Ten Ways To Be More Creative

It kind of cracks me up that I am even writing a blog post on how to be more creative, because for so much of my life I didn't think I was creative at all. I thought that creativity was limited to being a painter, or a sculptor, or someone who can draw. And I very clearly could not do any of those things. Therefore, I reasoned, I must not be creative.

What I was not considering is that there are countless ways to be creative. In fact, I would dare say that everyone is creative. Many of us have creative impulses we haven't explored, or haven't even discovered yet, but we all have them somewhere, hiding underneath our to-do lists, job expectations, social obligations, and carefully curated images. Digging them out means allowing ourselves to try something new, to take the risk of looking silly, to be willing to make mistakes. This can feel scary, and that's understandable. You might not be ready for that quite yet. It's okay if that's the case. But consider doing it anyway, even if you don't feel ready, because here's the thing: on the other side of taking that leap there is fun, and play, and being so proud of yourself for giving it a shot, regardless of the outcome. There's so much joy to be found in doing something that delights you, that challenges your brain in the best way, that reminds you there is so much more to life than just those obligations.

In addition, there are many brain benefits to being creative. Creativity boosts mental clarity, emotional balance, and problem-solving skills. It improves your ability to work with both sides of your brain at once, makes your brain more resilient and better able to form new pathways, and it strengthens your memory.

And all of this doesn't even take into account the emotional benefits of creativity! Spending time doing something creative reduces stress and anxiety, improves your mood, and helps you to process your emotions.

So whether you have already dipped your toe into creative play, or you are just thinking about the possibility, I encourage you to give it a try. You don't have to try anything big, I promise you. Even a gentle lean into creative thinking is enough to get you started. Soon, you just may be seeing yourself as creative, too!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Expand your definition of what is creative. Literally, "creative" just means you are creating something that didn't exist before. So, that could be cooking, or gardening, or needlework, or any number of activities that involve making anything. Pick a hobby that falls under this definition, and just start exploring.

More learning, less perfectionism. Nothing kills a creative vibe like perfectionism. Creativity is meant to be an area where you let go of the structures that confine the rest of life, and you get to just play. While you may want to create a particular finished product, put your focus instead, as much as possible, on learning and fun, not on limiting yourself only to what you have pictured in your head. Some of my favorite photos came from playing in the moment, and they wouldn't have happened if I was only letting myself create a single image.

Let yourself do nothing. This one is hard for me, as an overachiever, but a lot of creative thought is rooted in just letting your mind wander. Think about how many times you get an idea when you are in the shower, or doing some other mindless activity. Sometimes we do our best thinking when we aren't even trying. This means intentionally carving out even 10 minutes, once a week, to literally just stare out the window or watch the clouds. See what your mind can come up with when you aren't limiting it to your to-do list or overanalyzing that comment your coworker said to you at lunch last week.

Read. Read books in your favorite genre, read books on creativity, read poetry, read anything that ignites a creative spark in you. And then, and here's the hard part, do your best to not automatically dismiss or extinguish that spark.

Find a creative community. Very few things help you to stay the creative course like being in community with other creative-minded souls. It's easy in our capitalistic culture to dismiss creativity as silly, especially if it doesn't bring in money. Having a community around you that reminds you of the value in creativity for its own sake helps you to keep creativity in your life when you might otherwise let it go.

Give it a try. If you are curious about an activity, kindly tell any voice you hear telling you that you can't do it to butt out and mind its own business. You don't know if you can do it or not until you try it. You don't even know if you will actually like it or not until you try it. Just try it. And after you have, keep in mind that you might genuinely suck at first. Never mind about that. When I first got into gardening, it took me years to even keep a plant alive. If you had fun with it, keep going with it anyway. Remember, the purpose is to have fun, not to make something that's perfect.

Be amongst creativity. Go visit a museum, or an art gallery, or a music festival, or even watch a movie about a creative individual. Similar to forming a creative community, being around creativity itself can inspire you to try something new, or give you an idea if you are feeling stuck.

Check out a place you've never been before. Dust off the cobwebs and go look at something different than what you see every day. Who knows what might shuffle loose in your brain!

Go out in nature. There is something about spending time in nature that relaxes my brain and soothes my nervous system. It's often what I do when I am needing a break, and it nearly always gives me a different perspective on things. That different perspective is where the good creative stuff lives.

Carry an "everything" book with you. This is a notebook where you can put to-do lists, doodles, random ideas, journal entries, sketches, anything and everything. I've used one of these off and on for years, and in recent years I've seen them becoming more popular. And for good reason! An "everything" book gives your ideas a tangible place to live, and there's something about carrying one around that just makes me feel more creative.

Try one of these, try them all, keep what works and discard the rest. Hopefully at least one or two will help you to invite more creativity into your life. Feel free to let me know in the comments what works for you, and any other ideas that have helped you. I'd love to know!

Love,

Amy