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Fill the Well Part 2: How to Recharge Your Creative Battery

Try these creativity-boosting practices and strategies used by the HEROIC Faculty and Team.

Writing

Public speaking

Brian

Hastert

Performance Faculty

minute read

Published on

January 5, 2026

As you brainstorm ideas for your next speech, book, or project, make sure you take time to fill the well and recharge your creative battery.

Ready for this new year to be your most creative year yet? Maybe you’re in the ideation phase for a brand-new keynote. Or preparing to draft your next bestselling book. Perhaps you’re searching for new creative ways to uplevel your thought leadership business.

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The specifics are unique to you, but if there’s one thing that you’ll need, regardless of the type, scale, or vision for your next project, it’s creativity.

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It’s the force that breeds new ideas, fuels your inventions, and ignites your art (whatever it may be). And you might be surprised to realize that it’s easier to tap into your creativity than you think—especially when your creative well is full.

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In Part 1 of this two-part article series on creativity, we explained why it’s important for any creative person to periodically assess the state of their creative well, along with common reasons why our wells sometimes run dry.

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Now it’s time to fill the well.

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How to Fill the Well: Advice From HEROIC Faculty and Team

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Whether it’s going for a walk on a new path, attending a festival you’ve been meaning to check out, visiting a new museum in your city, or enjoying a poetry reading, there are many effective ways to reignite your creativity.

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You might take a bus tour of your hometown and see your home from a tourist’s eyes. Perhaps you sign up for a cooking class and learn how to make a new dish. Even enjoying a nice Epsom salt bath can get your creative juices flowing (HEROIC Business Faculty Ana Melikian swears by this method).

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When it comes to ideas for filling the well, the possibilities are endless. Below, you’ll find six more suggestions from the HEROIC Faculty and Team for ways you can recharge your creative battery. Choose a few that resonate with you and put them into practice today.

Full Transcript

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overthink it. Filling the well is about doing whatever feels right to you—without judgment, without focusing on results, without shame.

try a few of these methods that speak to you. Explore the options and let your curiosity take the reins.

Connect With Nature

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Spending time in nature enhances our creativity. In fact, a study about the impact of nature on creativity showed that time in nature is especially important during the “preparation” and “incubation” phases of the creative process, when we gather information, dive into curiosity, and wait for ideas to sprout.

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Katie Martucci, HEROIC’s Education Technology Manager, is a whole-hearted supporter of this method of filling the well. She says, “Connecting with nature is the best way I've found to recharge. Gardening or a walk in the woods is like a reset button for me. During times when I can't easily head outdoors, a few minutes of cloud watching from the window is almost as satisfying.”

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When was the last time you looked up at the sky and pointed out figures in the clouds? This simple, effortless activity can reignite our sense of wonder in the world and breed new breakthrough ideas.

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Personally, when I’m feeling creatively drained, the best reset for my spirit over the years has been the same: nature! Whether it’s an afternoon trip to the local botanical gardens, a morning hike in the hills, or a day or two in the nearest national park, taking myself away from the world of human-made structures and systems clears space inside and helps me hear my own thoughts again.

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Let yourself be overwhelmed with the insane beauty of a wild hibiscus flower or the humbling enormity of a thousand-year-old redwood. Remember your place in the wild cosmic dance of life, beyond the alluring simulacrum of cyberspace.

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Find freedom knowing that you are not the first to feel your confusions, and you will not be the last to spring inevitably, powerfully past them.

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Try Abstract Creative Exercises

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HEROIC Writing Faculty Melanie Votaw shared her favorite creativity exercise. With her permission, this is an excerpt from her book, 52 Ways to Romance Your Muse & Launch Any Creative Project:

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“Think of a sound that you love. If this sound were a scent, what would it smell like? If it were a taste, what would it taste like? If it were a texture, what would it feel like? What would it look like?

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“You can try this exercise in many different configurations to get your creative juices flowing. For example, my favorite taste is a combination of chocolate and hazelnut. To me, that taste sounds like lava flowing over rocks.

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“Try not to be literal. You’re describing the sound of the taste, not the sound of the object itself!

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“This exercise always jolts me out of my usual mode of thinking and forces me to conceive in new and illogical ways. It’s a difficult exercise at first for most people, but the more you do it, the more you’ll delve into your body for surprising answers. And nothing feeds creativity more than sending your usual way of thinking on a vacation.”

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A Change of Scenery

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Often, something as simple as working in a different space (a new coffee shop or even just a different area of your house) can be the change of scenery you need to give yourself an injection of inspiration.

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HEROIC Lead Writing Faculty Andrea Lee blends grounded, day-to-day exercises with more expansive, all-in approaches to boost her creativity as a writer. You might find her filling the well by playing her keyboard, rocking out to her favorite music, working out, or going for a long walk in a beautiful place.

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She says, “In the bigger picture, for me, filling the well looks like continuous learning in unexpected topics and settings.”

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Andrea schedules regular times for a more deliberate change of scenery—like taking a day trip to a country bookstore or museum. She enjoys taking art classes, printmaking courses, and even learning Japanese drumming to continue feeding her inner creative.

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Switch Gears

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In Part 1 of this article, you learned that sometimes our wells go dry precisely because we’ve been using up all our creativity. Deep work and creative projects can run our well dry. To fill it up again, we might need to switch gears.

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HEROIC’s Graphic Designer Courtney Soden shares: “When I feel stuck creatively, I take a step back. Sometimes when you’ve been staring at something for too long, you stop actually seeing it. So I switch gears by working on something else for a bit, maybe something that doesn’t require much creativity, just to reset my focus.

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“For example, when you’re designing a logo, or really any big creative project, it usually starts with research and brainstorming. Eventually you hit a point where the ideas stop flowing and everything starts to feel flat. That’s how I know to take a break. I’ll go for a walk, surround myself with beautiful sights, or switch to technical tasks to give my brain space to recharge creatively.

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“When I come back, I start fresh. I sketch out new ideas or jot down whatever comes to mind without judgment or overthinking, just creating. That’s usually when something clicks. You start to see the project differently, spot possibilities you missed before, and combine new ideas with old ones to make something even better.”

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Tidy Your Workspace

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Your workspace affects your mood, productivity, and creativity. If you need to reduce the mental clutter, first, get rid of the actual clutter in your office.

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HEROIC Business Faculty Kris Kelso says, “I clean up my office. I've noticed that clutter stresses me out and stifles my creativity. When the mail is piled up, boxes cover the floor, and tech gadgets and books are lying around, I find it hard to focus and be creative. So I'll take a half day to just clean and organize my workspace. Not only do I clear the distracting clutter, but I get a shot of motivation from getting something done and enjoying my clean office space again.”

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A tidy workspace is like a blank canvas; your mind is free to wander without worry and create without clutter.

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Move and Play

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HEROIC Writing Faculty Zoë Bird says, “More and more, I find that if I'm feeling uninspired or mentally sluggish, movement is the magic key that will unlock the little brain-dungeon I've shut myself in. I remove myself from my current environment and go for a long walk, swim, or get up and dance (almost always with music blasting on my headphones). I enjoy noticing and investigating the world around me, instead of thinking about what I “should” be doing.

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“Once I let go of all my ‘shoulds’ and anxiety about certain results, I rejoin the world beyond my head. Oddly, and not, that’s just when ideas, lines, images, and sounds come flooding in and I feel like a creative being again. The thing is, we all are creative beings, all the time. We just sometimes don’t feel like it.”

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Zoë continues, “Play is another antidote to burnout, and everyone of every age needs it to keep learning, aging, and living well. For me, play looks like wandering outside, listening to music, dancing, drawing, painting, writing, making found poems, collages, jewelry, books, and photos, messing around on musical instruments, cooking—whatever the activity, it gives pleasure. The process is the point. There’s no wrong way to do it, and doing it elicits a sense of timelessness and deep satisfaction.”

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“Knowing that there are steps that can take me to my destination allowed me to enjoy the journey and the ups and downs of creative endeavors.”

Anaid Chacón

Senior Vice President of Product, Argyle

Schedule Your “Artist Date”

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I realize you have a busy schedule. You constantly juggle work, personal commitments, and professional development. And this isn’t meant to be just another task to add to your to-do list.

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Filling the well is tapping into that creative side of yourself. Yes, it takes time. It takes presence and intentionality. But the results you will see—in both your personal and professional life—will be tremendous.

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In her book The Artist’s Way, author Julia Cameron explains: “An artist date is a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist.”

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Your artist date is your scheduled time to fill the well. Just you and your inner creative. If you do this for yourself, you will be amazed at how easy it can be to discover new content. New ideas will come to you in the moments when you need them most. You will connect more deeply with your audience and your readers.

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So, can you spare an hour each week? Or even just twice a month?

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Choose a time to consistently and persistently fill the well this new year. As you focus on keeping your artistic energy reservoir full and flowing with creativity, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your creative ideas start to flow. As Julia Cameron says, “Creativity is like crabgrass—it springs back with the simplest bit of care.”

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Cheers! To a (Much) More Creative New Year.

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Just imagine what might happen if you truly tap into your creativity this coming year. Will you write the keynote that transforms your speaking business? Or publish the bestselling book that changes millions of lives?

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Just one idea can change everything.

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But when you commit to filling the well, you’ll have more than just one. When you consistently nurture and protect your creativity, the ideas pour out. They fill keynotes, books, stages, podcasts, businesses, and lives. They fuel change, ignite impact, and spark transformation.

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So, here’s to a new year filled with creativity, possibility, and endless ideas that will change the world, one speech, one book, one person at a time.

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Connect With Nature

‍

Find freedom knowing that you are not the first to feel your confusions, and you will not be the last to spring inevitably, powerfully past them.

‍

Try Abstract Creative Exercises

‍

HEROIC Writing Faculty Melanie Votaw shared her favorite creativity exercise. With her permission, this is an excerpt from her book, 52 Ways to Romance Your Muse & Launch Any Creative Project:

‍

“Try not to be literal. You’re describing the sound of the taste, not the sound of the object itself!

‍

A Change of Scenery

‍

She says, “In the bigger picture, for me, filling the well looks like continuous learning in unexpected topics and settings.”

‍

Dont

Switch Gears

‍

Tidy Your Workspace

‍

Your workspace affects your mood, productivity, and creativity. If you need to reduce the mental clutter, first, get rid of the actual clutter in your office.

‍

A tidy workspace is like a blank canvas; your mind is free to wander without worry and create without clutter.

‍

Move and Play

‍

Don't

“Knowing that there are steps that can take me to my destination allowed me to enjoy the journey and the ups and downs of creative endeavors.”

Anaid Chacón

Senior Vice President of Product, Argyle

Schedule Your “Artist Date”

‍

I realize you have a busy schedule. You constantly juggle work, personal commitments, and professional development. And this isn’t meant to be just another task to add to your to-do list.

‍

So, can you spare an hour each week? Or even just twice a month?

‍

Cheers! To a (Much) More Creative New Year.

‍

Just one idea can change everything.

‍

So, here’s to a new year filled with creativity, possibility, and endless ideas that will change the world, one speech, one book, one person at a time.

Don't