It’s not always easy to connect with your creative side at work.
There are goals to meet, clients to deal with, lists to tick, bills to pay and work to do.
This is all true, and it’s all very grown-up. But if this is the sole soundtrack of your day as a business-owner, then things are going to get a little flat.
If there’s no time to indulge in more creative, beautiful, fun ways of doing things at work then no wonder you start to feel a bit ‘meh’ on a Monday morning.
When you indulge your inner child and give them even a tiny window of space in your work day, it goes a long way.
It’s counter-intuitive when we’re wrapped up with productivity, but actually these playful tasks encourage different ways of thinking, renewed focus and can get you unstuck if you’re in a rut.
Pick one of these creative tips in your business this week and see what happens!
1. Cut and paste your ideas
Make mini collages for your projects and goals. Select images from magazines or online that help you visualise and better understand what you’re working towards. Even 15 minutes spent in this kind of creative ‘dreaming’ process is remarkably effective for generating ideas and clarity in a fun and effortless way.
2. Give it some colour
Whether it’s your spreadsheets, notes for an important meeting or ideas for an upcoming project… let it sing. It might feel childish to take the time to add a splash of colour and some doodles, but it can generate new ideas as well as upping your engagement with the task in hand.
3. Get some creative rituals going
Especially if you work from home a lot, create some simple rituals around your day. A ritual can be any repeated set of actions that has some significance to you. For example, rather than dashing away from the desk once you’ve finished your day, take 2 minutes to reflect, clear any mess away and intentionally prepare the space for a great day tomorrow.
4. Keep learning
If you’ve been pushing on the same track in your business for a while, when was the last time you sought out new ideas and resources to keep you inspired? Ask colleagues and friends for ideas – are there any books or courses that are outside of your usual sphere of knowledge that could warm your heart or change up your ideas?
5. Switch up your environment
Do something unexpected in the space you usually work from. Take down your old fave pictures and put up something new, or have a few different images on rotation. Stick some inspiring quotes up and only keep them there for a week at a time. Paint the room, get a super comfy chair, hang a shiny quartz stone near the window to catch the light. Anything that might add a little surprise and delight in your place of work.
6. Prioritise connection and collaboration
Reach out to a real human being to share an idea or thought process if you’re struggling (or perhaps even before you’re struggling). Stop toughing it out on your own, you’ll feel instantly less stuck once you’ve had a few conversations about the issue. If you work on your own a lot – or if all your meetings are with clients rather than colleagues – then engineer some collaboration by planning some co-working times into your week or pairing up with another business owner as an ‘accountability buddy’ to discuss ideas with.
7. Get out of the box
Step away from the desk. It might feel like you’re wasting time if you pop out for a walk when you “should be making progress”, but you’ll be surprised at the gains in both efficiency and quality when you do this regularly.
8. ‘Indulge’ in a little conscious cleaning
The idea of dusting my office space doesn’t really thrill me to be honest. But setting aside a whole hour with beautiful music to very deliberately dust, clear, shine and love up my work environment… that could feel good. Think of it as an investment that infuses your work with a fresh new perspective and renewed energy for the week ahead.
The great thing about running your own business is that you call the shots, you set the tone.
So start being the kind of boss you actually want to work for!
If there isn’t a little fun, ease and colour in your work life right now… then what are you waiting for?
