It may seem as though some people are born with a creative gene, whereas others struggle with making a macaroni necklace! For those of us who are artistically challenged, it can feel as though we will never be able to become more creative, however, as long as you have the desire to, you can train your brain and become a more creative person. Here are some ideas that will work your creative muscle!
Think differently
You can change the way you think by training your brain on a daily basis. This does not have to be a big dedication or complicated undertaking; there are some exercises you can do on your morning commute to help develop some more creativity. For example, think of a common household object, for example, a spoon, and then make a mental list of creative uses for a spoon that are outside of the normal function of a spoon – let them be as crazy and silly as you like!
Free write
A popular exercise from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is ‘Morning Pages’ which is a free writing exercise where you set aside 30 minutes every morning to just write a stream of consciousness in a journal. This is a great mindfulness exercise that will help unlock new ideas and develop creativity.
Be more open
Creative people tend to be more open and are always on the lookout for new solutions, so in order to become more creative, you need to try and work on this in your everyday life. Become more aware of your surroundings and the world around you and challenge yourself to notice things by being more curious.
Play
Children are often very creative as they are still exploring the world around them through play. They often utilize items for different reasons than they were intended (such as making a drum set out of pots and pans) and create full stories from the most simple toys. If you visit the office of a very creative person, no matter their age, you are likely to see some toys on their desk! Whether they are fidget toys or grown up action figures, creative people enjoy toys and maybe they will help you unlock your creativity too!
Try something new
Creativity can mean different things to different people. Do you want to write more creatively, be a more creative problem solver, or be better at arts and crafts? Learn a new skill, whether that be wood carving, juggling, upcycling or dancing – you will be exercising your brain and proving to yourself that you can develop new abilities. You will also be opening up a more creative part of your brain which will contribute to becoming more creative overall.
Learn from others
Spend time with people who are different from you. You can learn a lot for just spending time with people, especially if that person is not someone you would usually hang out with. Challenge yourself to make new friends or connections and soak up their energy,
You are never too old to learn new skills (you can teach an old dog new tricks the old dog in question is serious about it!) and to develop your creativity. Whether you are someone with zero creativity in your body or who is feeling a little flat in their creative life, these exercises will help make you more creative.
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