How to be Creative when You're Just not Feeling It
October 2025
October 2025
Sometimes, for me, creativity is an elusive creature that only pops up at night, or in the shower, or when I'm chatting with friends. I can be in the middle of a conversation, and randomly say "Omg! I figured it out!" and I immediately start jotting down my idea in my phone so I can flesh out my fantastic idea during work hours. But what if it IS work hours, and the creativity just isn't flowing? What can be done then when deadlines are approaching? I've learned techniques that help me be creative and productive when it's crunch time, whether I'm tired, distracted, or just not feeling it; here they are.
Even when I feel like I don't have enough information to get started, there are some basic things I like to write down. I've bullet pointed this information below, and I typically label this the "Swamp." I word vomit everything I know, even if it's obvious. I want the information to be visible, not just in my head, especially if I am feeling stuck. As a Designer, I would put this in Figma, giving each bullet point its own text box. As a Researcher, I would put this in Miro, and put each bullet point as 1 stickie. If I did not have the answer, I would leave it as a question, color it red, and ask the assignor to answer those questions for me as soon as possible. This may spark a knowledge share of additional information.
Jira ticket number, text from the Jira ticket, product or module the request is for
PM in charge, the modules they usually work on, their upcoming time off
Customer or Stakeholder this is for
Screen shots of legacy product, if available
Types of user interactions allowed i.e. scroll, click, tap, type, scan
End-user personas (include the assumed personas, and the known personas)
Assigned date, due date, follow up meeting dates
Any emails or messages about the ticket
In addition to the Swamp bullet points, there are definitive questions that can be asked that also might uncover information that was not previously shared. I like to ask these questions during the kickoff meeting, even if the ticket seems straight forward.
Is this a "proof of concept" request or is it a "pixel perfect" request?
Is this for Desktop, Mobile, or both?
Read the Jira ticket again, out loud - is there any part of the Jira ticket that is vague? Is there an unfamiliar term present? What assumptions were made about information in the ticket? Say this out loud, during a kickoff meeting, and the assignor can confirm or correct the information. This can help clarify ambiguity tremendously!
If the ticket is confusing, what part of the ticket is confusing? Does the request contradict system capabilities or existing user work flows? Highlight the confusing part in red and ask the assignor to elaborate on that part of the request.
Go fishing for information! In casual conversation with colleagues, (during stand ups, on the way to the bathroom, during 1-on-1s) mention that you're working on this ticket and if anyone has any background information. "Hey Sam! Do you know anything about the manager responsibilities for blind Cycle Count?" They may say no, but if they say yes, ask them if you can put 15 minutes on their calendar for a casual conversation. People love to yap, ask them open ended questions, just listen, take notes. Anything could be helpful.
Another way to get information is to search for it online, internally. Confluence and Sharepoint are great places to look for technical documents, SRS requirements, meeting notes, and project pages. Get access to it, skim through it, look for any details about user interactions, user inputs, screens, outputs, and workflows.
A quick informal competitive analysis online has also been super helpful for me. What are your competitors doing? Does this "task" exist ANYWHERE in the external internet? Some of this information is hard to find, but it is worth looking up, especially when I am stuck. There is also a wealth of information on Reddit, Medium, YouTube, and Dribble for User Experience. Start fishing!
The expression "throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks" comes to mind when I'm itching to just produce something. The perfectionist in me quiets down, and my productive side takes the lead and just creates something. As deadlines approach, anxiety can become high, now is not the time to be anxious or avoidant, its the perfect time to be vulnerable and share ideas before the deadline. "Hey Mark, I'm stuck on this request, I have some loose ideas, and wanted your opinion before proceeding. Can I set up a 25 minute Check-In meeting to share what I have?" These meetings are the best because I can tell if I am going down the right path, or if I'm wasting my time, and the nature of the check-in is informal, and expectations of perfection are lower.
At this point, if I still have more questions than answers, I just design or create something, even if it's messy, incomplete and it feels like it makes no sense. I bullet point the assumptions I made to create the design and give it a name like "Option 1." I repeat this process and create "Option 2" with slightly different assumptions. If I can squeeze out a third option, I do that too. I would not present more than 3 options, even if I designed 9 options, I would choose the best 3 to present, and hold on to the others, do not delete them! I put all 3 designs in front of the assignor, explain them, and ask which one more closely meets their needs, and ask why the option they chose is the best one. I also like to ask if there is anything about the other designs that I should incorporate into the "best" idea. This way of A/B Testing is a great way to get concrete requirements from vague stakeholders.
Being "creative" when you're just not feeling it is a daunting task, but I hope this post helps anyone (including myself) get started when feeling stuck in the future. Follow up with the assignor or stakeholder way before the deadline if possible, fill up the swap with all the information you can, go fishing for more details, and when all else fails, throw some pasta on the wall, and see what sticks!