If your mind is running on empty and you have an iPhone handy, I’d like to suggest a couple of downloads to help jump start your creativity.

The first is a nice little time killer called Infinity Gene. Based on Space Invaders, I wish I could sum up how much this app has helped me unwind during the moments I want to face punch my lcd. Although many people prefer to “push through the pain” when they’re stuck deciphering the next step for a project, I’ve found that walking away from the desk and gaming for a bit allows me to hit the reset (excuse the pun), then move on to the next level. I definitely have moments when I want to wrestle a concept or project into submission, but sometimes it’s nice to temporarily lose myself in a game that’s so far the best 600 yen I’ve spent all year.

Next up is an app called TiltShift Generator. I downloaded this gem after reading about it over on one of my favorite design blogs BECAUSE WE LIKE TO. In short, this app provides editing tools that can simulate the look of photos taken with a toy camera. The interface is very simple and intuitive and you can produce some pretty incredible results with just a few gestures. I love this app because it’s an easy way to indulge your creative impulses when you’re feeling completely mind humped. The graphic for this post was produced with TiltShift during a particularly nasty bout of writer’s block.

I wish I was immune to blocks. They suck, literally all life and vitality from me when they occur. I’ve found that having a strategy helps see me through these moments when the cranial black holes darken my creative horizons. If nary a pen and paper can be found it’s nice to have apps as sound back-ups. If you my fine reader(s) have any other tips for staving off creative head blocks, please share.