Sometimes, those creative juices just won’t flow. Often it’s because our mind is running the show. So how can you unleash your creativity? These top tips might help…
1 Switch Off
To tune in to your creative self, you need space – mental and physical – to make it happen. That means tuning out of distractions such as your mobile phone, Twitter, Facebook and the like.
Switch off all communication tools and enjoy an hour, afternoon or entire day in solitude. You’ll then be more focused on your creative tasks, without worrying about who liked your post or photo.
Another way to create mental space for creativity is to get out into nature. Take a walk, swim, stretch or simply look out at the garden. Why? Because it’s at these times when your subconscious mind is likely to present its ideas and inspirations.
2 Forget the End Product
How often have you started a creative project – writing a poem or painting – only to have a little voice pipe up and tell you no one will ever buy it. Or that it’s not good enough. Or someone else is a better painter, writer, whatever than you are.
This fear of failure or success can be very dangerous for creative types, holding them back from reaching their full potential. So rather than worry about whether your work is ‘good enough’, focus on doing what you love. Pour your heart and soul into your creative projects. And don’t feel like you have to share it with anyone – create it for yourself instead.
3 Do Something Else
Yesterday, I spent 40 minutes staring at my computer screen, because I had zero inspiration to write. I could have sat there a lot longer, but I chose to instead go for a long walk to the beach and people watch. When I came back to my desk, I churned out three articles in record time. The lesson here? If the creative juices aren’t flowing, do something else and come back to it later.
4 Do Things Differently
Routine can be the biggest creativity killer. Shake things up during the day – have a new food for breakfast, take a different route to work, approach a task in a unique way. Changing up your routine might be the ticket to firing up your creativity.
