🌟 Creativity in the Chaos: Finding Inspiration When Life is Wild 🐺

Feeling creatively drained between work deadlines, kids’ activities, and the chaos of everyday life? You’re not alone! In this episode of Kids, Chaos, and Killer Campaigns, we’re tackling how to stay inspired even when life feels overwhelming. From juggling email automation workflows at dawn to navigating snack requests and remote control battles, I’ll share practical tips for sparking creativity under pressure—even when you're knee-deep in chaos.

Tune in for actionable strategies like micro creativity challenges, using constraints to fuel ideas, and letting go of perfectionism. Whether you're a marketer, a parent, or just someone trying to balance it all, this episode is packed with insights to help you create even when inspiration feels miles away.

Transcript

Eden Reid (00:12)

Welcome back to Kids, Chaos, and Killer Campaigns.

If you're anything like me, I'm sure you've had those days where you feel completely drained mentally, emotionally, and creatively.

Between work deadlines, kids' activities, and the general chaos of life, it can feel nearly impossible to find space for creativity.

Just last week, I was up before the sun trying to update workflows for a new survey automation that my company was rolling out.

My laptop was open, coffee was barely kicking in.

and I was deep in HubSpot, tweaking email triggers and mapping out workflow follow-ups.

Meanwhile, my oldest daughter who was coloring at the kitchen table was begging me to find a very specific shade of pink for the picture she was coloring because apparently no other pink would do.

And just as I was trying to hit test on the workflow, my youngest daughter had a full-blown meltdown because the Elsa dress she was wearing didn't reach all the way to her shoes.

let's just say juggling automation logic with toddler fashion crisis was not exactly the ideal setting for peak productivity.

But here's the thing, as marketers and as parents, we don't have the luxury of waiting around for inspiration to strike.

We have to create even when we're running on empty.

So in today's episode, we're talking about how to stay inspired while staying busy.

Practical tips for sparking creativity under pressure. Even when you're knee deep in chaos.

Creativity is a muscle and we need to train it daily.

You wouldn't expect your kids to nail a swim stroke on their first lesson, would you? When my oldest daughter started swim, I remember she was all over the place. Flailing, splashing, and refusing to put her head under the water.

But with weekly practice, she got stronger, more coordinated, and more confident. And now just a few months later, she's able to swim on her own in the deep end.

Creativity works the same way. You have to exercise it regularly, even when you don't feel like it.

One way to do that is try daily micro challenges.

Try setting a five minute creativity challenge for yourself every day.

It could be brainstorming headlines, writing random taglines, or free association wordplay. It doesn't have to be groundbreaking, it just needs to get your creative gears moving.

It's also great to try creating without purpose.

Sometimes the best way to spark creativity is to just do something playful. We spend so much of our time creating based on a deadline or guidance or an outline.

My girls love to doodle random characters and with all their pictures they make up a complete story about what they've drawn. And watching them reminds me that not everything needs to be productive. Sometimes creativity for the sake of fun is exactly the reset that you need.

Use constraints to fuel your creativity.

We tend to think that creativity thrives with unlimited freedom, but constraints can actually spark better ideas.

Take morning routines with my daughters, for example. If I let them pick an outfit from anything in their closet, we are going to be sitting in their room staring at clothes all day. We will never get anywhere because they'll be overwhelmed by all the options.

But when I give them two to three outfits to choose from, it makes their decision easier and faster.

They still get to express themselves, but within a framework that keeps our morning routine moving forward.

just like that, creative restraints can lead to clearer, more effective ideas.

creative playing field are time constraints.

If you're stuck on an idea, set a timer. Give yourself 10 minutes to write down as many creative solutions as possible.

The pressure of time forces you to think fast and it prevents overthinking.

Try format challenges.

If you're writing a blog post,

entire intro in five sentences. Or try distilling your main message into the characters that would fit in a tweet.

Limiting your format forces you to be concise and creative.

And finally, resource constraints.

When you have fewer tools, you tend to become more resourceful.

If you're stuck on a campaign concept, remove one key element.

For example, images or remove long form copy.

and see what you can come up with with just a headline and a CTA.

One of my favorite tips is finding creativity in the chaos.

As a parent, I've learned that some of my most creative moments happen during absolute chaos.

Like last month, when I was trying to finish an email journey outline for an upcoming campaign on a day that both my girls were home from school.

It was raining, of course, so we were stuck inside. They were demanding 300 different variations of snack, they were arguing over what show to watch, and fighting over their remote like their lives depended on it.

But somehow, between snack negotiations and remote control peace talks,

I was still able to map out the entire journey.

Honestly, I'm not sure if it was strategic brilliance or sheer survival

But sometimes the most chaotic moments can bring out the most creative solutions.

Instead of resisting chaos, lean into it.

Try changing your scenery. If you're stuck on an idea, step away from your desk.

Sometimes folding laundry, playing with the

or stepping outside for a breath of fresh air can trigger that creative spark.

It's like your brain goes on autopilot and lets ideas surface.

borrow from your kids'

When my daughters play pretend, they can create entire imaginary worlds with both storylines. And I try my hardest to tap into that playful and creative mindset. I love watching them and seeing how they can make the simplest thing into something completely different. Love watching them teach their stuffed animals or turn a cardboard box into a castle or a car.

work, take that mindset and try using improv games or storytelling prompts to loosen up your thoughts.

turn routine moments into idea moments.

I've had some of my best content ideas while driving my girls to and from school or sitting at the park watching them on a play date.

Use those in-between moments to voice record or jot down your ideas in your phone.

You don't want to lose the inspiration and you'd be surprised how many gems you'll uncover in life's everyday moments.

Finally, don't let perfectionism kill creativity.

Here's a confession. I've definitely delayed posting content because it wasn't perfect. Honestly, I delayed even starting this podcast for months because I didn't feel like it was perfect.

But let me tell you, it's never going to be perfect.

The other day, my five-year-old was drawing at a kitchen table, and she was getting insanely frustrated because she was trying to draw a bird, and it didn't look perfect.

Finally, she tossed down her crayon and looked at me and said, mommy, it doesn't have to be perfect. It's still beautiful.

And you know what?

She was absolutely right. Sometimes done is better than perfect.

Rather, it's a coloring page or a campaign launch. Don't let perfectionism stand in the way of amazing ideas and endless potential.

Creativity is messy. Embrace that.

Set yourself a good enough bar. Give yourself permission to release imperfect

Done is often better than perfect.

Trust the process. Sometimes the best ideas come when you're experimenting.

Posts that idea you're unsure about. Launch that scrappy campaign. Creativity thrives in iteration.

let go for your need of constant originality.

The hard truth to swallow is

none of us have an original idea. And creativity really just

remixing or building on existing ideas.

You don't need to try to reinvent the wheel. You just need to add your own twist to what's already out there.

So the next time you're juggling a million things, work, kids, and everything in life in between.

Remember that creativity doesn't have to wait for the perfect condition.

Creativity can happen in the school drop-off line, during bedtime chaos, or while you're wiping that glitter glue off your kitchen table.

Your challenge for today is to find 10 minutes in your day, even if it's next to your kids coloring or playing, and create something for fun.

Doodle, brainstorm taglines, or voice record those random ideas that you've been holding back on. There's no pressure here. Just play with it and have fun. Again, the point of this is to create for fun.

Thank you so much for checking out this podcast. I'd love to hear the topics that you want to hear discussed, so please drop them in the comments or shoot me a line on LinkedIn.

I encourage you to subscribe to the podcast, please leave it a review, and share today's episode with a marketer or a parent who you think would benefit from hearing today's creativity tips.

love to connect on LinkedIn so we can stay in touch this journey. My LinkedIn will be dropped in the show notes, so go ahead and click there and shoot me that connect request.

In our next episode, we'll be talking about quick wins for website optimization. Simple tweaks to boost conversions. In the meantime, enjoy the kids, enjoy the chaos, and I'm wishing you all killer campaigns.