Insights
1 min Read
September 25, 2013

Mommy, where do ideas come from?

I’m turning in my blog post assignment a week late. For the first time, when my turn came around, I didn’t know what to write about. I was blocked. Then someone, I suspect in an attempt to be a smartass, suggested that I write about where good ideas come from.

We all run out of gas from time to time. For the creative department at Big Duck, the ongoing challenge is being able to do great work as we “create-on-demand” for clients and colleagues. We don’t always know where inspiration comes from—or when it will strike.

And all of us are juggling several projects at once, each with its own unique demands. So some projects invariably end up getting more inspiration, while others get more of the perspiration.

If you traffic in ideas at your job—and I would argue that most people working in communications and development do just that—you might check out Todd Henry and The Accidental Creative. He’s probably doing the best work I’ve seen on helping professional “creatives” build processes to help us stay creative and healthy.

For example, he recommends setting aside a little bit of time every week to do some free play—just a bit of creating that has no purpose at all. It can be making a collage, or sketching with charcoal, or free writing. It’s so simple, and yet it’s something I’ve let slide for a while now.

Maybe that’s why it was so hard to come up with an idea for this blog post. Do you have any practices that you do to help you keep inspired and creative at your job? If so, share in the comments!

Dan Gunderman

Dan Gunderman is the Former Creative Director at Big Duck

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