Creativity is a trait that must be cherished as it is often the catalyst to some of the most amazing things we all have the fortune of enjoying. If it were not for Elon Musks’ creativity, would we have Tesla or Steve Jobs with the iPhone? Therefore, we must embrace and expand our creativity as much as possible.
Unfortunately, our creativity diminishes over time, and for some people, the ability to be creative is not one of their strong suits. So if you are one of those people, you must know some tricks and tips to help boost creativity. Not always a bulletproof solution, but highly advisable, especially when a big project is in the making. Below are some ideas to remember when you are looking to spark your creativity.
1. Go for a walk – Sometimes, a quick or long walk is the best solution to spark creativity. Walking lets, you clear your mind of the constant distraction in your life and give you space to focus on the task. It’s also good for your overall health, and having good overall health is an excellent way to maintain your creativity even through difficult times.
2. Listen to music – The good thing about music is that it promotes a good amount of disruption to our current thoughts and will bring about more abstract thinking. However, this can only get accomplished if you listen to the music at a specific level. The desired level you want to go for is 70 decimals. Anything higher will not have the same results and will instead simply prioritize your thoughts with the music rather than your creative thoughts.
3. Spend time around people – Being around them sparks creativity because it surrounds you with other people and their opinions and observations. The best ideas can come from interacting with others where you hear something or have a specific conversation that allows the lightbulb to go off in your mind. Plus, other people may be able to help you figure out what you are lacking. They can be a creative person who is not in a slump and provide you with ideas or perspectives you were not previously contemplating.
4. Do not criticize yourself – Negativity only feeds negativity; the more negative you are, the more closed off you become. You want your mind to be clear and open, and when you are negative and criticizing yourself, it can cause you to close off, which does not promote creative thoughts. Your mind will be more focused on negative self-talk than anything else.
5. Remove expectations – You could have a significant project you need to do a good job on, or it could cost you your job. It’s this pressure and expectation that is mentally blocking you. You need to be able to sit at your table, remove all expectations, and allow your mind to create what it will create. Once you remove expectations or pressure, you can go into things quickly. As the previous tip mentioned, getting rid of negativity opens your mind up.
6. Write down your ideas – Sitting in place and trying to spark your creativity may not always be conducive to getting results. Sometimes the best way to bring creativity is to write down your thoughts. At first, it may seem like nonsense, or what you are writing does not make sense, but the very act of your writing is creative. Being an author is a creative profession, and you may not be an author, but writing is being creative and will allow you to express yourself better than simply sitting in a place trying to think of something.
7. Take a nap – You may simply be in a slump and need to turn your brain off for a second. Taking a quick 10-15 minute nap allows your mind to reset, and when you wake up, you could have the idea you were looking for the whole time.
8. Surround yourself with inspiring material – Books, pictures, people, or music. Seeing or listening to creative things or people sparks inspiration, which speaks to creativity. You could even go as far as drawing or coloring; this activity is just like writing; it’s creative by nature, which would be an excellent way to set the stage for expressing your creativity.
9. Take a break – If you are sitting or standing trying to think of something and it’s not working, bashing your head into the wall will not make it come out. The best thing to do is to take a break, eat something, watch tv, do daily chores, etc., just get away from thinking about being creative and focus on something else. There is the joke that the best ideas come about when you least expect; you could be sitting in your room, eating, watching Netflix, and suddenly, an idea you would have never conceived of before comes to mind.
10. Eat brain food – It can seem silly initially, but there are such things as “brain food” that helps to allow your brain to operate at its most optimized position. These foods include things like berries, nuts, dark chocolate, etc. Eating these foods or a healthy snack will help your brain function. There should also be an emphasis on “healthy” food. If it’s not the brain food we mentioned, try to avoid anything with excess sugar or empty calories, as these take away your brain functions. It will seem at the beginning like your brain is operating at a higher level, but if you need to sustain creativity for a while, these foods will not help as there will be an eventual dropoff from the initial rush.
We all have creativity, but it can be hard to express, or we could be in a slump. So sometimes, we need to switch things up a bit if you want to spark that creative spirit. Some of the best ideas will emerge when we least expect them. And if there is one word to describe how to boost your creativity, it is to “relax.” It’s the one thing we can all do, and it’s easy; we just need to find the best way to relax.
