There is nothing worse than needing ideas when they completely ignore you. Therefore, it is useful to remember techniques that can help summon the muse when you give up.
- Put your surroundings in order. Cleaning will not only help to distract from the computer, but also disperse the blood through the body. Both can help you come up with something new.
- Set a deadline. Many people think that rigor and deadlines rather kill creative energy, but this is not entirely true, because deadlines make you concentrate on the goal, and this is very important.
- Change the tools. If you work at the computer all the time — try to take a notebook and your favorite pen, you'll see something will come to mind. It's a small thing, true, but even such a small thing can push the process.
- Describe the problem more precisely. Sometimes you just dig in your search for ideas and get away from the goal for which you started all this. Nado make sure that the problem we are solving is the only thing we are solving.
- Surround yourself with information on the topic. A successful article and even the spine of a book you've already read can remind you of a fact you've read that will give you inspiration.
- Calm down and watch your breathing. Simple relaxation exercises and proper breathing bring the brain to a state of rest, in which the brain often gives out great ideas.
- Create a Mind-map. There is a whole set of free and commercial software that will help you with this, but maybe a simple paper or a board with adhesive sheets will be enough for you.
- Ask a friend, finally. Even if he is not privy to the intricacies of your work, ask him. Explaining the problem to someone else can help solve it.
- Think with your eyes wide closed. Isolating yourself from visual noise can help concentration.
- Sleep with the problem. Your brain may be tired, and taking a nap for 20 minutes may be the best thing you can do right now. You can even wake up with a ready-made solution, or just have a good rest and calm down.
- Don't be afraid of Google. Many perfectionists want to come up with everything and always themselves, but most workable ideas are adaptations and combinations of other people's ideas don't be afraid to look.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. It is better to ask the client even about seemingly insignificant aspects of the task, than to sit in a dead end without an idea because of a misunderstanding. Insufficient information is one of the main reasons for the failure of deadlines. Ask away!
- Turn on the music. You probably already know which music from your collection helps you relax, which makes you do the same morning exercises, and which makes your girlfriend more agreeable. Use music to create a mood.
- Practice. Make the muscle play, and the blood roar in the veins. A rush of blood saturated with oxygen and hormones can stimulate the brain like a nitro accelerator in a car.
- Gram of production — per year works. Ideas are not always born easily and you may have to work for a long time to find a diamond. As Edison said «Genius — is 1% inspiration and 99% sweat ».
Deadline Busters: 15 Tips for Generating Ideas When You’re Drawing a Blank [ glen ]
