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Ever find yourself overworked and under inspired? If your job calls for creativity (and I’m not sure what job doesn’t), then you must periodically hit the reset button on your creative heart. Last week, I reset mine in expected and unexpected ways.

My title is Creative Director. Buried under that title is also team leader, problem resolver, email answerer, office energizer and more ... a load of stuff that often doesn’t feed creativity. More often, these “other duties as assigned” drain my creativity. Recently, I’d sort of zoned out. Time to get out.

I attended "Story," a two-day conference for “the creative class.” The conference was really good. There were inspiring speakers and more-creative-than-expected experiences AT the conference, but much of my recharge came from decisions I made about how I would attend the conference. I got out of my routine and in doing so, afforded my brain new experiences to refresh and recharge. I ...

• Traveled and attended alone. I love to be with other people, but I forced myself to have some alone time. Alone with me. Alone with God.
• Rode MegaBus to Chicago. With no car, I walked almost everywhere (even the two miles from my hotel to conference site).
• Had to rely on a map.
• Enjoyed city life for 72 hours.
• Ate sushi at the sushi bar.
• Gave myself a half-day “retreat” including a six-mile run along the lake.
• Went to the release party for the "Outspoken" church communications book and dove deep into conversation with a couple people instead of trying to talk with everyone (my norm).
• Sat on my luggage for 40 minutes at the bus stop and pondered the stories of people passing by. 
  

So, what about you? Are you zoned out? Then make plans to get out, and when you do, change up your norm and watch a wave of new experiences reset your creative heart.