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Tips for Smashing Your Creative Block

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All designers, writers and creatives have experienced the dread of sitting in front of a computer, a deadline lurking around the corner and nothing taking shape on the page. When you hit this point you have reached “creative block”. As we all hit the wall from time to time, it is helpful to have a pocket of tactics to get you back on track. Some of our favorites at 834 are:

Move

Change your environment, your attitude or your energy. If you’re at the office, get up and walk around. If you’re home, go for a run, the endorphins and energy you get from working out can help kickstart your creativity. A change of scenery for your body and mind could help you find new inspiration.

Relax

Sometimes creative block comes from the insurmountable stress and deadlines you are facing. When this happens, prioritize your projects and relax. Nothing good comes from a creative immobilized from stress. An 834 favorite to relax is yoga.

Draw

Drag yourself away from your technology and see what you can create on paper. Drawing, or mapping if you don’t fancy yourself artistic, engages your brain in a different way because of the tactile practice. This could lead to new discoveries, ideas, or inspiration. Mind mapping is a common brainstorming activity among fortune 500 companies and has even helped create TedTalks.

Listen to Music

Music has magical powers. The beat and rhythm of a good song can keep you going when you’re on a roll and even overpower creative block. Still stuck? Sing along karaoke style.

Read

Similarly to drawing and listening to music, reading will change your frame of mind. Search the Internet or local newspaper for an article or short story if you don’t have a book in the office.

Leave it Alone

Sometimes the best solution to creative block is to just walk away for a while. Working on other projects could even inspire a pass through your creative block. Just remember your deadlines!

Go in the Opposite Direction

Take your design the opposite direction. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Do something your client would hate and just be creative. That crazy design or outlandish writing may hold the key to solving your creative problem.

Search for Inspiration

The Internet is full of inspiration and distraction. Schedule out small breaks every hour to surf the Internet. It will give your mind a break from the task at hand, and you can get caught up will recent celebrity gossip. Watch out for the YouTube worm hole though. We don’t want you out there for hours.

Pass it Along

Pass along your creative block work to another person in your office. A new set of eyes for your design or writing can do wonders for fresh ideas. Your coworker might have exactly the answer you were looking for.

Every creative block has a different cause and problem to solve. When one solution doesn’t work keep trying. When it feels as all is lost, drink wine and try again.

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Listen now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18112263326023209
Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet? If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves. This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore. Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk. Listen now at the link in bio.

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When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared.
Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan
Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later).

Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18132641716644887
National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up. We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly. We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation. When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared. Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later). Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18089775152664042
You asked, we delivered. Introducing the Women's Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership. Whether you've got a team of 10 or it's just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it. Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business. You'll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who've been exactly where you are. Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.

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You are the hero in your own story. Be like Leslie and believe it.

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It`s personal branding with a shot of tequila. Register in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18026151482745649
"I am big enough to admit that I am often inspired by myself" - Leslie F*ucking Knope You are the hero in your own story. Be like Leslie and believe it. Come to the Big Deal Energy Workshop, @bodespeaks will show you how. It's personal branding with a shot of tequila. Register in bio.
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