Getting out of the house
Even if it is just for an hour long hike or walk. Physical activity outside gets the heart pumping and oxygen flowing in the brain. I love doing this because it's perfect to refresh the brain and get the creativity going again. Plus, it doesn't cost a thing. Heading out of the workspace is also great because of everything there is to look at and take in. You never know what might catch your eye that day and give you the inspiration you need for that exact project you were stuck on. If you can, try heading to some stores and looking at designs, color schemes, advertising, and what looks to be selling the best. I'm sure you could even ask an employee what has been really selling best. You can take ideas from that and incorporate it into jewelry designs.
Talking with other creative people
I'm part of a local artist support group that gets together twice every month. This group has been super beneficial to my creativity. I absolutely love being able to bounce ideas back and forth with them. Creative people, artists, or designers have special skills with knowing what will bring people to your work because they have to do so with their own work. They might have a suggestion to make your work better. I actually look for people to give constructive criticisms with my work because it allows me to take a look from a different view that I've been looking at it and, in turn, see what could improve what I'm working on. Another plus to having other creative people around is that you can work together to promote each other, give contacts to each other, set up shows together, and split costs of events and advertising instead of having to cover the entire cost on your own.
Finding people online who work in a similar category
Selling online is great because you don't have to leave your house to do so. It can be difficult to direct people to your products sometimes though. Selling online is a game of numbers. The more people who see your items, the more chances you will have to sell something. If no one can see what you are selling, no one is going to make a purchase from you.
This is where finding similar people online can be helpful. Search for people whose items you like the style of and who are successful. They will have ideas of how you can get more views to your work and they might even offer to share a few of your item listings with their customers and audiences. Try asking these people what they think would improve your work/photos/descriptions. This too, can spark some creativity. You may be thinking that all this information is great, but where could you possibly find someone like this? Places to find people like this are sellers on Etsy and similar websites, Facebook, forums, and blogs. If you reach out and ask, you may just get the perfect answer.
Getting some R & R
If you find that you've been working for too long and feel stressed, taking a small amount of time to nap, read a book, watch a movie, or hang out with a friend/family member can be extremely helpful. You are going to work more efficiently and the creativity might flow better if you give yourself a rest.
Eliminate outside distractions while working
I have a tendency to get brilliant ideas for my work randomly but can easily lose those ideas if I get distracted. Having the internet open while I work is usually a bad idea for me because I end up on Facebook or in my email and before I know it, I've completely run out of time for my work. Having other people around also tends to ruin the creativity because of getting side tracked with conversation. The best way around this is to go somewhere private when you get an idea to work so that you don't forget what you were planning. If you don't have much time, sketch out the idea or jot it down in a notebook to refer back to at a later time.
Creativity time
I have found that I am most creative late at night. I know, that's the worst time because of having other responsibilities to take care of. I typically keep a notebook around for times like this. If you are lucky enough to get your creative period at normal hours of the day, try to plan your days out so that you can work on your items/projects during that time. You will be less likely to get into a rut if it is when you are most focused and alert.
Hopefully this helps you keep the creativity juices flowing and help with ideas for your work.
What do you do when you are in a creative rut? Do you have anything that works that I haven't listed? What works best for you?
Until next time,
Amanda
