Thursday Thirteen: Recharging your creativity

Sometimes, despite our best precaution, the creative well runs dry. Instead of staring at the blank page, we step back and do something to "refill the well."

1. Swim in the ocean. (Juniper Bell) 
2. Go to a concert or a play or a hockey game--something that involves people who are really good at whatever they do. (Kelly Jamieson)
3. Do something differently-creative - sing, act, paint, whatever gets those creative juices flowing. (Kate Davies)
4. Attend a local writer's meeting--a great RWA speaker or commiserating with other authors does wonders for creativity. (Skylar Kade)
5. Get out of the house and do something else--shopping always works! Otherwise, read a book, reorganize your closet, wash your hair--basically anything that doesn't require a whole lot of creativity. (Meg Benjamin)
6. Read--old favorites, mostly. (Erin Nicholas)
7. It depends. If it's the serious "well is dry, can't stand anyone's writing" kind of exhausted then I need to totally veg out--see several movies in a row, spend time in the garden, drive up the coast and visit wineries, go for a hike (or better yet, a sail)--anything that gets me out of my usual environment or provides sensory input but doesn't involve reading or require me to think...in fact, better get someone else to drive. If it's more mild, the "I just finished this book and don't know what to work on next" kind of thing, then an extended date with my TBR pile is in order. If I'm merely irritated with my WIP, well, that's what housework is for. And, can I just say, my kitchen has never looked better than it does right now! (PG Forte)
8. I know it's already been said, but my tip is reading. Although I'll add reading ANYTHING can help - a good book but also magazines (I get lots of ideas from Cosmo and Marie Claire, also news magazines like Macleans here in Canada (similar to Time or Newsweek) and the newspaper! (Kelly Jamieson)
9. Watch something you've seen (and loved) before. Favorite movie, tv show, videos on YouTube. Anything that won't require too much attention paid, but makes you happy. (Kate Davies)
10. Do some in-depth "research" with my husband. (Juniper Bell) 
11. It's hard, but I try to get really busy with something else for awhile. Always helps to clean out the "garbage" and get a fresh start. (Erin Nicholas)
12. Get together with non-writing friends, drink wine, and remember that life doesn't ENTIRELY revolve around my writing. (Juniper Bell)
13. Listen to talk radio or a podcast. I like NPR's "This American Life" or anything that tells true stories. They always either inspire a whole new plot (or plot twist) or distract me enough to get over my creative block. (Skylar Kade)