No matter what you do for a living, the summer months are often filled with days when the motivation to be creative is hard to come by. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to remain inspired and creatively stimulated over the course of the season. From taking up a new hobby or learning a new skill to making time for reading and reflection, here are some tips for staying creative during the dog days of summer.

Make a mood board of inspiration - A vision board is one way to stay inspired and motivated, but a mood board can have a more specific purpose. Gather images or quotes that evoke a response within you, and use it as the catalyst for your next project.
 
Take up a hobby - Whether it’s painting, photography, writing, playing an instrument, or gardening - taking up a new hobby can provide an escape and produce meaningful results. Not only does this help stimulate your creativity, but it also helps break up long workdays.
 
Get outdoors - Taking a break from work and spending a little time outside can help clear your head and provide the motivation to stay creative. A change of scenery does wonders for breaking up the monotony of day-to-day life, which often leads to more creative ideas.
 
Learn something new – Studies have shown that learning new skills or knowledge boosts creativity. Explore topics you may not be familiar with in order to broaden your perspectives and inspire inventive solutions.
 
Read widely – Reading books, articles, or blogs can provide an abundance of ideas and insights into different fields or topics. This helps expand your knowledge base while also sparking new ideas in unexpected ways.
 
Experiment & collaborate - Working together with others is a great way to find creative solutions. Brainstorming with friends or colleagues can help invigorate ideas and generate innovative outcomes.
 
Take breaks & reflect – Just like taking a break from work, taking time out of your day to relax and reflect can also be beneficial for staying creative. Taking short walks, meditating, listening to music, or going for a swim can recharge your creativity and give you the motivation to stay inspired.

Relax - Do something that relaxes you and helps you unplug from technology every now and then. Whether it’s playing an instrument, reading a book, meditating, or going for a swim – spend some time doing something just for yourself so you can re-energize your creativity levels.

It’s important to remember that everyone finds different ways of staying inspired, so make sure to mix things up throughout the summer to keep your ideas fresh and maintain motivation throughout the season!