Fuelling creativity in communications
Picture the scene. You’re sitting down to craft a press release, write a blog post or develop a client strategy.
Before you can find your flow, you receive your twentieth email of the day. That germ of an idea you’ve been nurturing? Gone with the ping of your inbox.
For comms professionals, the demands of corporate life can all too easily stifle creativity. We asked our team about the everyday habits and rituals that help them to stay inspired – and make inspiring content.
Katie Witcombe
Giving yourself the time and space to let your thoughts unspool is a luxury in our always-on, plugged-in age. Having a device in your pocket which provides endless entertainment, and the latest news can feel like a necessity. But being well-informed doesn’t always lead to creativity or originality. In fact, it can stifle it.
I think it’s important to feel comfortable with boredom. Some of my best ideas have come when I’ve been staring out of a train window or standing in a queue. Shutting my laptop and heading off for a walk is a great way to blow away the creative cobwebs. The act of putting one foot in front of the other is enough to get my mind whirring, and my thoughts in order.
Creativity is like a muscle I need to exercise. I’ve found that reading and writing is one of the best ways to keep my own content fresh. Whether it’s a novel or the copy on the back of a cereal box, other people’s words can help me to unlock my own. Journalling is also a game-changing habit. In her book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron shares the power of “Morning Pages”; a daily stream-of-consciousness writing practice. Rather than reaching for my phone in the morning, I try to scribble down my thoughts about the day ahead.
I’ve been reading about the daily rituals of creative writers, artists, philosophers and musicians. Not all of them are replicable (F Scott Fitzgerald viewed gin as an essential part of the creative process and Truman Capote would only write when horizontal). But one thing the subjects all have in common is a sense of curiosity and a belief in maintaining the scared space – whether physical or mental – to create.
It’s all too easy to give in to the lure of your inbox, meetings or social media. Carving out time for deep thinking, ideation and experimentation is difficult to do, but it will elevate your work beyond the ordinary.
Arianne Smart
To keep nurturing creativity, there are a few habits that work for me. Morning and evening dog walks are strictly phone-free, giving my mind space to wander (and wonder!) and I often come up with my best ideas or mull over a tricky task. There’s something about the fresh air and quiet of an early morning stomp that really sets my mind whirring.
Reading is a given working in the comms space, but I make a conscious effort to mix up the medium – online news, magazines, newspapers and sector-specific titles for the sectors I work in. It’s my resolution to complete the enormous ‘to be read’ pile on my bedside table this year too (and so far, so good!).
I’ve an ever-growing list of podcasts that I listen to, and I try to seek out diverse voices to broaden my perspective and avoid getting stuck in a rut. A couple of current favourites include Leadership Lessons from Management Today, Working It from FT and Great Company with Jamie Laing.
I love working remotely, and working from home, but nothing beats an in-person team brainstorm session or face-to-face client kick-off meeting. When the default might be to jump on Teams, I think it’s important to get together, in different locations too, to nurture conversation and creativity.
Stacey Broadbear
As a designer, I’m naturally drawn to the arts. I love browsing a craft fair, exploring an arts trail, or watching a theatre performance. These experiences often spark ideas in my own creative work.
Living in Bristol, with its thriving creative community, also helps. I’ve connected with many talented people here, and following their work is a constant source of inspiration. Seeing what can be achieved really drives me to keep pushing creatively.
Or sometimes stepping back can be just as productive as diving in. When I’m stuck, a break clears my head, or a quick chat with someone often leads to fresh ideas and a new direction.
Ben Lowndes
I’ve always loved working at pace in any job I’ve had over the last 30 years. Nothing focuses me more than a deadline – or two.
With experience comes the learning that it’s important to find time to plan and think, and to be ready to capture ideas when you least expect them to hit you.
Being ‘always on’ is not conducive to finding the space to think, so it’s important to seize the moment to do nothing and let thinking happen. Planning creates space for that to happen.
On planning, before I fire up my emails, I’ll dip into priorities on our team’s Asana board to remind myself what I need to do and who I’m speaking with. If I’m travelling to Bristol on the bus, I’ll use that time to check in virtually with colleagues and follow the news before arriving at the office. I dip into emails a couple of times a day and try not to allow pings to distract me at other times. The world continues turning regardless.
During lockdown, I started writing regularly for myself again after a lengthy fallow period. It’s said that to write clearly, is to think clearly, and finding time for this has helped me to see through the fog during some dark moments. It’s had good responses from others, which is a bonus.
Beyond habits, I’m extremely fortunate to have great people in my life. Colleagues, family and life-long friends challenge and inspire me, providing the perfect recipe for nurturing great ideas and killing bad ones. Bots and apps may help us to work smarter, but they can’t replace the human spark that drives me to think – and do – better.
Photo by Alice Dietrich on Unsplash.
Written by Katie Witcombe and team Distinctive.
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