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Does this sound like you?
“I’m just not that creative.” “I wish I could write/paint/sing that well.” “I wish I had more creative talent.”
If it does then you came to the right article. So many of us limit our creative abilities with statements like the ones above. But the tragic thing is that most of us who identify with those sentences either
1. Never really tried to be creative, or
2. Are not aware of our creativity.
And most of the time both are true to some extent.
So, the first step is to forget what you think you know about creativity. The second step is to read the following 8 ways to be more creative. And the third step is to embrace your creativity as you have never before.
Sounds good?
Cool, here we go.
8 Ways to Be More Creative
Stop Telling Yourself You Are Not “The Creative Type”
By virtue of being human, you’re already a creative genius.
We’re all creators. In fact, we are all an image of the most creative of them all, The Creator.
And if God, the All, Universal Intelligence, Randomness, or whatever you want to call it is able to create this vast strange universe, I’m sure you can create something in this 3D world.
Perhaps you’ve been telling yourself that you’re not creative for years and as a result, have programmed your subconscious mind to believe that.
Try to do the opposite. Tell yourself that you’re a creative genius every day.
Change Your Daily Routine
Often, we’re so stuck in our patterns that we can’t see beyond the mundane.
Changing your routine can help you to see things differently and inspire you.
Walk into a new neighborhood. Go on weekend trips. Seeing new things and having new experiences helps to spark off new ideas.
Whenever you feel uninspired ask yourself if you’ve been going on autopilot mode. And then make an effort to make little new choices every day.
Sometimes it can be enough to change the usual route you walk or brush your teeth with your other hand. This may seem insignificant. But little changes can often lead to the greatest insights.
Be Resourceful
Look at the things in your environment and use them in new ways. Instead of focusing on what you lack to create, recognize all the things that are right here in front of you.
You don’t have to own your own studio and have the best equipment to paint. And you don’t need a degree in English literature to write. Charles Dickens and Mark Twain never had a formal college education.
Focus on all the abundance, inspiration, and resources that you can use. And then change your perspective and use them in novel and unique ways.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal is something that has changed my life completely. It didn’t just improve my creativity. It helped me to think and express myself clearer and process things more effectively.
Write, sketch, and paint whatever comes to mind. Don’t try to keep it orderly. The best example of this is the notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci. Look at them and feel inspired.
See your journal as an extension of yourself. Carry it with you at all times. You never know when a great idea hits you. And with time you will be surprised with how creative you are.
Also, after having filled many pages it’s fun to go through them. You’ll see how you’ve developed and perhaps see older entries with new eyes.
In my humble opinion, having a journal is a must-have.
Don’t Filter Yourself
“I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking” – Albert Einstein
Not filtering yourself goes hand in hand with keeping a journal. What I mean by that is that you don’t overthink what’s going onto the pages.
You can always refine later. If you want to be more creative you have to let the creative force use you.
If you learn to not filter yourself, your subconscious mind will express itself more clearly. Ideas, thoughts, and images that would’ve been filtered out by your conscious rational mind will suddenly appear on your pages.
You could call this intuitive creation. This is not only applicable to your journal but to the process of creation itself.
If you feel like you’re stuck and lack ideas, just draw the first line, write the first word, or paint the first stroke and then go from there.
Creation is a process and not a plan you map out from A to Z.
Surround Yourself With Creative People
Creativity like joy is contagious.
I’ve experienced this in my life. When I started painting, another friend started painting. After two years, my friends and I were suddenly a bunch of painters.
None of us had any formal training but we were inspired by each other and started to create. My creative friends are often a great source of inspiration to me.
So don’t underestimate the role other people play to help you be more creative.
And if you don’t know anyone in your environment who is creating what you want to create, be the first one. You can be the one to inspire others to be more creative.
Virtually Anything Can be an Expression of Creativity
So far, I have talked a lot about writing and painting because these are my favorite means of creative expression. However, virtually anything can be creative work.
Don’t think that you have to paint or draw or write if you want to be more creative. Here are some things that can be very creative:
• Computer programming
• Woodwork
• Masonry
• Music
• Photography
• Dancing
• Martial arts
• Skateboarding
• Video production
• Fashion design
• Knitting, sewing
• Carving
This list could go on forever. But you get the gist. Don’t limit yourself by what others think is creativity. Your creative expression can be as unique as you are.
Sit Down And Do The Creative Work
Often, when we see great painters, writers, or musicians we think all this just pours out of them in a fit of inspirational genius. But do not be mistaken everyone experiences resistance when it comes to creating.
Sometimes it’s not about waiting for the muse but about inviting the muse. If you just sit and wait until some great creative streak hits you, you might be waiting your whole life.
Further, the best ideas sometimes come when you are in the act of creating.
This is a no-brainer but to be more creative you have to actually sit down and do the creative work.
How Do You Start Being Creative?
If you don’t know what your medium of creative expression is yet, try the following challenge.
For 30 days either:
• Write 500 words every day. Anything counts except answering text messages and emails. Write whatever comes to mind. Don’t overthink or judge whatever you are writing. Just let it pour out.
• Sketch, draw, or paint something every day. Again, it doesn’t have to be ‘good’. Keep a notebook with you all the time and put something in there whenever you can.
If you realize that writing and drawing are not your favorite mediums of expression, that’s fine. The goal of this challenge is to kickstart your creative muscle.
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I hope that by now you have realized that you’re a creative genius. All you have to do now is to stop denying it and start creating!
“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” – Osho
Luka
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