HOW TO STAY CREATIVE AS A DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR THESE DAYS

As a digital content creator adapting to this new temporary normal has been challenging. As I’ve told you before I’ve been working from home during the past 3 years and the staying at home part hasn’t been hard at all because somehow I’m used to that, but staying creative has definitely be hardest part of this whole process for me and from what I’ve seen on Instagram that it’s been the same for many of you too.

Yesterday I told you guys on this blog post that this week it finally feels like I’m wrapping my head around this new reality, and as much as I’ve been trying to consume myself in work so I keep my mind busy and distracted from all the scary and sad news that are on TV all the time about COVID-19, being creative gets really hard when you have so much on your mind, so if you’ve been feeling like this, you are not ALONE!

After reading and browsing online for ideas to stay creative and trying a few things myself, I really wanted to share a list of things that have worked for me so far! So let’s jump right into it!

Go back to what got you started on creating digital content! This is probably the one thing that has really helped me. Creating organic content and sharing those things I love makes the whole creating process much easier. If you are a lifestyle blogger like me, think of those posts you used to do when you started blogging and recreate them. Post about those clothes, brands and products you adore and believe in. The ideas will start to overflow once you think that way.
Take the time to pause and think about what it is that you want to document right now. If you are feeling overwhelmed with not creating content right now, take a break. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to have a clear mind, but make that pause, sit down and organize your ideas. Right now is the perfect time to evaluate your intentions and the direction you want to take. Maybe you are feeling uninspired because you were forcing yourself to create content that doesn’t represent who you are and what your brand truly represents.
Do a little more of those things that make you happy. Right now we are dealing with a lot of stress and that totally crushes our creativity. Make an effort to do more things or activities that make you happy! That will help you clear up your mind and eliminate those things that are plaguing your brain at the moment. In my case exercise helps me tremendously. I’ve been taking the time to find accounts on Instagram that share fun workouts to do at home and I can’t put into words how they make me feel. Even if it just 20 to 30 mins. It feels SO good. We need endorphins. When we exercise, our bodies release endorphins which interact with the receptors in our brain that reduce our perception of pain. Isn’t that amazing?! So, cook, sleep, go out for a walk, paint, draw, clean, run, whatever makes you happy, do more of that.
Exercise your creativity. Yes, I know that sounds funny but creativity is like a muscle and we need to exercise it. One thing that has helped me is staying away from social media and my computer whenever I want to get inspired. Unplugging from the world and practice actively thinking has really helped me. Letting my brain take a break from taking so much information and think. Think without being influenced by anything. Just think. Think creatively.
Look for tools that boost your creativity. Stay away from online tools like social media channels. Checking out what other people are doing on Instagram or Pinterest isn’t probably the best thing to do always. Of course they are great tools to get inspiration from, but in my case looking at what other people are doing online can sometimes make me feel like I’m doing less and I get frustrated. We need to remember that there’s always going to be someone that’s doing better or more, so staying away from adding that stress in my life helps. Sometimes a book, a magazine or maybe our favorite movie or TV show can stimulate our creativity. In my case fashion magazines are a great source of inspiration and give me so many ideas all the time.
Record the new ideas that come to you. Doesn’t it happen to you that an idea comes to your mind and then you forget it? It does to me all the time! So that’s why every time a good idea comes to my mind I try to jot it down in my cellphone notes or make a voice note, whatever is easier at the moment but I try preserve it to refer back to it later!
Change your surroundings! Declutter or move things around. Seeing the same things every single day in our desk or the space where we work from isn’t going to boost our creativity. I recently finally created a space for an office in our apartment and it’s been life changing! I’m also moving things around consistently in every single room and that really keeps me motivated to create more content and make the most out of every single corner in our place. That’s always so helpful, specially right now that we have to practice social distancing and stay home all the time.