Changing Perspective

Every so often, even the most creative folks can fall into a rut. By doing so, we box ourselves into a mental space that limits the way we view our work. How do we deal with this?

Let's Get Physical

When I was a kid, I used to turn myself upside down on the sofa and imagine I could walk on the ceiling. Looking around the room showed me all sorts of things in a different light. Even the dust motes in the sunlight sparkled a little differently. Whether it's flipping around like a kid or standing on a desk Dead Poet's style, shifting your physical person is a really effective way of seeing things anew.

Are You Mental?

Changing your perspective in a physical sense is only one way to bust out. Although completely changing your mental perspective may be unrealistic, it's possible to at least get a glimpse of the limits we impose on ourselves simply by being who we are. Take a good look at the next person you pass on the street or in a store and imagine yourself as that person (yep, with THAT look on your face and in THOSE pants). Carrying someone else's happiness or cares for just a few short moments can bring amazing insight into what the heck is weighing down your own creative inclinations. For instance, what type of person did you imagine when you thought about the pants and face combination above?

Choose Your Own Adventure

Here are a few thoughts for when the humdrums come knocking at your design door.

• Chase down the ice-cream truck next time it rolls by.
• Ride the bus around a single circuit.
• Leave your t-shirt on backwards next time it goes on wrong.
• Buy that weird vegetable at the grocery store and figure out what to do with it.
• Write a blog post starting with the first-person plural narrative mode, then follow it with first-person view, then flip in a little second-person narrative.

Shaking it up with some little things can shift your perspective just enough to get out of that rut. If not, hopefully you at least got a quick break and had a little fun in the interim.

PS - If you're the type that never comments on a blog, this might be a good time to give it a try.