Audiences have A.D.D. It doesn’t matter what your product or service is, whether it’s a new engineering process, innovative downhole tubing, or some cool instrumentation, great creative is required to capture an overstimulated market and leave a favorable impression.
Perpetually distracted by smartphones, deadlines, and the monotony of business, your brain may feel a little bland and blasé. You’re likely too exhausted to conjure up wickedly creative ideas on demand. When your firing synapses feel more like a short circuit, it’s time to wake your imagination by working with your brain instead of against it.
If you’re already distracted, don’t fight it, use it. When you find yourself surfing the web for a Mad Men–inspired beam pump advertisement, that may be your creative side quietly protesting: They just don’t tell stories like they used to. After the distraction, take a moment to examine where your attention wandered. Could those few minutes of thumb-twiddling actually relate to the task at hand? Better yet, could that unexpected detour lead to a fresh idea or new presentation?
Many habitual procrastinators are wracked with guilt over their short attention span and miss the value of a mental reset. Instead of beating yourself up for taking a quick walk around the building, use that time to let your mind roam freely around the problem you’re trying to solve, without the pressure of staring at it head-on. You’re still working (mentally), while giving your body a break. More importantly, you’re giving yourself space to think, and that’s often where insights emerge.
If stress or frustration is driving your restlessness, numerous studies cite meditation as a powerful way to replenish creative energy. Mindfulness meditation is one approach that can be practiced almost anywhere. If that phrase sounds more like a Latin chant than a solution, the Mayo Clinic puts it simply:
This type of meditation is based on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment. You broaden your conscious awareness. You focus on what you experience during meditation, such as the flow of your breath. You can observe your thoughts and emotions, letting them pass without judgment.
For creative work, meditation is especially useful in gaining perspective. By quieting the mind, you create room for new ideas to wander in and make themselves heard.
So if you happen to see the Rebox team chanting on the porch while staring out at the river, feel free to stop and say hello. We’re just giving ourselves a big kick in the creative, all in service of transforming brands from mundane to magnificent. If your team needs help reigniting creative momentum, contact us, we’d love to help.
