In the wonderful world of marketing and advertising, the next big, clever campaign always seems to be right around the corner. This daunting little fact can ultimately lead to constant pressure for the “creatives” to come up with the latest and greatest campaign that out-shines all the ones before it or face the fear your campaign might just be flat out ignored.
From the catchy holiday campaigns to the upcoming Super Bowl commercials, this is prime time for businesses, retailers and marketing agencies alike. So with the large amounts of stress on the right-brainers to continuously produce the next big thing, how can you avoid creative burn-out? How do you ultimately maintain the energy to keep the creative juices flowing without having all the campaigns blur together?
6 Ways to Keep Your Energy Creative, Fresh and Productive
- Take a break and go outside. Spend 15 minutes away from your desk during the work day and take a walk outside—even if it’s freezing out. Better yet, take your lunch or even your work to a nearby bench or park and enjoy a picnic outside. Nothing is better for mental clarity than being outside—which comes with fresh air, sunshine and a break away from your computer screen—to energize and refocus you for an afternoon of productive work.
- Collaborate with other creative people. If you reach a point where you feel you are stuck, don’t beat yourself up. Surround yourself with other creative people and get their input and feedback. Creativity can spur more creativity, so use them as inspiration. They may see something from a new perspective you might not see after spending hours on a project. A mini brain-storming session may be all it takes to get some fresh ideas flowing and give you a boost of confidence.
- Know when to walk away. When you feel like you aren’t making any progress, know that it’s OK to close out of the project and walk away for the night. A part of your brain is still subconsciously working on it, thinking of ideas and collecting inspiration from the world around you. Having a fresh mind in the morning, it might be surprising how naturally new ideas flow.
- Do more of what makes you happy. Being well-rounded in other areas of your life can add so many incredible things to your work. When you have other things to turn to besides your computer, you open yourself to finding inspiration and ideas in the real world you otherwise might not be exposed to. Nothing can bump up your creativity faster than having something you are personally passionate about and invested in and that translates into more creative work—and a much happier worker.
- Work on multiple projects. Like any artist who never completely finishes a painting before starting a new one, work on various projects at the same time. This can keep your creative energy high and when you are stuck, a new project will seem interesting and fresh. This also gives you alternatives you can be productive with to avoid feeling frustrated with your creative road block.
- Appreciate the good, the bad, the ugly. More than likely, your first ideas won't be great, but you still have to put them out there because you have to start somewhere. Don’t let this discourage or defeat you. As Maya Angelou once said, “You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” So lay all your ideas out there and maybe even one of your “ugly” ideas could lead to something great. Just keep the ideas coming!
Even when it seems like the creativity is running out or you’ve hit a road block, take time to recharge your mind and don’t be afraid to step away from the project. Stay confident in your skills and abilities and know that your next great idea is just around the corner.
What are some things you do to stay creative and energize? Have you ever faced creative burn-out and how have you overcome it? We’d love to hear your ideas below!
Katherine Smith is a veteran Project Manager at Kuno Creative, where she works closely with even the smallest details to ensure client success. She enjoys photography, vegetarian cooking and watching Cleveland sports. You can catch up with Katherine on Twitter and LinkedIn.
photo credit:
Magnus. 
