Getting Past The Creative Block

Sometimes briefs can be challenging. Coming up with an insight that inspires the creative executions is not an easy thing to find.

When you can’t find the insight.

However, I don’t find myself with a creative block as often as others seem to do. I believe that is because I have a process, a mental strategy that even on my worst days gets my creative juices flowing. I play mind games with myself. Here are some of the ways I do that:

Brace Yourself

Ignore the brief:

Goodbye brief

This is not advice for the final campaign, however, just to get the mind flowing. If I feel stuck I decide to come up with a dream campaign for the client. The one with no limits, no budget, and that would entertain me. I don’t like to think of what is the craziest idea I can come up with, but rather maybe think of a very specific target and come up with a campaign to reach them.

When you are working on your dream campaign

For example, if the brief is sell more Coke to Americans, and I am stuck on coming up with an insight, I’ll challenge my mind to come up with how to sell Coke to super heroes, fairytale characters, or monsters. Sometimes I even think of how I would sell it to my animals, knowing their personalities.

Sell Coke to these guys…

Ultimately, my final campaign won’t end up being what super heroes or my cat would go for, but I jump started the creative process in my head, which led to interesting spaces, which tends to lead to interesting insights for the actual brief that can oftentimes be applicable.

Search for Ideas:

Another way I have figured out how to ignite my creative fire is by taking a break to come up with a new business idea. I give myself a challenge such as, if I were to open a Chinese restaurant, what would make it uniquely mine? I’ll come up with the name or the concept, and then get back to what I was originally working on. I find that these small challenges that have absolutely no pressure behind them to execute get my mind thinking creatively.

“Me” time:

Taking time for yourself, for me, is massively important to keep my brain flowing with ideas. Do what you like to do best. Personally, I love to read and take baths the best. I find them the most inspiring. Sometimes, when working in a team it’s best to share some “me time” moments when you are in a creative block. One of the copywriters I worked with frequently would go get pedicures with me. Some great campaigns came out of those relaxing moments when we decided to “take a break” and not talk about the work.

Experience:

Remember to experience the world. See movies, watch the most popular TV shows, travel, read books, take walks. Go and sit on a bench somewhere and people watch. Ideas can fall flat when you are stuck in an office, or school, or your house all day.  The group I am working with now for a cruise line campaign have decided all our meetings will be at restaurants that are different ethnic foods, and vary in locations around Miami. Not only are we going to interesting places and trying new things, our creative ideas are non-stop. We HAD to get out of the normal radius of what we were used to, and the results so far are very exciting.

We got this…

These things may not help you, it is possibly that you think differently…but that is a good thing. Think of things that would appeal to you that spark your creative mind. If you can’t, try my process. It may work for you. My last tip, stay off Facebook, it’s not inspiring; it’s distracting.

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