5 Ways to Stay Creative

I've been making and selling handcrafted jewelry for almost 30 years now, and I love it!  But even doing something you love has its moments where you might need some help.  Take a step back, reflect, recharge...however you want to put it.  Here are five ways that help me keep the creative juices flowing!

1) Listen to new music.  Rhapsody has a "New This Week" feature, and "You Might Like.." suggestions based on what I listen to regularly.  I've found some great new bands that way!

2) Carry a notebook everywhere.  I never know when the muse is going to strike.  I often get ideas while I'm driving.  I carry a small spiral notebook in my purse so I don't forget any of those great ideas!

3) Read a page of a dictionary or thesaurus.  I sometimes use those tools when I'm writing descriptions for my online listings, and I'll look over entire pages, just checking out words and words and words.  Starts some free-flowing thinking!

4) Get plenty of rest.  I love to sleep, plus right before I fall asleep and just as I'm waking up are very often times of creative thinking.  Many mornings before I get up I'll just lie in bed designing jewelry in my head!

5) Clean my work space.  If all else fails, sorting wire and putting beads away inevitably leads me down a creative path.  I run across a stone I forgot I wanted to set, or several strands of beads will clump together in a color combination that hadn't occurred to me.  Plus I end up with a clean-ish space where I can actually work!

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