I started my marketing career at a full-service ad agency. Open office, brainstorms on the fly, clever ideas shouted across desks. Creativity was baked into the environment. You couldn’t help but think outside the box when you were constantly bouncing ideas off other people.

Then in 2024, I went remote. Just me and my laptop at home in Charlotte, NC. And everything changed.

Suddenly, those spontaneous moments of creativity were gone. There was no whiteboard to scribble on, no creative director to spitball with, no team banter to spark a new campaign concept. The energy that once fueled my ideas? It wasn’t there anymore and I felt it.

At first, I panicked. I thought: What if I’m not as creative without a team around me? 

But I realized pretty quickly that creativity doesn’t disappear, it just needs a different kind of fuel. I started building that fuel for myself in a few different ways:

1. I changed how I consume content.

Social media used to be mindless scrolling. Now, I treat it like research. I watch for language patterns, visual trends, content formats, and cultural moments that strike a chord. What are people reacting to? What makes them laugh, save, or share? When I shifted to this lens, platforms like TikTok and Instagram became gold mines for inspiration.

2. I ask for outside feedback.

Creativity used to be collaborative. Now, I recreate that by pulling in trusted voices, even informally. Sometimes I’ll run a headline by my partner to see if it lands. Other times I’ll DM a friend in the industry for their opinion. It’s not the same as being in a room together, but it helps get me out of my own head.

3. I created community.

In fall of 2024, I started the CLT Digital Nomads group to connect with other remote workers in Charlotte. We meet for happy hours, but more importantly we talk about stuff like this. Feeling creatively stuck isn’t just a “me” problem. It turns out a lot of remote workers miss the energy of in-person collaboration. Knowing that gave me both relief and perspective.

4. I take a walk to shift my perspective.

When I hit a creative block, I step away from the screen. Literally. A walk around the block — even just ten minutes, clears my head and helps me refocus on the prompt in front of me. It’s a simple reset that often gives me just enough distance to return with a fresh idea or new angle.

Final thought:

Creativity can absolutely thrive in remote work, but it doesn’t happen by accident. You have to build the moments that once happened spontaneously. Whether it’s changing how you consume content, building community, or just stepping outside for a reset - those sparks are still out there.

You just have to strike the match yourself. 🔥

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