Today’s #AltChat is sponsored by @workmanpub and they are offering not one, but two Paint by Sticker books – one aimed for you adults and one for kids! The chat topic is all about finding the joy in your journey and expressing creativity in this world of work and hustle. Join us at 9am PT/12pm ET and don’t forget to tag #AltChat and @workmanbub for your chance to win!
We are honored to have Workman write such a fun post for us to complement their AltChat!
We’ve all been there: there’s a new event or holiday coming up that you’d like to post about or you just need to get some fresh content up, but suddenly you feel stuck. There’s nothing coming to mind, and you’re staring at that blinking cursor on a blank page. How do you get unstuck? We’ve got a few ideas.
1. Block out some idea time. No cords, phones, or distractions allowed. Use the time to doodle, freewrite, paint, photograph, or simply sit. Even when you feel you don’t have enough hours in the day – take just ten minutes while waiting for you tea kettle to boil, waiting for your laundry to dry, or during TV commercials – it’s all right there for you to use!
2. Keep your hands busy. One of our favorite ways to keep the creative juices flowing is to take a break with something that keeps the hands busy but leaves the mind open for wandering. Doing a craft like knitting or crocheting or drawing in coloring books is perfect for this kind of mindful distraction. And of course, there’s our new obsession: Paint By Sticker, which is like paint by number, only so much easier (and with zero clean-up).
1. Cook something. The act of cooking is inherently creative, especially if you veer off the recipes to make your own tweaks and adjustments. We love to start with one recipe idea and allow the recipe to fork into different variations on the same dish. Taste as you go.
2. Plagiarize yourself. Find an old photograph, project, or piece of writing. Cut it up, rearrange it, or remix it into something new.
3. Pick a color and go to your bookshelf (or a bookstore if you don’t have a bookshelf nearby). Write down the titles of the first book covers you see with that color and use that as a springboard for inspiration.
(Many of the above are inspired by our authors, friends, and creative gurus Austin Kleon & Elle Luna!)
