7 Ways to get Creative Juices Flowing

I'm not a huge fan of juice; I always drink apple juice on airplanes and OJ with scrambled eggs, and that's about it. But creative juice is the one type I could just swim in. Unfortunately, however, creativity is sometimes harder to summon than a returned phone call from a prospective client. Therefore, in order to get your brain going and your fingers moving, I've compiled a list of things that help squeeze that juice into a tall glass of productivity.

1. Drink at least two cups of something warm and caffeinated. I cannot stress the importance of coffee in the creative process. If "creativity" were an actual plant, it would be watered with caffeine.

2. Let your mind wander. Being lost has such a negative connotation. Sometimes getting lost in your own ideas is a deep, cleansing breath of pure O2 to the head. Just let one thought flow to the next until, DING DING DING! We have a winner.

3. Move. Staring at a blank computer screen is such a creativity killer. Go for a walk. Go for a run. Do handstands. Hula hoop. Do the dougie. Whatever. Regular rhythms (like running) help clear your head.

4. Chuck the box. "Thinking outside the box" is so cliche. How about tossing the box and running as far away from it as possible. Who says you can't eat ketchup with a spoon? In what country is it illegal to make up your own words? What would life be like if streets were replaced by ziplines? Do you think in a few years people will vacation on the moon?    What if cars ran on water instead of gas? What would happen if rain drops bounced?

5. Read other people's stuff. When I get stuck, I love seeing the manifestations from uber-creative people. It just makes me want to never sleep ever again.

6. Write stuff down. If an idea pops into your head, just accept the fact you will not remember it later. Get it in ink! Or megabytes! Or charcoal! Or lipstick! Just WRITE IT DOWN!

7. Talk to people. Conversation exposes ideas you didn't even know were in your mental filing cabinet. Knock noggins with a pal and all the sudden people will be scrambling for shelter from a massive brain storm raining creative juices everywhere.

Drink up!