I’m Kayla. I write copy, sketch ideas, and name things for a living. Some days the ideas pour. Some days I stare at the wall.
So I tested nootropics. Not for a quick fix, but for softer focus and easier play. I wanted more spark and less jitter. I wanted bold ideas that still made sense.
Here’s what I used, how it felt, and the real wins (and flops). For another field-tested rundown on creativity-boosting nootropics, this writer’s experiment on Best Brain Doping mirrors a lot of what I found.
If you're hunting for a well-curated overview of nootropic options, I recommend checking out Best Brain Doping, which breaks down the science in plain English.
Quick note before we start
I’m not your doctor. I’m just telling you what I took and what happened. Start low. Try one thing at a time. If you’re pregnant, nursing, or on meds, ask a pro first.
The easy winner: Coffee + L-Theanine
- What I use: one small coffee (about half a mug) plus 200 mg L-theanine. I’ve used Jarrow and Nootropics Depot. Both felt the same to me.
How it felt: Calm focus with a soft buzz. My hands didn’t shake. My brain stopped hopping from tab to tab. That’s not just me: a systematic review in Nutrients found that pairing caffeine with L-theanine sharpened attention-switching and reduced distraction susceptibility (source).
A real example: Last spring, I had a 90-minute name jam for a kid’s shoe brand. I took my combo, set a timer, and filled three pages with names. Some were silly. Some were gold. I circled nine keepers. We sold two. That never happens on plain coffee for me.
Side notes:
- If I drink a big coffee, I still get edgy. Keep it small.
- Works fast. Fifteen minutes in, I’m rolling.
Slow magic: Lion’s Mane Mushroom
- What I use: Host Defense Lion’s Mane, two caps most mornings. I’ve also had the Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane coffee on travel days.
How it felt: Not loud. More like a gentle “hum” in the background after two to three weeks. My recall felt smoother, and words came easier when I wrote.
A real example: In June, I did a mood board sprint for a bakery rebrand. I felt playful, not stressed. I mixed hand-drawn crumbs with clean type. The client said, “This feels warm and fresh.” That was the vibe in my head too.
Side notes:
- First week, my stomach felt odd. I ate with it. Fine after.
- Don’t expect a big “wow” on day one. It’s steady, not flashy.
Want to go deeper into mushroom-based brain boosters? There's a straight-shooting review of several nootropic mushrooms right here.
Mood lift for foggy days: Rhodiola Rosea
- What I use: Gaia Herbs Rhodiola, 200–300 mg on gray afternoons.
How it felt: Clear and light. Like someone opened a window in my head. My mental “oh no” voice got quiet.
A real example: After lunch, I often crash. One rainy Tuesday, I took rhodiola at 1 p.m. I finished a color-naming set for a sneaker line in two hours. Sixteen names. Playful, but tight. No doom spiral. I even hummed.
Side notes:
- I don’t take it late. It can keep me up.
- If I take too much, I feel a bit buzzy.
One surprising fringe benefit of a lifted mood is feeling more open to playful conversation—online or off. If your brainstorming sometimes drifts into adult themes and you’re curious where those chatty, NSFW rabbit holes actually lead, this behind-the-scenes breakdown gives a candid tour of modern sex chatrooms and practical tips for staying safe while you explore.
And if your curiosity ever shifts from purely online banter to seeing what the real-world dating landscape looks like in coastal Maine, this local guide to alternatives to SkipTheGames in Freeport digs into the details with vetted venues, safety pointers, and updated listings so you can decide if an in-person coffee, cocktail, or something spicier fits your freshly lifted mood.
If you’re intrigued by mood-brightening or even outright euphoric nootropics, this candid test run is worth a skim: I tried euphoric nootropics so you don’t have to.
Idea fuel for crunch time: L-Tyrosine
- What I use: 500–1,000 mg L-tyrosine, plain powder or NOW caps. I use it before fast brainstorms.
How it felt: Snappy. Words link faster. I feel brave with weird ideas, but not reckless.
A real example: We had a last-minute pitch for a sports drink. I took 500 mg, put on my “Focus” playlist, and wrote 30 taglines in 40 minutes. We used three lines as the base of the final script.
Side notes:
- On an empty stomach, it hits quick.
- Over 1,000 mg gives me a slight head squeeze. Not fun. I keep it low.
For a boots-on-the-ground review of sourcing and quality, the Newmind product line got put through its paces in this piece.
Quiet helper no one talks about: Creatine
- What I use: 3–5 g creatine monohydrate daily. Any basic brand. I stir it in water.
How it felt: More mental stamina. Not a “flash,” more like I don’t fade. Great for long edit days.
A real example: I had a 3-hour workshop on a Friday. Usually, I droop at 90 minutes. With creatine in my routine, I stayed steady. I kept calm through feedback, and I still had energy to polish the deck after.
Side notes:
- Drink water. It’s thirsty stuff.
- Takes a week or two to notice.
The talky one: Citicoline (CDP-Choline)
- What I use: 250 mg in the morning, when I need clean recall or verbal flow.
How it felt: Crisp language. My brain’s “search” tool feels fast. I find names and phrases without digging.
A real example: I do podcasts sometimes. On citicoline days, I don’t lose my train of thought. I answer clean, with fewer “uhs.”
Side notes:
- If I pair it with big coffee, I get too sharp. I keep coffee small.
- Once a day is enough for me.
Long game support: Omega-3 (DHA/EPA)
- What I use: Nordic Naturals fish oil, 1–2 softgels with lunch.
How it felt: Fewer flat days. My mood is smoother. I don’t ping-pong between “I’m a genius” and “I’m a potato.”
A real example: Over the holidays, I sketched a children’s book idea for my niece. My tone and pace stayed even across days. I didn’t scrap pages. I refined them. That’s rare for me in winter.
Side notes:
- It’s a slow build. Give it a month.
Quick stacks I actually use
- Morning idea storm: Small coffee + 200 mg L-theanine + Lion’s Mane. Pencil, timer, go.
- Afternoon slump, short sprint: 200 mg rhodiola, then a 10-minute walk. Back with a fresh mind.
- High-pressure pitch: 500 mg L-tyrosine + tiny coffee. I keep water nearby.
- Long edit day: Daily creatine + fish oil + tea. No rush, just steady work.
Even a single dose of L-theanine can move the needle—one Nutrients study reported faster reaction times and higher working-memory accuracy in middle-aged and older adults after just one serving (study).
If you’d rather fast-track with a prebuilt combo, here’s a thorough nootropic stack test drive you can crib from: I tried a nootropic stack so you don’t have to.
What didn’t work for me (but might for you)
- Bacopa: It made me calm but also too slow. My recall felt sticky. Good for study maybe, not for fast creative sprints.
- Ashwagandha: Helped stress, yes. But I lost my “zing.” My humor dulled a bit. I keep it for heavy stress weeks only.