work into a crazed frenzy. The best thing to do in this situation is to turn off your brain! Truly, take a break today from your creative project. If you feel overwhelmed with your deadline, extend it out. For future projects consider extending your deadline for a more manageable schedule.

8. Try and Fail

Often, we strive for perfection and in our quest to attain perfection we fail to achieve anything. Today, try to work on your project by simply starting with the expectation of a failed project and see where it takes you. Do not strive for anything high quality – start with messy scribbles or crazy grammar (depending on your project). Save your work for tomorrow and see if you went anywhere with your ideas. This exercise will at least get you started on something which is often the hardest part!

9. Scribble in Your Sketchbook

Take a break from working on your current project and spend the day simply doodling in your notepad. Let your creativity run wild and enjoy what comes from it. If you have no idea – start drawing what’s around you. Don’t take this activity too seriously and let your mind wander.

10. Log Off Social Media

This may be a challenge in itself, but I challenge you to not check in to your social media for 24 hours. How many times do you mindlessly check into your account when you know you should be doing something else? I guarantee you the social media cog won’t notice that you’ve been checked out for a day. This exercise will cleanse your mind and replace the clutter with creativity.

11. Spruce Up Your Space

Treat your work area to something bold and new. For example, add a new piece of art or a new plant. Anything that is bold and colorful that will add a pop of excitement to your creative workspace.

12. Roadtrip

Clear a couple hours out of your schedule and drive to somewhere new. You could drive around without a destination to clear your head, or you could try driving to an inspiring destination such as an open space or an event in a neighboring city. Seeing new sights is a great way to generate new ideas.

13. Partner Up

Call up a friend or colleague and ask if they would like to brainstorm creative ideas over coffee. Together, you and your colleague can bounce creativity off one another. You both will gain some great ideas and you may discover new ways to work on your project.

14. Writing Exercise

Sit down with a pen and a paper for five minutes and write anything that is on your mind. You could even write “why am I doing this?” or something similar. As the timer goes on, your mind may open up. The purpose of this exercise is to unhinge any hidden troubles in your subconscious that may be blocking your creativity.

15. Enjoy an Artsy Movie

Check out a movie that is artsy! Any movie that uses bold colors, great story lines or inspiring actors. The creative flowing movies that I navigate towards are Woody Allen movies, they make me think outside the box!

16. Teach Others

As a former teacher, I’m naturally inspired when teaching others. I’ve created introductory tutorials on topics I love: how to create printables or how to plan a wedding. The best way to be inspired is to think about how you would approach teaching someone your favorite subject. Try creating a tutorial for friends or adding a fun how to project to your website!

17. Work in Intervals

This is a tactic I use to kick my butt into gear. Try working in sets of 50 minute intervals with 10 minute breaks. In the 50 minute time frame, open your project and simply start with the first step. Use the 10 minute break to snack, check Facebook or any other tasks you may have. By breaking up the tasks, you can conquer a more manageable portion without the entire project looming over you. This can help make the creative project feel less overwhelming.

18. Learn Something New

Try taking a free online course on something new. By trying something different than what you normally do, you may be surprise with how much creativity will blossom.

19. Create with a Child

Children are naturally creative. If you know someone with children (or you have some of your own) try creating something artsy with them or simply playing with them. The play time together may spark the creative child inside of you.

20. Nap Time

Your creative rut may simply be due to being tired. Relax today and take a nap. Sometimes when I’m about to fall asleep and I’m in that half dreamy half awake state I get awesome ideas. If anything, you will wake up refreshed and ready to take on your project.

21. Clean Up Your Space

Your workspace may be wearing down your creative energy. Clear off your desk, then the drawers and finish with the entire workspace. Donate office clutter that you no longer need.

22. Visit the Library

Navigate towards books that are written by inspiring people in your field or are written about inspiring subjects. Bonus if you can find books with lots of bold pictures. Thumb through the books and add bookmarks to inspirational pages. Then checkout the books and take them home to help with your creative project.

23. Clean Up Your Diet

Reduce the amount of sugar you’re consuming. Too much sugar can add to fatigue that won’t help your creative rut. Also, take note of times your snacking mindlessly in your work area. Try replacing sugary snacks with high protein meals to keep your energy up and promote creative thinking.

24. Don’t Strive for Perfection

Often, we get caught up trying to achieve the “perfect” product and end up never getting anything accomplished. Forget the perfection and work on simply achieving the task. Work until you have the bare basics of a creative project – whether it’s perfect or not. Going back and editing (for me) is easier than the actual brainstorming of a new idea.

25. Try a Technique

This book has helped me tremendously with getting my creativity going. Check it out! Or better yet see if your local library has it.

26. Write Down 10 Questions

Take out the same notebook and pencil from step 14 and write down 10 questions. These questions can be about anything – they can be shallow and/or deep meaningful questions. Once you’re done, see if you can find the answer. During your quest for the answer you may become inspired. Or if you don’t find an answer, why do you think the answer is so hard to find? You can use this exercise to dig deep with your creative process and your subconscious.

27. Change Your Routine

Think about your work routine. Do you work to music? Or do you drink coffee and check the news first thing in the morning? Try changing up the routine – for example work in silence. Or drink coffee then try some yoga. If you change your routine it can shake up your creative energy.

28. Publicly Commit to Your Project

Announce to your friends, family and your social media that you’re working on a project. This can be a new project or your existing project. It may seem a little intimidating at first, but the support that your friends provide may be just what you need to get the creative process going. For example, a while back I publicly committed to 1 new painting a week for a month. My friends loved my work and contributed plenty of ideas to inspire me. Whether you decide to do this for a new project or an existing project, this exercise can open doors to new creative possibilities.

29. Work Against the Grain

Approach your project with the exact opposite steps you would normally take with your projects. For my work I sketch, create the tables elements of planner materials, then work on the designs. By working on the designs first, I have come up with brand new and brilliant products.

30. Write in Your Notebook

During the day while working on your tasks, carry a notebook around with you. Write down anything and everything that comes to mind. Even if you’re doing chores and you think of something you need – write it down. This does one of two things. One, it frees up anything on your mind to make room for creative ideas. Two, if creativity comes to mind, you have your handy notebook available to write down your ideas. You will be surprised at all the crazy ideas that may be sparked throughout the day.