1) Watch a movie that you’re not “in the mood” to watch.
You know the ones I’m talking about. Go through your Netflix cue or the list you’re keeping on your phone of movies your friends keep telling you you need to see but you haven’t gotten around to yet. You can’t only fuel your brain with lighthearted comedies or action packed thrill rides; watch that movie that looks like a chore to get through. What’s great about watching something you’re not “in the mood” to watch is that you go into it with no expectations. That causes one of two things to happen; either you’re pleasantly surprised and inspired to create something of your own, or the movie sucks and you spend the entire time thinking of how you could do so much better. Either way, now you’ve got your creative juices flowing
2) Break a sweat.
We’ve all heard it before. Get up and get moving. The whole idea behind exercising to spark creativity is that it allows you to clear your head. When you’re thinking about the pain you’re body is going through or the physical goal you want to reach, you’re not stressing about how to start act III of your screenplay or whether or not you’re getting a call-back. Get out of the mental and into the physical, and as an added bonus all that exercise will cause your brain to produce serotonin, which will leave you feeling happier and thus more productive.
3) Go somewhere new.
We’ve all got our favorite coffee shops or cafés, but how about today you head somewhere new? The thing about going to a place you’ve never been is that well everything is new; the décor, the view, the people. But make sure you don’t just go somewhere new but you also stick around for a while. Soak it all in. Being around all this new stuff is bound to get you thinking about things you haven’t thought of before. Combine that with your natural creativity and talents, and now you’re cooking with Crisco.
4) Learn something that you don’t need to know.
Go to Youtube and watch one of the thousands of how-to videos there, or keep it old school and head to a library or bookstore and pick up something. (That can be your number 3 too!) Just take a little time and learn something that has nothing to do with your career or work. It doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact it’s probably best if you keep it simple. Learn how to make fake blood or how to play the spoons. This will not only get you thinking outside of the box, but learning something new is a great way to keep us actors, who let’s face it can get a little egotistical, grounded and humbled by the fact that we don’t know everything.
5) Call home.
The last one is doubly good for you because it will help spark your creativity and also, you probably don’t call home enough so it will make your family happy. So pick up the phone, call someone back home, and just ask your family about what’s going on with them. Listen to your niece talk about how she’s going to dress like “Elsa” for Thanksgiving or your mom’s plan to remodel the downstairs bathroom. We can get into this rut of thinking that we need drastic experiences in order to be artists, but you don’t have to jump out of an airplane or live on the streets of Bangkok to have a unique, creative voice. Believe it or not, you are the only person in the world who ever lived who has your exact life. That makes your perspective unique and something worth sharing with the world. So get that spark ignited and create something!