How To Be More Creative

Are you looking to reignite the creative start in your life? Do you have an inner artist trying to get out? Creativity could be a big factor in discovering your passion, finding out what makes you feel good, and making you better at your work. 

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Whether you want to paint, make music, journal, or take up dance, you can find ways to be creative in your life.

Draw, Paint, Doodle, Watercolor

Children love to color and doodle, with no real end goal in sight. As kids, we don’t feel any pressure to draw anything in particular. We create just for the joy of creating. Collaging is another good activity with no pressure. 

The sheer act of engaging in making art can fire up all sorts of connections in your brain, so don’t fight the urge to doodle while you’re on a conference call. Buy a sketchbook, some paints, or spend the weekend making a collage. It’s refreshing to make art just for the fun of it. 

You can play in other ways too. Dance around in your kitchen, try free-writing in your journal or use digital tools to make music. You could even try making your own backing track with a drum machine. Read more about these fun tools here. 

Do Something Physical

Research has shown that physical exercise helps to push you out of left-brain dominant thinking and instead take on a more creative mindset. Exercise also helps to increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which can help to sharpen mental clarity. Try an aerobic workout to help to stimulate your imagination and get some new ideas flowing. 

Embrace Boredom

Take a break from your devices and try to learn how to embrace boredom. Research has shown that being bored actually propels us towards deeper thinking and being more creative. The theory is that a bored mind searches for stimulation, which moves it into a daydreaming state. This state can lead to new ideas. 

Instead of filling every spare moment of the day with productivity or scrolling through your phone, give your mind some breathing room. Let your mind wander freely, and you never know what might happen. You might have the breakthrough or idea that you were trying to achieve. 

Watch A TED Talk Or Listen To A Podcast

Sometimes, watching a powerful TED talk or listening to an interview with someone interesting can be a really good way to change your perspective, without much effort on your part. There are a lot of inspiring people out there, and nothing can inspire creative thinking like learning from someone who is innovating in their field. 

Make Time For Play

Studies have shown that when we completely immerse ourselves in just doing something that we enjoy. In other words, you need to get out of your own head. It can stimulate some out-of-the-box thinking and turn off your inner critic. Play with toys, build something, go outside, and think like a kid for a little while!