5 Ways to Boost Creativity for Incredible Content Campaign Ideas

October 24, 2019

There was a time when many of us thought about creativity in terms of 0 or 1. You either had it or you didn’t. In other words, you were either creative and dreamy, or logical and calculated. There was no in between.

Now we know better and understand that creativity is a way of thinking that has nothing to do with your genetic makeup. Creativity is a matter of perspective, flexibility, effort, and willingness to keep going when it seems like there’s no more left to go on.

In the world of entrepreneurship and business, creativity is mandatory. If your ideas, products, and campaigns don’t have a spark of originality and ingenuity, then you risk getting lost in the crowd.

But how can you harness the power of this elusive energy? How do you make sure it’s always there when you need it? I looked into how CEOs and successful entrepreneurs fight blockages on the daily when it comes to creativity.

Make It a Habit

The funny thing about being creative is that the more you stay in this setting, the more you find it readily available. Creativity is just like a muscle and works on the ‘use it or lose it’ principle. It’s all about making it a habit out of it.

Try looking at regular, tedious aspects of your life in a new light. Let’s take your morning walk to work, for instance. It’s so routine that you don’t even pay attention to it anymore. You leave home around the same time every day, and you enter auto mode until you get to work.

Most of the time it’s like you’ve been teleported there; you don’t know how you did it, but you’re sitting at your desk. Tuning out can numb the creative vibes inside, so try shaking this habit. Stay present and pay attention to what you’re doing right now.

For instance, as a content creator looking for new campaign ideas, it may help to put your thoughts in writing as you reflect. Get a notebook and describe your commute using rich details that connect with your feelings. Put that funny story you heard around the watercooler on paper. Or just scribble script ideas in a notepad. Even a traffic jam can spark creativity, if you let it inspire your thoughts.

This exercise also taps into the science used to prove that handwriting stimulates the brain and induces inspiration. Proving that staying away from laptops and phones when you can is a great way to connect with the present and stimulate new ideas.

Take Breaks

Due to easy access to technology, we live in a near state of constant connectivity. In time, this leads to fatigue, which depletes creative energy and creates blockages. If you find yourself hitting a wall every time you try to find new ideas for your content campaign, take a break, and focus on something else.

To start, get out of your office chair and move around. Studies show that too much sitting leads to a cornucopia of diseases, which, in the long-term, will affect your level of productivity. So, to stay creative, you first need to stay healthy. Short movement breaks can lead to a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air, which more often than not trigger interesting thoughts.

It’s also been proven that mindful meditation breaks are just as helpful at boosting the creative juices. This happens because it breaks the cycle of exhaustion and stress brought on by long projects. When you set a bit of time aside for yourself and allow the brain to forget about work, that’s when those ‘aha moments’ happen.

There is even solid research that proves walking is great for creative writing because it refocuses your attention on a broader perspective.

Have a Creative Routine

Some people need routine and consistency in their lives, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make creativity part of your daily system.

If you like drawing, set aside time in your schedule to accommodate this. But be specific about it to make sure your brain registers this as a task. It’s also important to not limit yourself to traditionally ‘creative’ routines only. If you enjoy playing games, do it. Although playing games is often considered as “boring and useless shooting”, playing the right games can stimulate creativity and enhance your problem-solving skills.

Get Bored

Doesn’t sound very creative, right?

As it turns out, there’s a Harvard study that shows boredom can be the force that sparks originality. Boredom is an incredibly powerful feeling, one that makes us recognise there is a problem and sends us looking for solutions.

As a collective, we’re tapping less and less into this power because the modern entrepreneur doesn’t have the time to get bored. We’re constantly looking for new information, replying to emails, browsing social media, and this keeps our focus center lit up. To get bored the right way, you need to unplug and explore the world without devices.

Wrap Up

Creativity is not a mystical force that’s only available to the few lucky ones! We can all be original, and we can all deliver impressive ideas with a little bit of effort and help.

Before you repurpose the same old content for your new campaign, try changing your perspective. Carry a notebook wherever you go. Find a new book. Take daily breaks in your schedule to shake it up.

New campaign ideas may start flying if you let your brain disconnect from the craziness that is social media, emails and entertainment (if only for a while). You might be surprised!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stewart Dunlop is a content guy at Foundr with a passion for writing articles that you will want to read. In his free time, he likes to read Stephen King and play football.