Working in the creative field for nearly 20 years has allowed me plenty of time for this truth to sink in. No one else is responsible for fulfilling my creative needs. There, I said it. Not my boss, not my coworkers (as talented as they are) or even the biz dev team. And no, certainly not my clients. Let's face it, as creative professionals we have a ravenous appetite for new and interesting creative outlets. We want to explore new design techniques, try out alternative website navigation schemas, exercise our video production skills. We want to be the first to write about a bleeding edge UX theory or convince a client to try a crazy  new layout. But if we're brave enough to face reality, we'll quickly realize it's simply not fair to go around asking those that pay us to also act as our muse and creative patrons.

Truth be told, this isn't the first time I've come to this liberating conclusion. Nope, sadly there has been times in the past I've found myself secretly holding others responsible for the harsh reality that client work isn't always as fulfilling as I'd like. I've suffered, as most you probably have, the painful valleys of creative burnout when you just couldn't find the joy in the work at hand. Those days (or weeks) where everything feels more like a task than a passion project. The elephant in the room? Sometimes work is just that - work.

Recently I decided to combat this nagging reality head on. I decided to begin drawing again. I deliberately look for opportunities to put pen to paper - or as is the case of the image above - chalk to blackboard. I figured why not go back to the basics. Drawing is as rudimentary a creative outlet as there is. Like cavemen with manganese or iron oxide, there is no simpler creative exercise. And the best part, I don't need anyone's permission to do it and I can take it with me anywhere. A sketch book and a ballpoint pen is all it takes to get in the game. And yeah, I've also volunteered to help keep the company break room's new chalkboard up to date. The good news is, I love it. Drawing recharges my batteries, it keeps me thinking creatively and prepares me for those opportune moments when my boss or a client says "We need something cool, something new, something out of the box. Whatcha got?"

So, let's hear it, how do you feed your creativity when the work just isn't cutting it? How do you fight the demon-monster of creative status quo?