Creativity is the lifeblood to our business; blogs, brand designs, social media, photography, promotions, copywriting…they all require us to grind our mental gears together to come up with unique yet relevant ideas. Fresh produce marketers across the industry can relate to this, as we are all tasked with crafting inspiring and creative ideas that will propel our companies forward. While it may come more naturally to some than others, it isn’t always easy to consistently be creative on a daily basis. Some of you may be surprised to hear that we also have days where our imaginations can feel like a barren dessert, and we struggle to think of anything valuable or “creative.”
Since generating quality ideas and solutions is part of our work as marketers, we have some tried and true ways to stay inspired and keep our minds fresh and alive. We hope these methods will help your own marketing team stay creative!
Media Consumption. Personally, to find new ideas, I read a book, article, blog post, or watch a video. Reflecting on other people’s ideas leads to a new realization. Doing a quick search around the web for what’s new and trending gets us in an “innovation” mindset. It’s also just a great way to stay on top of new technology or social trends that are starting to gain traction. The more tuned in we are, the more we are able to perceive what it is our audience responds the best to. Coming across an Instagram account or website that strikes us visually and emotionally can serve as a wonderful source of inspiration and creative influence. We wrote a little more about that here.
Travel/Visiting a New Place. It’s easy to get lost in the humdrum activities of quotidian life. Seeing and hearing the same things everyday can box our perceptions and limit our opportunities to witness something new. Seeing a new place, especially one that differs greatly with our hometown, can serve as a fountain for new inspiration. Taking in new architecture, food, sounds, landscapes, and ways of life gives our minds a new source of stimulus. Not to mention, traveling is one of the best ways to just clear our thoughts of its usual mental sludge. When traveling is not option, just a change of scenery can help; even something as simple as taking a walk around the building helps jog our imagination.
Music. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but listening to music helps us creatively. When it comes to writing or creating content, powerful and emotive music sets us in a more reflective, contemplative mood. Music allows our minds to wander and escape from thought to thought, which ultimately can inspire new ideas and facilitate writing, designing, photographing, or anything creativity related. Playlists such as Spotify’s “The Most Beautiful Songs in the World” is a go-to for inspiration that transforms our mental landscape.
Socializing. Often our best ideas happen as we share a casual conversation amongst ourselves. Hearing other people’s personal understanding of the world grants us the opportunity of insight into other viewpoints that differ from our own. We have a very open workspace at the DMA office, and each day we not only engage in conversations related to our work but also our experiences, life, and observations. This opens an avenue to not only refresh our minds but to spark new revelations as someone shifts our views or brings our attention to new technology or trend.
Do you have your own tried and true creativity generators? Share them with us @TheCoreBlog so we can benefit, too!
