You are at your desk. It's the last place you want to be right now, in the middle of a busy week, with hundreds of unopened emails in your inbox and a nagging headache blooming around your temples. And yet you have a certain pitch. You have to make your brain work, and you have to do yours Creativity flows to make it happen.

These days, it hardly matters what industry you're in. Creativity is required whether you are in car manufacturing, comforters, IT or property management. FINDING creative solutions to challenges. Designing creative sales campaigns. Think of a creative way to present and promote your business that hasn't been done a thousand times before. And, of course, generating creative content. That's the name of the game in today's market in almost every sector, and it's what I do a lot in my job. boutique PR firm.

But sometimes, I get stuck, uninspired, and run out of juice. Here's what I do to rev up my creativity engine when it's stalling.

Strategy #1: Eat brain food

When your mind isn't working the way you want it to, it's often a sign that your body is with little energy. How can your engine run without gas, right? So pump it with some fuel. I'm not talking about daily supplements to boost memory and long-term cognitive function; I'm talking short-term bursts of high-energy foods and drinks that will give you a little jolt to recharge your dead battery.

My favorite is a matcha-infused drink (the more refreshing and delicious, the better), but you can get similar effects with a bowl of seasonal berries, hard-boiled eggs, a handful of mixed nuts, avocado toast, a fatty tuna salad sandwich, or a bar of dark chocolate. It sounds easy (not to mention delicious!), but it works. First things first: feed yourself so you can feed your work.

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Strategy #2: Listen to your favorite playlist

Whether you leave the office for a walk outside with your headphones on or just get up from your desk to jam out to some of your favorite tunes—the ones that always make you dance—I promise you that putting in the music you love IN your brain will help you unlock what you are trying to achieve OUTSIDE of your brain.

Changing the senses or brain pathways is a long-accepted approach to “unblocking”. This actually works both ways: Some practices are focused on getting out of your head and into your body (think aromatherapy or taking a hot bath), and others aim to detach from physical discomfort by moving into yourself. higher (such as meditation and mindfulness exercises). Either way, shifting focus from your empty gas tank to an invigorating activity is an effective way to shift gears and get you back on track.

Strategy #3: Move, read, repeat

It has been said by Mark Twain (among others) that there is no new ideas, there are no new stories – only rehashed ones made from the same original elements, rearranged in endlessly new combinations. If you look all the way back to Shakespeare, this adage seems to be true: even his timeless and historically acclaimed plays of the English Renaissance apparently drew on and re-imagined works from the Italian Renaissance.

Point: Painters are inspired by looking at other paintings. Projects take root in architects as they see other buildings. Graphic artists browse design publications and boards to generate ideas for new layouts. So I have no problem admitting that when my well creative content it's over, I get on the web and start reading anything interesting I can find on the topic I'm trying to cover myself. It's my version of R&D in my field. I feel sure it would apply in any field, and it rarely fails. Find inspiration outside of yourself, then put your own signature on it when you own it.

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Strategy #4: Have a conversation with someone you admire

A speaking approach can also serve as a source of inspiration. You don't necessarily have to “talk” your dilemma out to someone, you just need to talk to someone you find inspiring. That's admiration in the end, isn't it? You admire someone because they inspire something in you.

So when your creative sponge is feeling dry, pick up the phone and reach out to someone who is a proven resource for solving problems and decision making. They will likely have ideas you haven't thought of; they will naturally say something in conversation that sparks a match. I was recently chatting with a friend about a new app she had just downloaded to her phone…and voilà! The purpose of the app led me down a path of thinking that unlocked my brain!

Strategy #5: Free write in a journal

You can read what others have written to spark your creativity, yes, but you can also write your own way production routes. When I can't think of a new idea, I open my online journal and just start writing. Sometimes what comes out is meaningless. Sometimes it makes sense, but not for the particular job at hand.

So once you have some thoughts down the page, just to get them out of your head (garbage thoughts like, Why the hell can't I get anywhere with this project today?), keep writing, keep writing. Slowly work loosely and loosely towards a little more structure until something starts to take shape.

Example: Last month, I was trying to create a tag for a new promotional campaign for one of my clients. When full statements didn't work, I just wrote their name at the top of the page and then started listing single, individual words that came to mind about this client, stream-of-consciousness style. Within 10 minutes, two words jumped out at me as fresh and reasonable. I slapped on a noun here and a verb there and before I knew it, I had a tagline that was good enough to anchor the entire campaign. I took the last sip of my matcha smoothie through the straw with complete satisfaction!

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With everything we all have on our plates today—with the many hats entrepreneurs wear and the many roles we juggle—it's no wonder our brains often don't have room for creativity and innovation to move on demand. To help propel yourself forward, try some of these techniques to get your inner engine going and stimulated right brain thinking. Sometimes, I feed my soul, sometimes, I boogie to ABBA, and sometimes, I borrow from others, but once my engine starts up, I can go off on my own again, in my own direction.