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Changing your pace and place can lead to creative breakthroughs.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been sharing ideas to help you get back your creative mojo. Whether you are a full-time creative, knowledge worker, business owner, or non-profit leader, creativity is needed to do work that matters. Or maybe you need some fresh creativity in your marriage or parenting or some other role you fulfill in life.

• Week 1 - Margin (sorry, link isn’t working for this one)
• Week 2 - Disruption​

In this week’s piece, we are going to talk about “Pace and Place.” This closely aligns with my last post on disruption but takes it a bit further.

#3 Change Your Pace and Place

“Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective.” (Mark Batterson, author)

Once, during a strategic planning retreat, I hit a wall and felt completely stuck. After struggling for hours, I opted for a change of scenery and wandered into the woods for a walk. By the time I returned, I had untangled the problem and had several fresh ideas.

When you feel stuck on something, try changing your pace and place for a different result. I have a few places I go to do this. One of them is a park near my house with a pond. I like to sit overlooking the pond to think. Another is a walking trail near my home. There is a particular bench where I sit under a shady tree looking out to the park and a farm field. It doesn’t happen very often, but when someone else is sitting on my bench, I get perturbed! There are also a few other places I occasionally frequent when I need a change of pace and place, including a coffee shop, a library, a monastery, and a used bookstore I just adore. The point is that life can get stagnant and stale, and creativity is better viewed as a river than a pond. Here are some pictures of me at Bedlam Bookstore and Cafe. ​

Unlock Your Creativity

Make a list of places that spark creativity, are a change from your everyday pace, and visit one this week! If you can’t think of any, make time to try one new place this week to determine if it could be one of your go-to places. If all else fails, just get outside for a long walk and take a small notebook.

If you work an office job, try it on your lunch break. You can also ask your boss if you can take a walk or work at a local coffee shop (or some other place) for a few hours to think creatively about a project or untangle a work-related problem. Afterward, show her what it yields! Don’t make your request about what you need; make it about benefitting the company.

PS - Enjoying this newsletter? Why not forward it to someone else? If they like it, they can sign up for the weekly Catalyst Newsletter right here.​

PSS - Leave me a tip so I can keep creating!

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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