Creative Ideas Running Low? You May Need Brain Juice Refuelling
- 4d
- 3 min read
Have you often found yourself stuck with producing new ideas? But the deadlines are nearing, yet no juice comes out of your brain. It might be a sign that you’re running low on your creative brain juice. Creatives, from animators to designers and writers, often experience this. If you’re in this situation, it’s time to step back and refuel your brain juice.
In this article, we explain what brain juice is, why it’s important to enhance creative thinking, and simple ideas to recharge it.
Table of Contents
What is Creative Brain Juice?
“Brain juice” is a term used to refer to the fuel that our mental capacity uses to generate ideas and do creative work. If you have heard a friend say, “My brain juice isn’t juicing!", they are likely referring to their creative energy being depleted.
Let’s think of it this way: our body needs food and nutrients to function, and it goes the same with our creative mind. Our creative brain juice runs on a limited resource that can get used up. Different from physical energy, where you can just push through, forcing your creative brain to produce more work only leads to average quality of work and drains you faster.
Ideas to Get Your Creative Brain Juice Flowing
There’d be days when new ideas won’t come, and it gets more challenging than it should. Here’s what actually helps:
Recognise the Signals
Some signs that you might be running empty:
Making simple decisions takes more time
Your outcomes look mediocre
It’s getting harder to focus
You procrastinate on things you usually enjoy doing
Reignite Your Creativity
When your brain is feeling empty, it’s time to fill your well by rewatching old shows, movies or animations that once sparked your creative mind. You can also read some books, articles, and listen to podcasts and music.
As every output needs an input, it goes the same for our creative mind. Remember a time when we literally would burst with inspiration after a good movie? We can reignite this feeling by revisiting the media that had once filled our creative minds with ideas and motivation to produce an outlet for that bursting brain juice.
Visit a New Space
Take the time to visit somewhere new, to a space where we can let our minds wander and admire everything around. It can be a park to be in awe of the wonders of nature. As our creative thinking starts questioning the curiosity of nature and thoughts of hidden histories, our brain juice starts pumping with creative sparks.
Connect with Other Humans
Joining an event to connect with other humans, be they creatives or just your friends and family, will also be helpful. As creatives don’t thrive in isolation, spending time with other humans can bring more energy. You can just be social, like enjoying coffee with a friend or collaborating on something exciting. Anything that reminds you that you have a good life outside your office desk.
Get Proper Rest
This is non-negotiable. A good night's sleep is crucial to refuel your cognitive function, while an all-nighter only leads to chronic sleep debt, which will only make you tired and disrupt your potential in the long term.
Practising good sleep hygiene helps with setting up the routine for a higher quality sleep. What it does is it creates a sleep sanctuary that helps your body naturally relax. So, build up a habit of dedicating your bedtime to relaxing activities with minimal exposure to disruptions.
Key Takeaways
Creative blocks might be a sign of your creative brain juice running out.
Brain juice needs to be refuelled frequently to let creative thinking flow.
A few ideas to get your brain juice flowing: consume without producing, connect with other humans, visit new places, and most importantly, get proper rest.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I make my brain more creative?
There are several ways to boost your creativity, such as surrounding yourself with inspiration, like watching a movie or reading storybooks. Watching videos on how other people find their inspiration is also a good idea to think outside your field.
Is actual fruit and vegetable juice good for the brain?
Some nutritious, healthy drinks that contain nootropics can improve your memory and focus. This may be worth trying!
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
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