How to Get Out of a Creative Rut | Christine vs. Work

0:01This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. Propel Fitness Water with Gatorade electrolytes, zero sugar and vitamins propel hydrates better than water to help you get the most out of your workout and get back to your best self what propels you propel with gatorade electrolytes my job title literally says that i have to come up with new ideas on the rag it's a super fun and satisfying challenge for sure but i need to confess there are days where i am afraid there There are no new ideas in my brain.

0:57Like I get hit hard with writer's block or I feel totally trapped in a creative rut. I want to think of something brilliant. Maybe the idea is about how I can't think of an idea? No, no, that's lazy. Or it's kind of meta. And feeling blocked isn't just a problem for like the quote unquote creative types. Every job requires a healthy dose of fresh thinking and new ideas and it does not feel good to hit that mental wall? How do I break out of a creative rut and get those new ideas flowing again? And how do I avoid getting into these ruts in the first place?

1:42Before we get started, this episode is brought to you by Microsoft. Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more, but it's nothing without the people behind it. Watch and read some of the stories of the people behind the mission at aka.ms ascend. I can't come up with any words that make any sense. That's Sonia Rizzula. She's the CEO and founder of Unique Markets. They host pop-up markets all over the country. In her job, she comes up with creative solutions, big and small, on a daily basis. People are so scared of like looking like they don't know what they're doing or like they're not happy or satisfied when you then have a creative rut you're like there's something wrong with me maybe i don't know what i'm doing like you start to like ask yourself all these questions but i think it's totally normal to have a creative rat like we are not supposed to do the same thing for our entire lives.

2:45For me, like, I really do probably experience some sort of rut once a month, at least. You know, I was looking for like a cure to really prevent these type of creative ruts, but that doesn't seem like it exists. So they're just going to happen. If you address that regularly, then what doesn't happen is what I think a lot of people kind of result in, which is like once or twice a year, they have like a major crisis. And then what ends up happening is they burn out or they quit or they just don't perform well. So I think it's important to like recognize that like not being amazing at your job all the time is totally normal and you just have to reset yourself.

3:27Sonia has some tips for how to deal with those smaller creative ruts so that you hopefully avoid the big creative crises down the line. All right, Sonia, my creative fate is in your hands. Let's do this. First thing that I always like to do is just like reset, step away from my computer. And literally this means physically stepping away from the computer and putting on a song, like a hype song and just like dancing it out. And my employees know that I do this. Sometimes I get them to do it. Often I don't, but you know, I try. But I just think like you need to restart the blood in your body. You need to get moving.

4:10You really do dance like no one's watching and you just let loose.

4:22Okay, so the dancing tip is really great to get you over those smaller creative ruts like hitting a deadline or making decisions during the day, whatever. Now, the next tip is how to deal with those larger creative crises. Create a list of why you love your job. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it.

4:58Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required compatibility and availability varies 18 plus. Propel fitness water with Gatorade electrolytes, zero sugar and vitamins. Propel hydrates better than water to help you get the most out of your workout and get back to your best self. What propels you? Propel with Gatorade electrolytes. Why are you passionate about what you do? What makes you a badass at what you do? Like, what are those skills that make you unique and make you really good at your job? As you are creating that list, what happens is you start to recognize and you start to remember all the things you love about what you do.

5:40And as you do that, you start to realize like, oh, the things that I'm complaining about or the reasons why maybe I'm in to creative ret are not a big deal at all.

5:53Here's my list and I don't know, I feel pretty good. I think I'm good at inspiring and mentoring and setting others up for success. So I love that I have creative agency and relative autonomy over my work. Finding humor in most situations. I will look back on this list and remember, I'm pretty cool to me. Honestly, with the list, I will say it felt weird. It's like writing a love letter to yourself. It feels self-indulgent. Doing something that introspective is quite personal. I should try it again, but not for you guys. This is probably like my favorite because it's less like chore-like than the list.

6:42and it's a little more long-term than the dance moment. Do something that is absolutely not related to work, cannot be related to work in any way, and something that is creative. So like you may have never taken a pottery class, take a pottery class, or maybe you've never sewn clothing before. Like you're gonna sit in your apartment and you're gonna sew clothing.

7:14My activity that I chose to do was gardening and starting the season off right. So that meant weeding a whole bunch and planting a whole bunch and just making sure the plants are happy, etc. I am not a great gardener. I am so hot and sweaty. You can be good or bad at it. It doesn't matter. That's not the point. The point is that you're just you're having fun using your hands doing something creative. Yeah, get it plant. You must have to force these resets, otherwise they don't happen. And then no wonder everyone is kind of like in a creative rut and also depressed, also anxious. So doing something like gardening is super fun, but it's also like the opposite of popping a pill, right, to get your headache away or something.

8:03It's like it's not going to solve or cure a rut. but I think doing something outside of work is extremely healthy and over the long term kind of creates like the fertile environment see what I'm doing here for new ideas for taking a step back seeing things in a different way so after trying the Sonia's tips I love them actually because there are all these things that I kind of do in like pockets of my life but to have allowance and to be like oh yeah there's value in it that's awesome so I'll try anything those tips, I love them. I suggest you try them too. So those are Sonia's tips and I love them, but everyone's different and I'm sure you guys have all sorts of ways that you get out of your creative breath.

8:46So I am all ears. I want to hear what you do, what you've tried, what works, like bring it on. Please leave them in the comments. I'd love to read them. If you're still watching, one, thank you. But two, I'm really curious, like what do you want me to explore like what problems do you have at work i love to solve them please leave a comment i'd love to hear your thoughts and if you have any other ideas throw them my way all right peace out for a limited time you can get a big mac meal for just eight dollars that's a burger fries and a drink they don't call it an extra value meal for nothing get a big mac meal only at mcdonald's price and participation may vary promotion pricing may be lower than real pricing Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax, and let go of whatever you're carrying today.

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