On this episode of Work/Life, host Greg Nibler sits down with Ciara Pressler, founder of Pregame, to break down one of the hardest questions for many people to answer: “How do I stay creative?” While there are some new tools to help foster your creativity, Pressler provides some ideas on how to accomplish this important task.

Whether your job is specifically creative, or you just need better tools to figure out creative solutions to business problems, Pressler advises writing your ideas down. “Then you’ll have a treasure trove of ideas to use and access for years,” she says. While creativity sometimes comes with a deadline, writing down creative ideas when they occur to you will help you access those ideas when the time comes.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone also influences your creativity, Pressler says. “My No. 1 tip,” Pressler continues, “is to get out of your bubble. Be a beginner at something.” That’s what starts the creative juices flowing, and that’s what helps prime your brain to see new things and connections. Read, listen, see, feel, and touch new things and new experiences, and they will help you see and think differently.

It’s also important to create a space to be creative, Pressler says. Maybe it’s an hour at the whiteboard just formulating ideas, maybe it’s a new location, or maybe it’s doing something with new people.

“When you change something up, that can that help you be creative and see things from a new angle,” Pressler says. Part of getting out of a creative rut means getting out of the bubble we’ve created. Breaking routine and experiencing something new can set your brain off in a creative new direction.

If you’re already in a creative industry, don’t just wait for a muse to arrive, Pressler advises. “You need to show up every single day, and have designated times to work” on your creative projects. The most important thing is just to get things down on the paper; you can edit and fix it later. Setting yourself up for success is an integral part of a smooth and effective creative process.

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