Everyone suffers from burnout eventually. Nurses, teachers, writers, executives. We all get tired, strapped of ideas and feeling like we have nowhere else to go with our nonexistent thoughts. Staying creative while at work can especially be a challenge, whether it's because you're working on a project that doesn't set off your spark, or if you're swamped and have no time to explore your own creative side, set too far within someone else's restrictions. 

Do or Do Not, There Is No Try

As much as I hate this quote from Yoda, he has a point. You just can't take his words too seriously. While you can of course try to do things, the point is to set expectations for yourself that can match your true potential. Sure, an upcoming work project might not be the most exciting thing to ever cross your desk, and it may seem like there's no way to be creative with the project, but the second you think those things, you've already lost the battle. 

You will sink to the level of the expectations you set for yourself. With low expectations for a project, you'll likely get low levels of return on investment. On the flip side, you need to also give yourself permission to essentially create garbage work or material. Every time you sit down to make something or create, it's not going to be fantastic. Accept this, and use every creation opportunity as a learning and growing moment. You can always recreate something later if you thought the first copy was garbage (fun fact - most first drafts of anything are indeed garbage).

Go With the Flow

If you have no idea where to start, or if your creativity is taking a dip, try opening up a work document and type everything that pops into your head. You could also do this with a pad and pen if you prefer. Don't bother with punctuation or proper capitalization, don't even worry about going back and fixing a misspelled word. Just keep the stream of thoughts flowing, even if it doesn't make any sense. Keep this going for a couple minutes - long enough to get the thought stream flowing, but not too long that you're wasting time. 

Practice Brainstorming

Another thing you can do to try and boost your creativity is start asking questions. For example, I have a planner sitting at my desk right now. Why did they pick the colors orange, pink, and mint green for the cover? Did they make the same design with different color schemes? How much did I pay for this planner? Will I be able to easily find this in my work bag? What was the last thing I wrote in this planner? How many other people probably purchased this exact planner from Target? Was it sold in any other stores? 

Even though these questions and answers don't really matter, it'll get your critical thinking moving. Try this exercise the next time you're stuck. If that doesn't work, try getting up and taking a walk around your office, maybe around your building. Use this opportunity to clear your head, or sit down outside with a pad and pen and see what comes to mind. Think about where you think the best. Is it at your kitchen table? At your desk at work? Maybe it's sitting on your living room couch with three screaming kids running around. I personally always have a constant stream of ideas in the shower (Aqua Notes makes shower pads to jot down your ideas). 

You Can't Use Up Creativity

You can always "make more" creativity - it's an infinite stream that will never run dry (even if it doesn't feel like it). Your creativity will never be used up, it will never be gone, even if it seems like it is. If your creativity seems to be lacking, just remember that the sprout of an great idea is somewhere, you've just gotta find it. 

A big way to stay creative is to not get discouraged! Don't expect a "lightning bolt" of creativity to strike you - sometimes, you can have creativity flowing without even realizing it, with your end product resulting from a steady stream of effort and collaboration with others, not necessarily a single "aha!" at your desk. 

Invest In Yourself

Whether you're looking to revamp some projects at work or simply get back into an artistic hobby of yours, the biggest thing you need to remember is that creativity takes nurtuting. If you don't put any time into practicing painting, even when you're not "feeling it", but then lament your lack of painting, you've gotten nowhere. 

Respect your creative side, and give it room to breathe. See where it takes you and stop micromanaging it! However, if you have absolutely NOT been micromanaging your creativity as of late, maybe you should give it a try. What am I saying? If you've got a set schedule, i.e., you wake up at 4 a.m. every morning and write for six hours, and your creativity seems to be at a standstill, maybe switch up your routine a little bit. 

Another great tip for keeping your creativity alive and flowing is to stop caring what others think about you. I know this sounds easier than it actually is, but I have countless ideas a day regarding projects or blogs 

The Faster You Fail, The Faster You Learn

This can be a hard pill to swallow, but chances are, you're not going to grow without failing every now and then. While these failures can be discouraging, remember that every failure teaches you something. The faster you fail, the faster you'll learn. 

The first step to keeping your creativity alive is always to remember that being "creative" is not always going to be immediate or necessarily easy; what helps others get their creative juices flowing may not work for you, and vice versa. The key is to explore what works for you and put that first.