Amazing Quotes to Inspire You Out of a Creative Rut To get your mind flowing with ideas, consider the advice of these great thinkers throughout history.
By Peter Gasca Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It is entirely easy for entrepreneurs to get caught up in the rigorous daily grind of running a business and have her or his creative effectiveness greatly hindered. Add to this insecurity and fear of failure and you will land yourself in a creative black hole in no time.
While every person has their own way of working out of these ruts, I have found one method to be fairly useful and reliable. When I find myself in an unproductive phase creatively, I look to others for the inspiration, more specifically talking with or reading about other creative minds and what they do to find inspiration.
Related: 5 Insanely Inspirational Quotes For Entrepreneurs
In the process, I may pick up a new meditation tip or an awesome new playlist on Soundcloud. More often than not, however, I find the greatest motivation in the inspirational words of these creative minds. So, if you find yourself struggling with your creativity, consider the advice below from a few of the most prolifically creative minds throughout history.
Have no fear of perfection -- you'll never reach it. -- Salvador Dali
Many entrepreneurs strive for perfection, which is ultimately an unattainable goal, but if you are willing to embrace the more realistic outcome that you will have imperfection in your work, you will find it much easier to move from idea to idea.
The chief enemy of creativity is 'good' sense. -- Pablo Picasso
Getting caught in idealistic business constructs will limit your ability to think beyond ordinary. Ideas, regardless of how good or bad, come from a place where few people go.
Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things. -- Ray Bradbury
Creativity rarely comes from structured thinking exercise. Instead of spending time planning to be creative, just do it.
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will get you everywhere else. -- Albert Einstein
When you allow your creativity to operate without boundaries and think adventurously, you will see connections you would not ordinarily see.
Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom. -- Soren Kierkegaard
Nobody likes anxiety, but if you can learn to channel the feeling in a useful way, it can be a very powerful and inspirational energy.
Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to the dark place where it leads. -- Erica Jong
Working in the creative medium is one thing, but acting on your ideas, while the logical next step, is also very often the most terrifying. Have courage and confidence to act on your ideas.
A man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. -- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Related: How Creative Geniuses Come Up With Great Ideas
Taking the first step is always the most difficult. Once you do, you will find that creative insight as well as the courage to act on it will get easier over time.
Nine out of 10 businesses fail, so I came up with a foolproof plan: create 10 businesses. -- Robert Kiyosaki
And, when all else fails, just frame the idea of failure in a different way and keep going.
Once you have embraced these great pieces of advice and are ready to ignite that creative fire, here are a few more:
An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all. -- Oscar Wilde
Curiosity about life in all its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people. -- Leo Burnett
You see things, and you say, "Why?' But I dream things that never were, and I say, "Why not?' -- George Bernard Shaw
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. -- Benjamin Franklin
If you can dream it, you can do it. -- Walt Disney
If you feel inspired, then find a creative routine and get started.
Think left and think right, and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! -- Dr. Seuss
And, finally, remember that creativity is also inspired and best curated by collaboration and sharing ideas. If you found this useful, please pass along to others, because:
Creativity is contagious, pass it on. -- Albert Einstein
