Have you been feeling like you’re stuck in a creative rut? Ideas aren’t flowing, motivation is low, nothing seems to light that creative bulb. It happens! The important thing to do is recognize it and take the steps to spark inspiration. Here are three tips we have for you:

One way we like to jumpstart our inspiration process is to mix up our routine. Do you work at a desk all day? Take your laptop and work at a coffee shop instead. Take in all of the sights, smells, and sounds to inspire new ideas. Do you usually brainstorm using your computer? Take a step back and try pen and paper. By changing up your normal routine you will be able to think in ways you may not have otherwise been able to.

Pro Tip: If your work allows, try out a coworking space! There are always different people and different areas you can work in that will inspire creativity.

This one can be difficult to do, especially if you have deadlines to meet. If you find yourself spending too much time on one task unable to feel “inspired”, simply walk away and take a break. If you are like us, taking a break can be difficult when you know there is still work to complete. However, a break can look different for everyone. This could be an hour at the gym or tackling a different task on your to-do list. If you take a short break you will be able to come back to your original task with fresh eyes. Just remind yourself not to feel guilty about taking a break, you probably would have wasted that time forcing ideas anyways!

Pro Tip: One way to limit your guilt of taking a break is putting a time limit on it so the entire day doesn’t go by before you get back to your task!

Sometimes we can be our own biggest critic and this can hinder the creative process. You may get an idea but hesitate to try it because you assume it won’t be the quality you were looking for. We like to tell ourselves there is no such thing as a bad idea because your bad idea can spark your next best idea! We personally go through multiple rounds of edits on a website or logo before we create the perfect end result. Go easy on yourself and let the ideas flow! Don’t be afraid of trial and error.

Pro Tip: Write everything down! You may get an idea while you are away from work, amazing or not, write it on your phone or in a notebook to use in your inspiration process when you get back to working on your project.