Ever notice how your brain will suddenly erupt like Krakatoa, spontaneously spewing creative ideas?

That’s what happens when you're in a groove. And it feels great. It’s the emotionally satisfying side of the marketing and ad biz. Self actualization to the max.

In other sections we discuss ways to maximize the quality and quantity of your creative output once you get into that groove. But you have to get there first, and for each individual it's a different road. Here are some ways.

Forget about it.

You’ve studied the brief, talked to the client, his customers and salespeople. You’ve read the product literature, and visited the Web site. And for the past few days, or hours, you've been knocking out concepts, but getting nowhere.

So forget it for awhile. Go ahead, get away from the project for an afternoon or a day. Go to the movies, play computer games, or work on something else. Sleep on it overnight. Then come back and try it again.

Change your venue.

One art director has a tree in a little grassy area near his office where he goes to think, sketchpad and pencils in hand.

For you, maybe it’s the stairwell or an empty office. Somewhere quiet where you can relax and concentrate. Or maybe you like an environment with lots of people, stereo blasting on one channel, MTV on the tube.

Where do you do your best thinking? Laying on the sofa or bed? Go there, do that.

And if you get some grief from your boss, refer him to this page, and explain that, ultimately, he's paying you for your ideas. Which you can create at any hour, any place.

Be a customer.

If you haven’t done this initially, go to the store where the product is sold. Or call a salesman and pretend you are a prospective customer. Inquire. Shop. Buy. Use the product or service. You might be surprised what comes to mind as you go through the same steps a consumer goes through.

Talk about it.

Ideally, you have a creative muse, a person who you really spark with, creatively. But that's rare. So you will probably have to find someone with whom to talk out your ideas. That could be someone in the biz. Your partner. Your creative director. The account executive. Or someone not in the business. Your wife. Boyfriend. Dog. Pick up the phone and call your mom.

Then start talking, like “Hey, jack, I’m working on an ad for a software program that lets you make and send email with voice recognition software. And I’m sorta thinking about …."

Work it out.

Take a walk. Slow dance or Tai Chi. Or jump on a jogging machine. It’s remarkable how exercise can spark creativity.

Listen to your body clock.

Your biological clock has a groove all its own. And it will tell you when you do your best work. Are you a morning or evening or late night person? Do your creative work then.

Kick back.

Stress and tension. How well do you deal with them? You might want to learn a relaxation technique. Starting with your jaw and neck, working your way down to your toes. Take a deep breath, hold it, then exhale. Do some stretching exercises. Maybe a little dancing around the room. Or hey, stretch out and stare at the ceiling or take a nap.

And remember, at the end of the day, it's just advertising. We're not saving lives. Researching cures for AIDS. Or teaching children to be good citizens. We're just making ads.

Notes:

Frequently, when you really get stuck, it will be because you do not have enough of the right information. So go back to the brief and other sources of information. If you're really in a rut, there's a good chance the brief needs to be improved, clarified, made more specific or detailed.

One of these days they'll make a pill that enhances creativity. Or some clever Dr. Frankenstein will invent a bio-engineered brain implant.