No matter what kind of art you love, or what field you belong to, creativity is probably an important item. It is what makes your work unique and beautifies it with a personal touch.
We often hear that some people are born creative, gifted with talents and originality. But at the end of the day, creativity is a skill that can be learned and developed.
Yet, improving a skill isn’t always easy. Especially when it comes to something related to thinking and producing. Your mind may go blank at times, your inspiration may disappear, and you lose your way to the called “creativity”.
But don’t worry, every trouble has a solution, and we go through 6 ways and practices to be more creative.
1- Consume creativity:
All the creative people you know in your life were not born with those brilliant ideas. They exposed themselves to similar things again and again that they started forming their own style.
Like photographers, YouTubers, and writers, they only made their masterpieces after analyzing lots of photos, watching a ton of videos, and reading plenty of books.
The only way you can produce something is by sinking in its ocean, letting it feed you, and showing you how it’s done. Not only do you build a strong personal perspective, but you also become an expert in your field by watching and studying the cases of other humans. Humans who made it seem possible to you that THIS project you’re starting is doable and worth it.
From my own story, I’ve always found social media my space of inspiration. I don’t know about you, but whenever I pick a new interest, I run to YouTube to know more about its details. It gives me options, sometimes solutions, and a chance to build a strong pattern to find my way.
2- Limit distractions and seek solitude:
Distractions exist everywhere, in your room, your house, your class, and even inside your brain. But technology came in to make it even worse. Next to all the ways technology enhanced our creativity, it also added a ton of new distraction resources to the equation, such as social media and notifications.
No one can deny that technology is making our attention span weaker day after the other. It is even doubted to affect our creativity levels and thinking techniques, making us lazier and maybe dumper (which is not always true) Therefore, limiting your distractions is a precious choice that will solve lots of issues. Non-distracted reading is better, non-distracted eating is healthier, and non-distracted thinking is more creative. Moreover, a great way to shut the door of distractions is to seek solitude.
Solitude as in the choice we make to stay alone with ourselves to highlight our thinking qualities, and boost creativity. Definitely not in like toxic isolation that deprives you of the joys of life. It is no secret that a lot of great people opted for solitude to cook their ideas, from which we can mention: Nikola Tesla the inventor, Van Gogh the painter, Emily Dickinson the poet, and more… All of those can be great inspiration to understand how solitude affects creativity.
3- Let your mind be free:
This will sound a bit weird, but you are not always freeing your mind. You often follow strict rules and routines full of seriousness. And you don’t let your mind wander. Daydreaming exists for a reason, and you should let it be for the many positive effects it has on your brain. With the first one being providing your brain with necessary breaks. You must let go of that nonvisible barrier and let your mind go places, imagine things, dream, notice, write, and be free.
One of the things that kill creativity is not giving it space to be. Because as we know, creativity is something that we all have deep inside. But it needs calm and slow practices to bring it to the surface. By ignoring the little creative ideas, you are pushing them down forever. Meanwhile, when you free yourself from those rigid thought patterns, you open the door to unconventional ideas, fresh perspectives, and huge concepts. Let’s never forget that creativity comes mainly from curiosity, and how else would you foster curiosity if your mind is not free to think or question?
4- Keep a journal:
Earlier, we talked about writing as a form of freeing the mind. Journaling comes in handy to help you do that within its pages. It gives you the chance dump your thoughts, talk to yourself, organize the chaos of your life, and discover new reasoning ways.
Starting a journal can be a good choice for you to enhance your creativity. With all the creative ideas, artistic pages, and even written prompts, journaling draws you closer to yourself and to your creative style.
Here are a few examples of how a journal may help with your creativity:
- By writing down your thoughts: You pour all the messy thoughts you have on paper. All those that keep buzzing in your ears. As if you make them clear and can finally see the light through.
- By making art: Art is one of the best creative practices there is. It comes directly from the essence of your soul, to meet others. And journaling is yet a form of practicing art. By making artistic pages, inspired themes, sketches, or any type of visual art you lean toward, you embrace the artist in you.
- By slowing down: The rhythm of life can sometimes go crazy. And we may lose balance. Except, life won’t stop for you to recover from the fall, and time will only continue on his path. So it’s up to you to slow it down sometimes. To pick a journal and a pen, and fight against the speed of life. By giving yourself a time block where it’s only you and your deep self. Journaling helps you maintain that slow calm lifestyle, so you can reflect on your life events and think properly with no stress.
5- Befriend creative people:
Remember the first tip? About consuming creativity? Well, sometimes it’s also talking to creativity and surround yourself with those who master it.
Your friends define how you will be, and this is a well-known fact. Yet, we still can emphasize it when it comes to creation. Because creative minds think alike, and having them around will only serve you as great inspiration. Creative friends are so important if you want to pursue a creative life path. They may see things that you didn’t, they may introduce you to new creative styles, they may hugely affect your efficiency, and help you see the world with different eyes.
Friendship is not only about receiving. It’s mainly about giving too! And when you find creative friends, you can influence them with your ideas as well, collaborate with them with what you have, and create probably something better than you alone can do. It creates a sense of community. And it gives the vibes of “we’re in this together”, which will bring peace (and surely more creativity) to your life.
6- Explore and try new things:
We all know about the comfort zone, right? The state of comfort that we’re used to, and probably won’t fancy leaving. Yet, it would be a mistake to stay in, seeking safety and ease, ignoring all the challenges of the world. It would be unfair for us to pass our lives avoiding the joys that come with trying new things.
Trying something new is the best favor you can do for yourself. It stimulates creativity in your brain by exposing it to new situations. It helps you overcome your fears, gain confidence, discover yourself, and much more…
With that being said, trying new things doesn’t have to be super adventurous or crazy, it can be as simple as visiting a new place, learning a new sport, cooking new meals, or starting a personal project. The goal is to step out of that zone you’re in, to explore what else you love, and how else you can be satisfied and pleased. This way you start using your brain in different domains, discovering new creative patterns.
Conclusion
Simply said, there are many ways you can follow to become more creative. From consuming creative content to exploring new things, passing by solitude, deep thinking, journaling, and more… What I want you to keep in mind is that creativity, like any other activity, needs practice and patience. It’s also something that comes from the inside, so you should give it time, and enjoy the process as we say.
If you enjoy reading books or maybe journaling, as your form of creativity, you’re lucky to land here. My blog will serve you as a guide, and a little friend, to achieve your creative goals.
And now, tell me about any other ways I didn’t mention that may help boost creativity levels!