At Alive, we happily throw ourselves into all kinds of projects, workshops and events, and we had the pleasure of getting involved in the CIPR summer social. If you missed it then fear not because we’ve taken note of the headlines and highlights.
Where are you and what are you doing when you have your best ideas?
Getting together with our fellow comms friends was a great opportunity to think about what makes us tick. From ‘commsmopolitan’ cocktails (yes, we liked that one too) to knitting or going for a run, we shared lots of different ways we can ignite that all important creative spark.
Location location location
Almost everyone we spoke to said their best ideas come to them when they’re away from the desk. That’s why it’s so important to break up the day with a stroll in the park, an episode of Friends or lunchtime pilates. Here’s a few places the people we spoke with said they feel most creative:
- In the garden
- Out for a run
- Coffee shops with colleagues
- In the kitchen cooking
- In the shower
- Oh, and on the toilet was a popular choice too!
So what does this tell us? Creatives crave variety, a change of scenery and the time and space to think freely and get inspiration.
As Virginia Woolf once said:
“There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”
The hunt for inspiration
Go and grab three things in just one minute that help you get your creative juices flowing.
Three, two, one go! When the timer buzzed, we all flew back to our laptops eagerly awaiting a show-and-tell and one thing we certainly weren’t short of was stationary (we could have opened our own shop!) So what does this tell us? As much as we all rely on technology, especially over the last 18 months or so, our days of scribbling down thoughts, lists and dodgy doodles aren’t over yet.
As J.R.R Tolkien once said:
“A pen is to me as a beak is to a hen”.
Along with lots of stationary, we were also presented with sentimental items, things to fiddle with and a couple of tipples too. Here’s a few of our favourites:
- Rhubarb Gin
- Fleetwood Mac vinyl
- Pebbles
- Musical instruments
- Campari
- Lego
- Knitting needles
- Paint brushes
So what does this tell us? It doesn’t matter whether your best ideas come to you in the shower with a gin in hand, while you’re painting in the garden or playing with Lego – just roll with it. And if you’ve got nothing but rubbish ideas right now then don’t worry – it’s having the ideas in the first place that counts!
“The scariest moment is always just before you start” Stephen King
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