In partnership with Adobe Creative Cloud, we invited 10 Gen Z creatives to tell their stories on BuzzFeed. Check out Make The Feed for more content from Generation Create.
Being creative allows us to express ourselves in endless ways and make incredible things. But, with great ups come great downs. Inspiration doesn't always come when you need it, so here are 27 tips I use when my creativity needs a boost.
1. Listen to a song and take notes on the feelings it gives you — does it make your feel you're at a post-apocalyptic car wash? Or do you picture an all-pink flying carousel?
2. Watch an art live stream! Are there any new techniques you can apply from what you've watched?
3. Scribble without a purpose. Let your hand and your mind roam free!
4. Just do something else. Sometimes walking away for a moment can help you think!
5. Flip through some old photos! They might spark a forgotten idea from long ago.
6. Open an old project, maybe it needs some touching up.
7. Browse an art book! There are plenty of amazing artists to read up on.
8. Watch some music videos. The amount of creative direction that goes into music videos is bound to give you some amazing inspiration.
9. Find a community where artists can come together and share ideas, either online or in-person.
10. Do some research on artists you like. What is their workflow like?
11. Find out who your inspirations look to for inspiration, then read up on them too.
12. CALM DOWN! Meditate, have some tea (or wine), or take a shower.
13. Look at what artists around the world are creating. What are photographers in Korea doing? What are painters in Brazil using for inspiration?
14. Create an inspiration book. Add images and items that make you feel something. Take notes — what is it about these things that inspire you?
15. Take something and edit it in Photoshop. Play with settings, add filters, just go wild! It might unleash some ideas.
16. Change up the size. Make it HUGE or make it tiny! Change the aspect ratio or change the shape entirely. Sometimes we can get stuck with what we are used to.
17. Look in the sky. Find some shapes in the clouds.
18. Go shopping! What interesting things are on the market right now?
19. Watch your favorite movie. Ask yourself, what makes it your favorite? Is it something you can put into your own work?
20. Share your frustrations with someone you trust. Talking is a great way to work through it.
21. Get some exercise! Endorphins are excellent for stress relief.
22. Have a snack...or two! There's nothing like a rumbling stomach to mess up your creative flow.
23. Try a medium you've never used before. Trying something new means experimenting, which is important for the creative process.
24. Look at a pile of stuff. As weird as it may sound, your pile of laundry might just create a silhouette of a fantastic landscape that you can use for your next piece of art.
25. Go on a virtual "walk" using a maps app on your phone. You never know, maybe you'll find some fun stuff like a dog in a hat or people in costume.
26. Tour museums remotely to help get the creative juices flowing.
27. Finally, remind yourself that your creative block doesn't last forever. Regardless of how long it's been, there will be a time where inspiration hits you again — so keep going!