Ever have one of those days where you’re staring at the show prep run sheet, feeling as drained as a smartphone on a 1% battery? It happens to everyone, especially when the sun comes out, the weather improves, and you get a little of that Spring Fever. Sometimes it feels like creating amazing radio shows turns into an endless loop of Groundhog Day. Everyone gets bored from time to time. Boredom is one of the 7 Deadly Sins of Radio Personalities and it’s important to recognize and overcome it.
One personality described it as “walking around with a huge ketchup stain on my shirt. I know it’s there, and it’s embarrassing but I just don’t have the energy or inspiration to change shirts.” Well, Heinz designers revolutionized the ketchup bottle by turning it upside down, and you can fight boredom and get past occasional creative slumps.
How To Fight Boredom
Boredom creeps in when we spend too much time doing the same things over and over. Falling into routines can cause you to lose the creative edge everyone needs to remain excited about the next show, next hour, and next segment. Sure, a lot of the show is redundant and it is a creative challenge to breathe life into that group contest you’re executing for what seems like the one-millionth time.
Here are some tips on how to get over the hump and back into a creative groove:
Take a Break: One of the best ways to stir up your creative juices is to step outside your world. Think about it, when was the last time a great idea occurred to you while sitting in the office starting at a yellow pad trying to prep tomorrow’s show? Most likely, inspiration struck when you were somewhere different, maybe while cruising at 30,000 feet or sipping a latte in a bustling café.
Study Different Industries: Maybe your inspiration will come from an Instagram feed or a YouTube Channel. Find new sources and examine how they’re creating interesting content. Borrow the good ideas and create something new through your unique personality.
Do Something Different: Steve Martin says the best way to get past a creative slump is to go to a different part of town or take a class in something you have never really been interested in. Being in an unfamiliar situation awakens your senses and you start observing things that otherwise passed you by. Even spending a day at the movies watching something you would normally never choose can help, even if it’s a cheesy rom-com.
Laugh and Play!
When feeling like the air has come out of your balloon, laughter can get you back on track. Treat your studio like Disneyland – minus the mouse ears and overpriced churros. The show should be a creative playground without drama or problems. Make it a priority or even an official show rule to be preserved and never violated. Committing to creating this type of atmosphere will make the show a refuge you look forward to each day. It’s a creative environment.
In addition to laughing, get out and play. Hit the gym, take a hike, or go dancing. Exercise gets the endorphins in your brain going to make you feel sharper and more alert. I know an account executive who bounces around like Tigger before every client meeting. The rush of endorphins will rejuvenate you, making you sharper and more alert.
Weird It Up A Bit
One of the boredom challenges is staying fresh. Shows play the same songs, read the same lines, and execute the same promotions day after day. Shake things up! Approach each task with a fresh perspective.
It can also help to think about how someone else might approach the break or the job. If you’re about to back-sell a Justin Timberlake song for the 1,000th time this month, channel Casey Kasem. Casey was a master of turning ordinary, routine content about songs and artists into stories.
Conclusion
When all else fails, strap on your boots and grind it out. Remember that this is show biz! It’s supposed to be fun. Find your happy place and stay positive. It’s a choice.
Dr. James Dobson says:
Success in life is 5% what happens to you and 95% how you react to it.
Sometimes you just have to keep going and make it interesting. Decide to stay curious, engaged, and most of all, positive.
Fighting boredom is a real thing for air personalities, but listeners don’t care that you’re in a slump. They just want a great show. It’s your job to find a way to give it to them.
