One of the frustrating things about being a creative type is the crazy up and down nature of inspiration. When you’re in a slump and can’t come up with any new ideas, you start to obsess about how to kick-start your creativity and get your creative mojo flowing again.

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It can be a truly maddening experience when “the Muse” seems to have packed up her things and left you without even a backward glance. Fickle creature that she is, you never know when she’s going to grace you with her presence once again and there’s always the unspoken fear that she might never come back.

Before you give in to the impending existential crisis and hang up your creative hat, however, there is a sure-fire way to get yourself back into the good graces of your wayward Muse.

The Muse is Predictable (Really)

What I’ve noticed in my own life is that, while the Muse may seem flighty on the surface, she is actually fairly predictable in her capriciousness. She always tends to high-tail it when I’ve been stuck in a rut, following the same routine day in and day out for too long.

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Now, I fully admit that I’m a creature of habit and, for the most part, I find comfort in predictable routines. But sometimes, it just gets boring.

And I suspect what happens is that the Muse ends up just as bored with endless repetition as I am. Which is why she gets annoyed with me and leaves when the routine gets too monotonous.

The Muse Craves Novelty

The Muse, you see, likes excitement and novelty. Like a moth to a flame, she is drawn to new experiences. And so are we – even those of us who cling to our established habits.

Humans are wired to pay attention to novelty. Why do you think it’s so easy for us to get trapped in that scrolling-through-the-social-media-feed time warp where an hour magically seems to have disappeared by the time we come up for air after checking our Twitter streams?

We have to know the latest, up to the second “news”… because it’s new. We just can’t tear ourselves away, even when we know it’s not really “news” in the truly informative sense of things.

Kick-Start Your Creativity

The point is that we can use this very human fascination with novelty to kick-start our creative juices when our brains feel like stale crackers and we are unable to come up with inspired ideas the way we used to. We can use it to coax our reticent Muse out of hiding.

The key is to go out there and give yourself (and your Muse) new things to work with. Things that will catch your attention, create new synaptic connections, and spark new ideas.

10 Tricks for Summoning the Muse

With that in mind, here are ten tricks that you can try to summon your Muse and kick-start your creativity once again:

Trick #1: Go to the library and check out a book in a genre you’ve never read before.

Trick #2: Experiment with a new-to-you creative field. Sign up for an art class or a music class or a dance class, or just take time to try these things out on your own.

Trick #3: Accept a networking invitation and go check it out. Or check out your local Toastmasters club – there’s likely a meeting near you this very week!

Trick #4: Buy something at the grocery store that you’ve never bought before. Make it something that you’re not even sure what it is. Take it home, Google a recipe that involves the weird food thing and then make a meal with it.

Trick #5: Go work in a coffee shop today instead of staying in your office. Or schedule a meeting in a coffee shop instead of using the conference room.

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Trick #6: Buy something in a colour or style you’ve never worn before. It doesn’t have to be expensive – just get a scarf or some earrings if your budget is tight, or check out the local thrift shops for something cool yet wallet-friendly.

Trick #7: Hop on a random city bus and take it somewhere you’ve never been before. Trust that you’ll be able to find your way home again after an exciting adventure.

Trick #8: Play tourist in your own city. What’s the “can’t miss” thing that visitors are supposed to do when they come to your town? Go do it yourself and see what all the fuss is about.

Trick #9: Install the Duolingo app on your device and start learning a language you’ve always thought would be cool to know, but never learned.

Trick #10: Ask yourself what you’d like to try that’s new, and listen closely for the answer. Do you feel a pull to try rock-climbing or horse-back-riding or to go on the local ghost-walk tour? Do you want to learn how to be a tea sommelier or how to cook authentic Asian cuisine? Follow up on whatever it is that comes to you.

Little Changes Make a Big Difference

Bringing novelty into your life doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. Sometimes even small changes to a stale routine can help to shake the cobwebs out of your head and kick-start your creativity again.

If you’ve been feeling stuck lately, give these ten tricks for summoning the Muse a try and you’ll soon be back to generating those great ideas of yours once more.

Do you have a sure-fire way of getting your creative juices flowing when you’re having a hard time finding inspiration? Share your tip below and let me know how you kick-start your creativity!

 

 Photo credit: pixabay.com cc (modified by me)