Off The Clock Creativity

Do you have a list in the back of your mind waiting to be checked off of your to-do list? No, not the typical shopping list and errands to run. I’m talking about the project list fueled by your creativity and passion.

Don’t get so caught up in the routine of every day and consumed by work projects that you forget to create without limits or restrictions. That’s what got you started in the first place, right? 

Take time to make a list of the projects you want to pursue. As soon as one pops into your head (even those totally random ideas you don’t really know what to apply it to at the moment), write it down. Then schedule a time every day or every week to work on it. Maybe the smaller stuff can be done in one sitting, like learn a new skill by watching a tutorial and following along. Maybe it’s a larger project that would span out over a few weekends. Just don’t push it off. Being creative without limitations allows you to become a better problem solver while in an atmosphere of client criteria.

In Manage Your Day-To-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind, Todd Henry expresses, “Unnecessary Creation gives you the freedom to explore new possibilities and follow impractical curiosities. Unnecessary Creation allows you to take risks and develop new skills that can later be applied to your on-demand creating.”

Take the creative downtime to make mistakes (good and bad). Learn a new skill (even if it’s accidental)! Being totally free-willed with your creative mind helps work through creative blocks you might be experiencing in other aspects of your life.