Marcel Legros - Play the Game of Life

I’ve been stuck the last several days with a feeling of no flow - no creative ‘mojo’. I became an automaton after many days glued to the computer - writing or tweaking my site for too long. So I unplugged…

Unplug and Tune In

‘Unplug’ yourself before a creative speed bump turns into a creative wall. Technology is great but it enforces a heavy price, if you aren’t paying attention. When you get too plugged into a project and into technology, you run the risk of disconnecting from life’s flow. Getting too close to your work often means you lose objectivity - lose sight of the bigger picture.

Remember Three Things About Creativity:

1. You don’t own it. Creativity spontaneously rises from life itself. You are alive and you are creative.
2. Creativity includes - it doesn’t exclude or discern. Discernment, logic, and discrimination narrows your view. Creativity has a broad view with unlimited possibilities. Frequently step back and entertain different ways to do your work.
3. Mistakes are a good idea. Some of man’s greatest inventions were the result of a happy mistake. You have to try many things that don’t work in order to find the one or two things that do.
4. You can be creative doing ANYTHING at all.

When you hit a wall the best thing to do is to step away from your Blackberry, iPod, or computer, and turn off the tv. Get some exercise. Read a book. Doodle in a notebook or on the back of a business card. Take half an hour to write some ideas in your journal. When was the last time you had a water fight on a hot summer day?

Simple Suggestions to Help You Get Your Creative ‘Mojo’ Back

• If you commute, change the route you take to and from work today.
• Don’t watch television at all for 24 hours.
• Eat something totally new for lunch today.
• Take a walk. It doesn’t have to be brisk - just explore your neighbourhood.
• Sit quietly in a natural surrounding for even a few minutes. Nature is a powerful force of creativity and it rubs off.
• Practice conscious housework. Instead of mentally escaping from your chores, bring your entire focus into them and watch what happens.
• Exercise is a powerful tool to creatively unblock yourself. Try yoga, running, cycling, swimming, or weight training. If you are in good physical health, your mind works more effectively.

Explore your surroundings, allow a flexible mind by introducing changes, and connect to humanity. This will get you closer to creative flow sooner than any piece of software ever can.

Every A-list blogger will tell you the key to their success is an almost fanatical dedication to posting frequently. I argue that if you get burned out in the process, no one will want to read what you have to say. Content without quality, sucks - plain and simple.