Six Steps to get the Creative Juices Flowing (or How Not to get Caught in a Technology Loop)

So, you're all set up. You've got all your supplies ready and you've got Freaks and Geeks set to play. This is it - time to make something amazing. But there's one problem. You have no idea what the hell to  do! Despite the ever-expanding to-do list and the billions of ideas you're constantly thinking of when you're too busy to act on them, right now, your mind is empty.

Here's a few things that might help you get started:

1. Get off the internet. I'm sorry but it's true. Minds have the habit of wandering and now, with the gift and burden that is the internet, it can wander pretty far. Next thing you know four hours have passed and, although you now know everything about Queen Latifah, you are nowhere near close to completing anything!

2. Warm up. You don't have to dive in head first. Dip your toes in. Splash around in the proverbial shallow end. By that, of course, I mean doodle, write three pages of your stream of consciousness or dance to Beyonce in your underwear. 

2. Focus. I currently have about twenty different to-do lists, nine of which exist solely in my mind. The sheer volume of things you want to get done can be really overwhelming so try to focus on one thing at a  time, kill it, then move on to the next.

3. Just do it. (Thanks Nike). You'll be much better off putting pencil to paper, fingers to keyboard etc than just sitting there letting your thoughts takeover. Just remember that the first draft isn't necessarily the final piece. There's nowhere to go but up so get in your hot air balloon (that was weird).

5. Do something completely different. If your offline, warmed up, focusing and you still can't get the ball rolling then it might just be time to move on to something else. For now anyway. There's no point wasting hours trying to force something when you could be working on other projects.

6. Fine, turn the internet back on! The internet has a beautiful endless pool of inspiring loveliness just don't get taken over by it's Mind-Fi. Allow yourself 10 minutes or so and then get back to what you really want to do - create.