A lot of people think that creativity is a natural gift and we are either born with it or not. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Creativity is not a birthright, it is developed and we all have a huge well of creativity within us, it’s just that some of us don’t know yet how to tap into it.
Everyone can be more creative. It is a skill that can be developed, learned and practiced just like any other skill. You don’t just step on a surfboard and can ride the biggest waves in Hawaii without falling off. Creativity is no different. The more you make creativity part of your daily life and learn how to allow your creative forces come to the surface, the more your creativity will grow.
So how can we make creativity part of our daily life and exercise that creative muscle when we are struggling to come up with new ideas? Here are our TOP 10 ideas to jumpstart your creativity.
#1 Connect to Your Inner Child
Children are naturally creative, because they don’t know any limits to their creativity. They don’t hold back and are willing to take any direction and explore their creativity. Channel and connect to your inner child, this mentality will allow you to take a completely different direction. Instead of being self-conscious, be willing to take risks and push yourself to your creative limits. Most importantly have fun. Children see everything as this big adventure and make the most out of every moment.
#2 Doodle Something
A blank sheet of paper – or a whiteboard – may just be the best outlet to let yourself be creative and allows you to organize your thoughts in a different way. Forget your laptop and computer screen. Put pen to paper and let your ideas flow freely in a more physical outlet. Even just scribbling on a piece of paper while you are on the phone allows your brain to light up different networks.
#3 Go for a Walk
It totally makes sense and has now been backed up by science. When you sit at your desk and feel stuck the best and most natural boost of inspiration is to walk around. While the fresh air outside and the stimulus from a different environment definitely brings a fresh new outlook on things, even walking inside on a treadmill has a huge effect on you. So whenever you want to tap into your creativity, walk around the block or hop onto a treadmill. You will get your heart pumping and creativity flowing.
#4 Try Feng Shui
Feng Shui has long been known as a philosophical system that harmonizes your environment to balance all areas of your life, but did you know that the Chinese philosophical system also has ideas on how to tap into your creativity? Feng Shui suggests to place playful and whimsical items in specific places in your office or home to help you overcome a creative block and infuse more creativity in your life.
#5 Learn Something New
Creativity has a way of coming out and flourish when you push yourself outside your comfort zone and learn something new. And it doesn’t really matter what subject you choose, you can pick up painting, learn a new language, take a cooking class or learn a musical instrument. As long as you try something you’ve never done before, you stimulate your creativity and most of the time adult education classes are very casual and bring the added bonus of meeting new people that will open you up to new ideas and perspectives, all of which helps you to tap into your creative energy.
#6 Listen to Music
Music has many benefits on us like we saw in our previous blog ‘Your Brain on Music’. Whatever we are working on, listening to music can help us focus, it puts us in a better mood and it can even calm our nerves when we are anxious. Ambient music has been found to be most helpful when you are looking to promote creative thinking as music with lyrics can be highly distracting. But everyone has their own taste in music, so whenever you feel like your creativity needs a boost, put on your favorite music and see if this helps you tap into your creativity.
#7 Use Cognitive Diversity
The way we express ourselves online can be hugely different from the way we communicate and express ourselves offline. This different thinking can be incredibly useful to tap into your creativity just like immersing yourself in a book all day long, going for a walk or having a drunken argument with a friend in a bar. These different behaviors will pull your mind into different modes of thought. The same thing happens when we do something completely different with our body. A lot of people get their best ideas in the shower, because we are in a different environment and instead of ruminating over a problem, we let go. Playing an instrument is also a fabulous tool to put your brain into a totally different state of mind. If you want to tap into your creativity, cognitive diversity is a crucial skill that shifts your thinking.
#8 Engage in Social Thinking
Other people can be a mind amplifier. As human beings we rely heavily on resources outside our minds and hanging out with other people, brainstorming in social settings and directing our thinking into new directions will not only make us smarter, it’s also a cornerstone of helping us tap into our creativity. Working in groups, arguing and bickering with other people will spark a new way of thinking that gets our creative juices going.
#9 Get Coloring
Coloring books for adults are the latest new trend and it’s a great way to boost your creativity. The act of putting pen to paper will unlock your inner artist and is incredibly calming, relaxing and meditative, all of which helps you to tap into your creativity. The simple activity of moving your hand and mind in an imaginative way sparks creativity in a big way.
#10 Travel to New Places
Creativity is related to how our brain is wired, so exposing ourselves to new sounds, sights, smells, tastes and experiences while traveling to another country will keep our senses sharp and allows our brain to think in new ways. Keep in mind, this only happens when you fully immerse yourself in the different culture. So whenever you are in a different place, make it a point to engage with local people, eat the local cuisine and look at local art to get a new perspective on things that will show you a new way of thinking, which can have a huge impact on creating your own new ideas.
Keep in mind, even those of us who aren’t painters, writers or musicians engage in creative thinking every single day. Creativity is used to solve problems in all parts of our lives, that includes work, parenting and re-arranging our closet. The good news is, there are plenty of ideas to learn techniques to be more creative and if you practice our above tips you will discover your own creativit spark.
SUBDUE YOUR LOGIC AND YOUR CREATIVE FORCES WILL FLOW
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked