There are some days when our creative juices are flowing faster than we can type the words onto the page, and other days when mustering up a couple of sentences feels like a chore. That describes the life of a writer—where one minute the ideas are flourishing from our minds, and the next they are held captive in an intense bout of writer’s block. When that happens, it’s hard to remember how to be productive outside of your creative tasks. It explains why writers tend to get lost in their work, remaining so focused out of fear that the flow of ideas will dissipate at any moment.
It isn’t easy to keep hold of our creativity all the time—and this does not only portray to writers. Creatives in all endeavors have days where we are just not feeling creative. Days where we don’t feel inspired in our crafts, hindering those juices from effortlessly flowing. Fortunately, when these moments creep in, there are plenty of other ways we can stay productive involving little to no creative efforts.
how to be productive when you’re not feeling creative
Get organized
You know those mundane tasks that you generally put off until there is an overload of work to be done? Tackling these less-than-exciting duties when your creativity levels are down is an excellent way to stay productive. Declutter your inbox, sift through your spam folder, categorize your emails with new folders and colors—anything that organizes your computer screen to a more manageable environment for your work is worth taking the time.
Listen to a podcast
You may already do this during your off-time, but consuming content like an educational or inspiring podcast is not only productive, but just might spark inspiration. Even tuning into an audiobook while taking a walk or waiting for tea to boil adds value to your day. Doing anything that serves you in a positive light is a constructive way to occupy those moments when your imagination needs a break.
Write down things you want to accomplish
You’re a creative soul, which means you probably have a growing list of ideas in your mind of things you desire to accomplish one day. It could include writing a screenplay, being a guest on a podcast, or exhibiting your work at a local gallery. Dreams that you never bothered to write down because they are so far-fetched from the scope of your usual projects. Writing them on paper turns these fantasies into legitimate goals opening up new possibilities you never thought could exist.
Optimize your social media pages
It’s hard to keep up with all the accounts that you got suckered into creating over the years, so making sure they are up-to-date has been the least of your worries. But in this day and age, having an accurate social media presence is vital for anyone who wants to make their presence known. At the very least, focus on the more relevant accounts to your work, like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and make sure they are showcasing your most recent experience. You never know when someone may stumble upon your profile and be curious to learn more about what you do.
Update your resume
When you are out of the job-hunting game for a while (good for you!), it doesn’t cross your mind to update your resume and cover letter. However, it could come in handy at an unexpected time. Using the time now to freshen up your resume will be helpful and less daunting when you need it in the future. It also gives you a chance to reflect on how far you’ve come!
Brush up on skills
It’s always a good idea to frequently take courses to brush up on your skills, which you can find on sites like Uemy, Skillshare, or Lynda. Even if you are a master at something, it won’t hurt to freshen up your knowledge, especially as ways of doing things constantly evolve. Feel like exploring something new? Commit to learning a completely different skill and start as a beginner.
Even when we’re not feeling creative, we can still find other ways to be productive… at least until the creative juices return.
How do you stay productive?
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