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by Jeff Scheetz, Educational Director for TrueFire

Being a “creative” is not always easy. The muse isn’t always there when you need her. But whether you are trying to come up with a new song or a new business plan, having the ability to release the flow of the creative juices is an important trick to know.

Here are some ways I jump start those juices.

1. Tap into another source.

In other words go for ideas in a place you don’t usually go. As a songwriter sometimes I look at something mundane or mechanical and think of a lyric for that. This is against the usual flowery, romantic thoughts of a “lyricist”, but it is that very abrupt change that sometimes sparks a new idea.

2. Play a different instrument.

This works for musicians who usually create on guitar – just sit down at the keyboard and things seem new again. But this can also work for any creative endeavor, if you are a school teacher and trying to come up with a new math project for students, look to your art supplies. Perhaps you can create a painted flow chart that helps explain how to tackle a problem.

3. Find your time.

Everyone has a time of the day when they are the most creative. Maybe it is when you first get up in the morning. Maybe it is on your drive to work, or even late at night after the family goes to bed. That is the time you should focus on being creative because it is the time when you will naturally gravitate towards creative things.

4. Collaborate.

When possible, bouncing ideas off of another person can help spur on new ideas. It doesn’t even matter if the other person is in tune with your creative objective. Sometimes just telling your ideas out loud to someone helps you see them in a different way.

5. Change your perspective.

Creativity expert Edward De Bono in his book “Lateral Thinking” says that you sometimes have to change the way you are looking at what you are trying to do. So unlike numbers 1 and 2 where we use a different source or play a different instrument, changing your perspective keeps the pieces of the puzzle the same but forces you to use them in a way that is not normal. Ask yourself how else could I accomplish this?

Being creative at the drop of a hat isn’t always easy, but if you use these tools to spark a new idea, you will find that you won’t always just have to sit on the couch and wait for the muse to drop by!

Comment below – How do you get your creative juices flowing?