So, you´re interested in boosting your creative side a little, huh? Sometimes we get into a rut and aren´t feeling our most creative selves. We try and try and we just come up short. Maybe it´s a part of our work that we have to constantly create ideas, and we´re feeling that pressure to perform. Or perhaps something else is causing us to lose inspiration.  

Or maybe we don´t think it´s our talent to be creative. We´ve always been pegged as ¨analytical types¨ or we judge ourselves as not having that streak that seems to come so naturally to others. While it´s true that some can take an idea and roll with it, creativity is much more skill than talent. It´s something that lives in each person. We just might not be used to flexing our creative muscles or leaning into our ideas. Strengthening this skill can help you become a better critical thinker, innovator, or problem-solver – all traits that have positive effects on most aspects of our lives.

Below is an non-exhaustive list of some ways to boost your creativity. Whether you call yourself a maker and you´re feeling a little spent, or you´re brand new to letting your imagination run wild, let these ideas serve as a jumping-off point in your creative journey.

1. Look Inward

Ask yourself:

• What do you think is the root cause of not feeling creative?
• Are you being hard on yourself or think that being creative is out of your scope?
• Are you not looking forward to working on a project?
• Do you have some sort of dissonance with a current activity?
• Are you feeling pressured to produce because it´s part of your livelihood?

The ideas listed below can help boost your creativity but will only take you so far. If you don´t identify the source of your lack of inspiration, it can be difficult to let go and move forward. Take a moment to pinpoint and name any negative feelings or experiences surrounding the creative process. How have they informed your sense of self when it comes to being creative? Consider if there are practical solutions to remedy some of these feelings. But above all, trust yourself and have some fun.

2. Focus on Process over Product

In our society, there is a constant pressure to produce, to be productive, and only when we do something ¨productive¨ are we valuable, our work valuable. Shift your mindset to focus on the journey of making, learn from your mistakes, and you may see they aren´t mistakes at all. Focusing on process, in all of its forms, allows us to free ourselves from judgment about our creative experience and where it leads us. Often, creativity is killed when judgment and pressure to perform are present.

3. Invest in your Self-Care

I know everyone is talking about this right now, and no, I don´t mean light a candle and take a bath (although these could be inspiring too!), but taking time to care for yourself can boost your creativity. Your body and mind won´t be free to create if you´re not taking the time to listen to it, feed it properly, move, or do things that bring you joy. You don´t need to play the role of the suffering artist if you can help it.

• Listen to your body. Are you pushing yourself too hard? Are you tired and in need of some much-needed sleep? Are you eating food that makes your body feel happy and healthy? If you´ve been trudging along day after day putting one foot in front of the other, you may need to take a step back and consider your needs. You may tell yourself you don´t have time, but eventually, your body will MAKE you make time through injury, sickness, or depression. My psychologist once told me that depression is our body´s way of making us rest. We are humans with human needs, not machines. But even machines need a tune-up every once in a while.
• Take time to rest and dare to do something unproductive. Take the day slower than you normally would and take breaks between your tasks. Lay and stare at the ceiling. Take a nap even. Perhaps though, at this moment in your life, you don´t have a lot of say in how much time is your own because you´re responsible for something or someone beyond yourself. Even so, try to allow yourself to have a few moments of nothing. Put your phone away. Stare into the distance at the bus stop. Sneak in unconventional rest whenever you´re able. It may just quiet your mind, satisfy your body´s need for rest, and allow space for creative thinking.
• Clear your mind with meditation. Breathe deeply. Follow a guided meditation on creativity. Allow yourself to think in new ways.
• Get moving and your blood circulating. Take a quick walk, stand up to do some stretches, dance a little jig in your living room, do some chair yoga. No need to run a marathon or begin a new intense regimen. A little bit is enough.
• Reconnect or build relationships. Prioritize being present with your children or pets. Plan a fun activity for your partner or best friend. When we feel supported by others and strengthen our communities, we feel much freer to be our true and most creative selves. They just might be the source of inspiration you´re looking for.
• Practice a hobby or craft that´s just for you, not anyone else. Is there something you´ve always wanted to learn or something that always brings you joy? Joy in creating and learning begets more joy and creativity in other parts of our lives. Make time for that joy, even if it´s only once a week or once a year.

4. Use a Prompt

Go to Pinterest, watch design shows, or try a maker´s challenge. Get a prompt and see how it can be related to your own craft. I love watching those shows where the contestants have to create art, a makeup look, or design clothes or objects based on a prompt and their ability to execute their ideas. They give them something simple like ¨black and white¨, or something a little more involved like ¨using only sticks, make an a-line dress¨. I´m always amazed at the ingenuity of people. As a former teacher in an ESL classroom, I know that when our brains have a frame in which to fill our thoughts, this can free us from having too many options. A prompt does just that. You´re free to create as long as it´s inside the prompt. It allows us to build ideas, be inspired, and move within the confines of that frame.

5. Freewrite/Freepaint/Freedraw

We are constantly editing ourselves, stopping, and rewriting our thoughts to make them more consumable and acceptable to ourselves and others. We ask, does this fit my aesthetic, my identity, my creative outlet? Is this the best I can do? Is this share-worthy or profitable? Does this fit my perfect sketchbook? But in reality, creativity needs freedom from censorship. It needs freedom from this self and peer-editing. When we write or make art, we may start, step back and observe our work with judging eyes, decide it´s no good, erase it and try again until it´s just right. There is a time and place for this, but not when generating ideas. We need to create spaces for ourselves where we are free from these judgments and expectations.

Peter Elbow, a prominent writing and applied linguistics theorist developed the concept of the freewrite to prevent self-censorship of new ideas in a classroom context. You set a timer and, without stopping, you just write. No editing, no crossing out, no erasing, no stopping. You continue to write until the timer ends (about 5 to 20 minutes). If you have nothing to write, you write just that ¨I don´t know what to write, my hand hurts, or um um um um.¨ Most of the time, you have one or two ideas (or a better understanding of yourself) at the end. The purpose of the freewrite is to activate the free flow of ideas, not necessarily to produce shareable work. You´d be surprised by the kind of content that comes out of low-pressure writing like this because it´s private non-consumable writing.

Elbow´s technique can be applied in other creative ways as well. Consider free-drawing, painting, or sculpting. Maybe even free crochet, knit, or embroidery! Create an interesting shape, consider how colors meld together, or how texture is created.

6. Dabble in a Craft or Medium you don´t usually work in

Be it music, fingerpainting, or yarn, venture out of your comfort zone to learn something new. You may just be stuck in the same mental box when it comes to the craft you´re best at. Consider signing up for a class on Craftsy or asking your friend that´s good at XYZ if they´ll give you a few pointers

7. Change up your Environment

• Care for your living space. Is your living space stressing you out? Are there things weighing you down, like a pile of dishes in the sink or dirty sheets? Do you see dead leaves on your houseplant babies every time you walk in the door? These things can weigh on our subconscious and make us feel uneasy in our own space. To free up the creative energy your home should have for you, consider doing one thing right now that will make the biggest difference in your living environment. Choose something you can complete in 15 minutes and set a timer to get started!
• Rearrange or redecorate. Is it time to brighten up your space? A few small changes can make a big difference. You could move your couch to a different wall, paint your front door a new color, or add fresh sheets to your bed. You could also bring in some flowers or hang some art that you love. These simple updates can help make your home feel more like an oasis. Consider what changes you can make to create a more welcoming and comfortable space.
• Get outside. Spend some time in nature. Observe the clouds, the shapes of the leaves, the texture of bark on a tree, or the cracks in your neighborhood sidewalk. Many people find connection and inspiration in nature or feel refreshed by a quick change in their routine.
• Go on a trip (even a day trip): See the ocean, drive to the next town, or book a flight to a place you´ve always wanted to see. You may feel inspired by the newness of your surroundings and bring it home with you!

8. Experience Other People´s Art

Experiencing other people´s art can affect how we see our own creativity. Sometimes it´s inspiration or awe, but many times, it´s a comparison to our own sense of lack, especially if we aren´t in the groove or don´t label ourselves as creative in the first place. But these experiences can also give us ideas of ways to use a different medium, rouse a strong emotion in us, or inspire us to make connections. Visit an art gallery, attend a concert, listen to an album all the way through from start to finish, go on an architectural tour, look at art history books, eat at a well-plated restaurant, watch youtube vlogs of people creating – the options are endless. You may just walk away with ideas of your own.

9. Reinterpret a Favorite Piece of Art in a New Way

Your source of inspiration could be your own art, a friend’s, or something you’ve seen on display in a gallery. You can reinterpret this art in a new way by changing the size, medium, style, or colors. Professional artists do this all the time, and you can too! You could make your version classical, modern, or futuristic. You could mix up the style, or use the same style and colors to evoke a similar emotion. Creativity doesn’t always have to stem completely from your own mind. Look at what inspires you, take what works for you, credit where credit is due, and make it your own.

10. Trust yourself and Have Fun

It bears repeating to follow your gut and move towards what brings you joy. Only you know what is beautiful to your eyes. It´s nice to ask for input and opinions, but if you´re being drawn another way, acknowledge that feeling. And on a less serious note, have some fun. Be a little silly. Be okay with making those mistakes we all make at one point or another. Remember – process over product!

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

And you too, in your joy, can add to the beauty of the world. Every human on earth is capable of creativity, despite what you may tell yourself about who you are or whether or not you´re the ¨creative type¨. Open your mind to new ideas, shake up your day-to-day routine, and embrace your imaginative side. You may find it affects your life in other unexpected ways.

I´d love to hear what makes you feel your most creative self! Drop a comment below and let me know if there´s something else that should be added to this list!