Ways to Boost your Creativity

Creativity is defined as the use of imagination or original ideas especially in artistic work. But if you go a little bit deeper into the definition, you will find the word original. Being original is about creating something unique. It is also about using material from numerous sources and combining them into one. Einstein says that creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. This implies that creativity isn’t something that can only come from within, it is a skill like anything else and with enough determination and time, we can get better at it.

People have different approaches to creativity. There is the first group of people who get an idea and work on it until it’s refined. They think over the idea for days or even weeks, trying to create a better version of the idea. Then there is the second lot who come up with many ideas. They write them down on paper and when there done, they sort through the list and pick the best ideas. You may think that the second group of people are more efficient but so is the first. Both approaches have their pros and cons but the thing they have in common is they both involve generation of ideas which is what creativity is all about.

There is no limit when it comes to creativity. Never has an artist been satisfied with their ideas, they are always looking for more and better ways to express themselves through their art. But as much as they may love what they do, some days may just be slow, with no source of inspiration or motivation.  If this is you sometimes, try out some of the tips below to help you boost your creativity instead of just sitting down waiting for an epiphany.

The mind is a vessel, just like a cup or mug, and just like any vessel, it runs dry from time to time. Some may assume that the information regenerates from within the mind but a better approach is to read more. Reading helps your mind relax and it also helps you get more ideas from the things you read about. Whether art or music, when our creativity is low, we can always learn more through reading.

Another way to boost your creativity is doing something new. In the article Out of the box thinking, I talk about trying new things as a way to enhance the way you think. The same applies in creativity. Going through the same things over and over can become boring after a while, if you want to stay motivated looking for ideas, then trying new things is just the thing for you.

I recall when I started this blog; I had so many ideas of topics I could write about on the blog. The only problem is that they were too many and I couldn’t attend to them all at once. If this happens to you from time to time, a great way to handle it is write everything down. Writing things down frees your mind and it also helps give you perspective. An idea may look great in thought but then you write it down and find out it wasn’t that great. This will help you sift through your ideas to create the best material you can.

After doing all the work, remember to rejuvenate your mind. Rejuvenating your mind helps you relax after a long day. It also helps you be objective about the ideas you have. When you have many ideas to pick from, write them down and take a walk. When you come back to your work station with a refreshed mind, you will be able to analyze the ideas more objectively and pick the ones that you will need and discard the rest.

Of course not every day will be your creative day. There will be days where even an idea will not be at your disposal. Instead of feeling bad about it or even feeling like your creative life is done, remember to stay positive. Positive moods have been found to help encourage creativity while negative moods tend to restrict it. Remember it’s all about attitude and a positive attitude will keep your creative efforts at their best.

I hope the tips above help you grow your skill of creativity and by applying them you will creative even better work for yourself than before.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a creative week ahead :).