How do you tap into your creativity?

What are the techniques you use to get your creative juices a-flowin'?

For me:
Sleep deprivation is a good one.
I also find fasting for a day or so works pretty well.
Recently, I bought these cds from Hemi-Sync. The theory behind Hemi-Sync being that they use specific sounds to stimulate parts of your brain. And it seems to be working. At the very least, the cds relax me. It's like a lazy form of meditation.
My favorite method, though, is A.D.D. medication. Dexedrine is guaranteed to do the job. The hard part, though, is finding people willing to part with it...

by procrastinating...i'm amazed how creative I am when it comes to thinking of new ways of avoiding things I need to do...

i get creative when i am beyond upset. or lonely. the most i wrote for a long period of time was when i was in maine b/c no one understood me and they judged me b/c of my appearance so i spent many nights drinkinga nd i started writing a book. a book that is now never gonna get done unless i stick my ass in the middle of nowhere with justa pen and paper and the belief i lost everything i cared and loved about.
my anger brings out my deepest thoughts and emotions

It depends on what kind of Rut I'm in. there's no one way to get em going.

Sometimes it's as simple as idly opening and closing a window, listeing to the sound of things being dropped on different types of ground, or holding a peice of paper up to light rays

Most of the time, I think about what my life would be like if all I ever did was jsut work, eat, and sleep. I picture myself in my 80's like that. That often scares the shit out of me, and I delve into whatever project I ahve in front of me.

I also find that I keep my interest whilst in the middle of a project by not telling everybody about it. (I try to only tell one or two people tops...people whom I can bounce ideas off of) If I tell a lot of people what I'm working on, it seems to nullify the significance of what I'm doing. It's like "Eveyone knows about it now. Why not abandon it, and work on something new?" Having something secret that you can suprise everyone with is always a good motivator.

good question

just stop trying to be creative for a couple of days. it'll come back. .

I watch a movie. Or get a drink coffee. Sometimes I go for a walk. Alone.

-x

Routine. Write everyday regardless of whether or not I feel I have something to say. Most of the best stuff drops unexpected, fully formed from a period of writing uninspired drek.

i mainly tap into my creativity out of neccessity. i tap onto suicide girls out of boredom.

i think i'm going with drugs and alcohol.

Outstanding topic.

rickroyal has it right. Discipline in one's craft seems to unlock things that just random stabs at it can't. Ever since I started to take myself seriously as a writer about 3 years ago I've produced a body of work that surprises me. Two screenplays (and a 2nd draft of one of them) and around 50 music articles & interviews. Not getting paid for it isn't a problem because the doing of this creative thing is pretty big reward in and of itself.

That may be a big part of unlocking creativity is letting go of the expectation of where you work will go, who will see it and how it will be received. Dig in with both hands just because you have no choice but to do it. Once I gave into the truth that nothing made me as happy as writing and not doing it was harder on me than actually doing the work, well, I felt much better.

Good coffee doesn't hurt either.

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A combination of a little physical exertion to get the blood flowing then some nice stress, caffiene, and company. That usually get me very creative. Very weird too.

depression, or smoking pot alone. also a lot of the time if a certain song will remind me of something, it will set off a spark.

A spigot and a ballpine hammer.

Pressure is the key. If I have a paper due in three weeks and I try to start it I get nothing done and that which I do get done sucks. If, however, I have to have the paper done the next day I can turn out something worth reading.

I'm with coffee.

For me, it depends on what I feel like doing. If I feel like writing I'll usually go for a run. If I feel like breakin out the pens and pencils I'll try and find something mellow to listen to.

For me any attempts to kick-start creativity just have the entirely reverse effect. I'm just naturally creative, so it just comes to me when I need it *buffs nails on shirt* (unlike the ladies..) Damn I'd happily trade spontaneuous creativity for a nice girlfriend...
Spike

Ya! Except that it hits me out of everywhere. My problem is that I have too much creativity to really focus anything.

I always start with an outline of what i want to accomplish and as i go along ideas will come that i hadnt seen before and i try and expand on those in the outline usually a very productive routine for me

One of my ninja super powers is creative osmosis.
Yup I just steal pplz idea's before they happen.

I write many notes/plans/goals everyday as they pop into my head. In the past, I would think up stuff, but neglect to write it down and it would be gone. Now it goes into my PDA.

One of my favorite ways of working on new music ideas whilst in assorted bands was to play along with the TV. You can spindle, mutilate, and create some nutty stuff that can lead to some interesting songs or riffs by applying your own twists to theme songs or backround music.

Taking a walk, riding a bike, or just getting some exercise can help clear yr head. This lets me see something from a different perspective.

[Edited on Mar 02, 2003 by HELLBELLY]