How to Leverage the Offseason for Creativity
We’re certainly deep in the dog days of summer—vacations in full swing, camps, BBQs, and some lazy pool days. Most of us are trying to squeeze in and soak up every last minute of summertime. Even still, the shadow of Labor Day is right around the corner and all that it brings with it: school days, ramped up work days, and before you know it, we’re looking at the beginning of the holiday season.
We may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Just a little. But as moms, and especially moms in business, hectic schedules often have us on autopilot with long to-do lists for home and work. We may get things done (and done well!) but it may leave little time for our creative sides to come out. And that part of us cannot be neglected. After all, our creative side is how we got to be the rockstar business moms that we are now. We need the time for creativity to innovate, to refresh our business plans, and to develop our next big idea.
So why not take these weeks, what many of us consider our “downtime”, and leverage it for creativity.
Creativity is the driving force behind innovation. While creativity is the production of new ideas, innovation is the implementation of those ideas. Creativity can take on different forms depending on our business needs. It can be the introduction of a new idea, solution, process, or product. And while innovation can take weeks, months or years to put into action, creativity can happen organically (yes even while we’re sipping that Frosé at the pool) or in a more strategic setting. Simply put, there is no innovation without creativity.
Looking for easy ways to spark creativity while still enjoying your downtime? Check out a few ideas:
Network. Connecting with others (online or in person), can lead to new friendships and great conversations, but it also can help bubble up some fresh new ideas that may have been simmering below the surface. Check out some of the networking opportunities with your fellow HeyMama friends on our events page.
Learn New Things. Take time to read, join an online course, practice a skill, or finally learn that software you’ve been putting off forever. Often, we’re too busy to set aside time for intentional learning, so make this your opportunity. And hey, if your partner or kids are interested, make it a family thing.
Nap. Yes. Nap. (Don’t you want someone to tell you to nap?!). Science Advances reports that we have a brief period of creativity and insight in the semi-lucid state that occurs just as we begin to drift into sleep. The findings imply that if we can harness that haze between sleep and wakefulness—known as a hypnagogic state—we might recall our bright ideas more easily.
So now that we’ve got those creative juices flowing again, what’s next when you get back to work?
Why not revisit some of the key elements of your business and determine if they may need a refresh? After all, the last few years have not only impacted businesses but also how we do business. The pandemic had many of us scrambling to find solutions and alternatives to the way we conducted business, and it’s important our business plan and brand reflect where we are today. You can start here:
Website. Does your business website include any new updates? Do your visuals need an upgrade? Is all the information up to date and accurate? How recent are your case studies or testimonials? Take a look. Or better yet, have someone else you trust take a look.
“Groan” work. Is there something that you constantly put off doing when it comes to your business? Or, that you do, but hate it and you groan every time you have to do it? Downtime is an excellent time to think about if that task can be done better, more efficiently, or even not at all.
Busiest Season Prep. Do you have a busy season? Or just the time of year when it feels like everything is coming at you all at once? For many of us, it may be the holiday season when we have family, friends, and work obligations, and with little time to prepare, we end up running ourselves ragged. And while the holidays aren’t a surprise, it somehow sneaks up on us every single year. Instead, utilize your downtime to get ahead of the busy season. Start with the small things—ordering branded gifts, putting lists together, drafting the end-of-year messages, etc. It’s going to feel soooo good to start crossing things off the list early.
So go ahead! Enjoy the vacation. Take a nap. Visit friends. Play with your kids. Enjoy these slow summer days. And give yourself a little creativity boost. Tell us what you’re doing with your downtime at Heymama.co