7 Ways to Increase Your Advertising Creativity

Advertising is all about creativity. From your headline to the colors you choose, your advertisements need to be creative if they’re going to attract attention.

Now you might not think of yourself as a creative person, but it doesn’t take a lot to increase your artistic abilities. Here are seven suggestions that will help you increase your creativity without even leaving your desk. Pick a few each day, and you’ll be designing incredible ads in no time.

1. Sketch

You don’t have to be a professional artist to be creative. All you really need is a pencil, paper and a few minutes. Sketch out the first thing that comes to mind, or try to recreate an object sitting on your desk. Doodle lines, circles or stars – whatever sounds fun to you at the moment.

While these doodles probably aren’t going to become your next advertising campaign, they are going to get your creative juices flowing.

2. Listen to Music

It’s hard to be creative when you’re sitting in silence. One of the easiest ways to increase your creativity is to turn on the radio (or Pandora or Spotify). Whether you plug in your headphones or share your song selection with the entire office, a little music will go a long way in boosting your creativity.

3. Take a Break

It’s impossible to stay creative while working non-stop. Your brain needs time to relax and refresh.

Now this doesn’t mean take a three-hour lunch break, or only work two days a week, but it does mean you should be budgeting a certain amount of downtime into your busy day. If you’re feeling overworked, try the Pomodoro Technique, which is said to maximize focus and creativity. Your ideas are sure to be better when your brain is fresh.

4. Move Your Body

 Don’t just give your mind a break; Give your body a break, too. Take a few minutes to stand up and walk around the office – or better yet, walk outside. You’ll be surprised how much more creative you feel when you’re outdoors instead of staring at a computer screen.

Not only does moving give your mind and body a break, but it also allows you to change your perspective. Who knows, maybe a new, great advertising idea will pop into your head the second you see something unusual outside.

5. Surround Yourself with Creativity

 You might not naturally be a creative person, but maybe your co-worker or one of your employees is. Surround yourself with their creativity. Bounce ideas off of them, and listen to the ideas they have. Over time, their creativity will start to rub off on you. It’s almost impossible to create great work all by yourself, so keep others close by.

6. Admire Others’ Advertising Creativity

Take a break and admire others’ creativity.

Maybe you’re feeling stuck while designing an advertisement, or you can’t quite make your copy sound the way you want. Stop staring at your own work for a minute and admire another’s. Look at the work of other great advertisers, or even just scroll through some photos on Instagram or Facebook. Looking at other people’s artwork will give you new ideas and help increase your creativity when you finally come back to your own work.

7. Break the Rules 

There really are no rules when it comes to advertising, and that’s great news for your creativity. With that being said, don’t keep your ideas in a box. Give your mind room to roam free. Try something you’ve never done before; use a new font; change up your artwork; try digital advertising instead of print ads, or vice versa. The easiest way to increase your creativity is just to try something new.

You might not be the next Pablo Picasso, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. Choose a few of these suggestions to try each day, and your creativity (and advertising) will thank you.