People fall into creative ruts for all kinds of reasons. They might not feel challenged or they may feel frustrated with something that keeps happening at work. When you find yourself stuck in a creative rut, it's sometimes difficult to climb out. While you might be tempted to wait for inspiration to strike, entrepreneur Syed Balkhi says there are some ways you can start tapping into your creative side again.

We share Balkhi's tips for flexing your creative muscles in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Try new things. While you get to work with many different clients in sales, you probably find yourself doing many of the same tasks over and over again. According to Balkhi, if you want to boost your creativity, you must mix things up. Trying something new keeps you from being bored and it forces you to grow. He recommends reading a non-fiction book about the intelligence of birds or taking an online course on organic farming. The further you go outside of your comfort zone, the more you'll learn, he says. Learning about a wide variety of topics, trying new activities or even simply switching up your schedule or workspace will get your creative juices flowing.

Spend more time daydreaming. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Get your head out of the clouds?" Balkhi says many people are discouraged from daydreaming because it's seen as an activity that makes you less productive and less focused. However, daydreaming is important if you want to unlock your inner creativity. When you're free to daydream, you can brainstorm all sorts of new ideas. Instead of reaching for your phone for entertainment, stop yourself and let your mind wander without distractions instead. When you focus on daydreaming, you can discover a whole new world of creative ideas and solutions.

Write down your ideas. To bring out your creative side, you need to bring the thoughts from inside of your mind, out onto paper, says Balkhi. He recommends writing down all of your ideas onto paper, no matter how silly or impossible they may seem. While you might have hundreds of bad ideas on the page, there's probably a few good ones in there, too. The exercise of writing down your ideas will help you boost your creative-thinking skills. The process of writing down your ideas trains your brain to keep coming up with new ideas.

Surround yourself with creative people. Think about the people you see most often. According to Balkhi, they have an impact on your creativity. If you want to be more creative, you need to surround yourself with creative people. By hanging out with creative people on a regular basis, their thoughts and behaviors can rub off on you, which can inspire you and boost your own creativity. Balkhi says that while you likely have several creative coworkers who can inspire you, it's not always easy to find time to collaborate with them during office hours or meet after work. So, be on the lookout for creative communities you can participate in during your free time. You can use a website like Meetup.com to find groups for creative writing, photography, arts and crafts, tech and much more.

The promotional products industry thrives on creativity. If you find yourself lacking creative ideas, you might just need a reboot. Think about how you can immerse yourself in new experiences and meet forward-thinking people. By taking a few small steps, you can help spark your creativity again.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Syed Balkhi is the founder of WPBeginner. Balkhi was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by the United Nations. His work is featured in top publications, including Entrepreneur, Forbes, Inc. and Fox Business.