Do you want to become more creative and feel stuck because you don’t know where to start?
It’s a common thing to believe that you’re not a creative person, as if creativity were something that you need to be born with. The truth is that all humans are capable of developing their creativity skills. To do this it’s important to start thinking of creativity as a muscle that you can strengthen over time.
If you’re ready to find out how you can become more creative, read on and we’ll tell you what you can do to start developing your creativity skills.
Time Block Your Creative Time
You never know when you’re going to feel creative. This is why it’s a pitfall to set rigid deadlines on your creativity such as “I’m going to come up with a title for my book within the next hour.” This will probably make you feel pressure to perform, which can be a creativity killer.
This is why it’s important that you schedule time in your day for your best creativity. A good way to think about this is by comparing it to “open gym” hours at the basketball court. It’s about simply taking time to be playful and creative without holding an expectation of what you’ll do.
Start by setting aside a few minutes every day where you choose to do nothing except get lost in your creativity. Maybe this will mean that you get pens and drawing paper to do nothing but doodle. Or it could mean spending a few moments jamming on the musical instrument that’s been collecting dust in the corner of your room.
Set a Timer for Your Creativity Skills
Boundaries can kill your creativity, but if you set them in the right way, they can also propel your creativity skills. Set a timer for five to ten minutes and make a goal to create as much as you possibly can within the time frame.
Maybe this means writing a poem. Or it could mean making a series of one-minute sketches. Having a clear deadline helps you get out of your mind and into action. In doing this, you’re bound to wander your way into new solutions for old problems while at the same time having fun.
Create as Much as You Can
Sometimes in life, it makes more sense to go for quality over quantity, such as when you’re trying to write an engaging social media post. But when you’re trying to start being more creative, the opposite is usually true. At the end of the day what you want to do is get your creative juices flowing.
It’s a common thing for people to get stuck in a trap while trying to perfect a single detail of something they’re in the process of making. You can spend hours trying to find the right blends of colors for a painting. The problem is that by working like this you often don’t end up getting anywhere.
There are many great strategies out there to create for quantity over quality. For example, when preparing to start their day, many successful writers embrace the practice of creating as many six-word stories as they can within a set period of time.
Chances are that what you come up with won’t win you any great awards. But what it will do is get your creative mind working at full speed.
Brainstorm as Much as Possible
If you’re a professional swimmer, the most important thing that you do is swim laps. But this doesn’t mean that you need to throw all other kinds of training, such as interval training and yoga, out the window. There are always complimentary activities that will help you do things like build muscle and endurance.
This same principle works when you’re trying to be creative. If you’re trying to become a better musician, by all means, keep practicing your songs. But also try to mix things up.
One of the best ways to do this is by getting really good at brainstorming. For example, a podcaster by the name of James Altucher popularized a concept known as “the idea machine.” It’s simple: make a goal of coming up with ten new ideas every day.
This is an activity that you can do every day of the week by setting different topics to explore, such as “ten ways to pitch my idea to clients, or “ten things I learned yesterday.”
The goal behind these types of creativity exercises is to start thinking about old problems in new ways. If you try it every day for a week, you’re bound to surprise yourself with what you discover.
Get Inspired by Going Out Into the World
If you’re feeling creatively blocked, one simple thing that you can do is to go for a walk. Maybe you’ll want to explore someplace new that you’ve never been before. Or maybe you want to go somewhere that you’re so used to visiting that you usually forget to pay attention to.
One of the great things about going for a walk is that you get the chance to slow down and to take notice of the things that you’d otherwise overlook. This is why it can be helpful to take a notebook along with you. Make a point of writing down several things you’ve never noticed before that are interesting to you.
Make Things Simple
Complexity is a creativity killer because it makes us feel overwhelmed. When we feel this way, we often get lost. It’s an especially big problem for those who do creative work on their smartphones and computers.
For example, if you’re editing a series of photos and have manually altar every single one, you’re probably going to feel stuck. This is why it’s important to use programs and apps for creativity that to help you streamline your workflow.
Being Creative Is About Working With What You Already Have
The most important thing to do if you want to hone your creativity skills is to get out of your own way by moving from thinking to acting.
In order to do this, try setting aside a few minutes to be creative every day. Consider taking part in frequent brainstorming activities. Try setting a timer for being as creative as you can, and seek out apps for your smartphone that can help you be more creative.
Being creative is about working with what you already have. If you want to find out more about being creative, be sure to check out the Health section of our website where you’ll find many informative articles.
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