Take a walk

Go on, do it. Go for a walk.

Not right now, you’re reading this but after you read this, take a walk.

Why?

Because you’ll clear your mind and that’s when an idea will come. A great big world-changing idea! Or a tiny little idea. Or a reminder to pick up milk later. Whatever, it all happens when you take a walk.

Many of us are expected to be creative on demand – that’s what we get paid for. And we’re pretty good at it most of the time.

But some days, the ideas don’t come easily. We sit at our desks, look at our colleagues, make another coffee, stare at a blank screen, flick through our notebooks but nothing happens.

Where is it? Where is that idea?

It’s outside. It’s in the park. It’s up the street. It may even be right outside your door – the moment you step away from your desk, it hits you.

But keep going – if it hits you at the very moment you stop trying to find it, think what else will come as you keep walking.

Trust in the subconscious.

Once you’ve read a brief or had a meeting and go on to do something else, your subconscious is hard at work even if you aren’t. It’s doing half the job for you – it’s working things out, putting things together, creating things so when you’re ready to think of an idea, you don't have to go far to find it.

So far, so easy: step away from your desk, walk up the road, go to the park. Got it.

It’s all doable without taking too much time out from the day job, but imagine what’s possible with more time and more influences.

Find an afternoon to visit a gallery or a museum and you’ll not only find more ideas but your ideas will be richer.

Feed your brain, treat it to new adventures, open it up to different experiences and you’ll wonder why you don’t wander more often.

By Vikki Ross, Copywriter, Copywriting Tutor and Co-Founder of Copy Cabana.

Follow her @vikkirosswrites

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