This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.

Creativity is something I've always treasured as part of my life. As a kid, I would fill stacks of paper with drawings, write stories, and make my own dollhouse accessories. In college, I scrapbooked, painted, learned a bit of graphic design, and planned all the creative details of my wedding. As an adult, I designed this website, created lots of DIY projects, built some photography skills, and dived into decorating my home. I'm not an artist, but I do consider myself a creative person. A lot of people think this is easy. After all, being creative means making fun stuff like arts and crafts--and it just comes naturally, right?? Well...not necessarily. Sometimes, the creative juices are flowing and it IS easy. But sometimes, when you're in a rut, it can be draining, frustrating and a downright slog to try and create anything that you're proud of. So what should you do when you feel like you're in a creative rut?

1. Use this time to learn

If you're a creative professional, I would bet that there are parts of your business that you have been wanting to learn more about. Or perhaps there's a new tool or piece of equipment you've been meaning to research. This is the perfect time to work on those aspects you may have neglected when inspiration was flowing.

If you're a graphic designer or blog designers, perhaps you'll want to learn more about your Mac. Get to know the operating system (OS X), learn more about the programs you use daily (like Photoshop), and memorize shortcut keys like the snipping tool. Learn how to improve your workflow and make it quicker and easier, especially for repetitive tasks you do over and over again.

Or perhaps you'll use this time to take a quick course on taxes, or interview different accountants so you can finally delegate a task you don't enjoy.

No matter what, I bet there's a task you can take care of that will allow you to do something productive, even while you're in a rut. And once inspiration strikes, you'll be better set up to jump right in again.

2. Get up to date with trends

If you've had your head down working for awhile, you may not be keeping up with current trends as much. This could be a good opportunity to immerse yourself in what's trending, and see if any of it sparks an idea for you. It's not that you have to mimic what's popular, but researching trends can be a good way to find inspiration that feels fresh and current--or perhaps you'll even notice something that's on the cusp, and be one of the first to explore it. For many of us, that means getting on social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and Behance.

In this media-saturated world, it is very easy for creatives to get overwhelmed by all the incoming visual information. So it's up to you to know how much is too much. You can dive in and research everything from fashion, to food, to interior design...or you can simply follow a few people you respect in the areas of design that you wish to stay up to date on.

3. Allow inspiration to come to you

To be a successful creative, it's important to understand how inspiration works for you. Some people can grind away and still be blessed with flashes of inspiration, but most of us need to take a more passive and hands-off approach. It's never a good idea to try and force a flash of inspiration.

In fact, in the creative world, it's usually better to take a step back, stop pushing the issue, and let inspiration come to you. Make time to rest and play, to exercise, to get out in nature, to have lunch with a friend, to browse a few shops, or whatever it is that helps you refresh your mind and spirit...without having to worry about the end result of the pieces you are working on.

4. Find a support system

Something else that can be very helpful for professional creatives is to have a support system of others that are in similar positions to rely on. Being creative tends to be quite a solitary way of working, especially for those freelancing from home, so it can be both refreshing and invigorating to have a network of people to contact and communicate with.

In particular, it's always a good idea to try and find someone in a position that you would like to be in 5 years to act as your mentor. They can honestly critique your work and also help guide your career path and offer advice from their own personal experience.

5. Set aside time to create (anything, even if it's terrible)

Finally, when your creative juices are stalling, sometimes what you need is to manually get them going again. Set aside some time in your day, every day, to create something--anything--without stressing about whether it's "good" or not.

If you're a painter, you could try a different medium that feels like less pressure. Sketch, write, knit, or do something new that's just for fun. It doesn't matter what you create, just that you go through the process of allowing yourself to be creative. Sometimes that's all it takes to get some perspective, gain some new ideas, and get that spark of inspiration back.

What do YOU do to get the creative juices flowing again when you're in a rut??

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