How to boost your creative juices!
We’ve all been there, that moment when you need the creative gods to bless you with a brilliant new idea, but for some reason you just can’t get past the invisible blockade. Studies into how the creative brain works have proven that when these blockages appear, fixating on the issue will only make it worse. Instead, walking away from the problem may just be the answer we’ve all been looking for. Not all those who wander are lost, and if we allow our minds to do just that, more often than not, we will find our way to the solution.
There are many simple and effective ways we can do this in our day to day lives, and to help you get started I’ve listed some below.
Break the cycle
Did you know that by disrupting our daily routines, we can actually rewire how our brains work creatively. By changing how we do even the most mundane tasks, we can literally reshape the neuroplasticity of our brains, which can result in new and invigorating connections. As much as we favour stability, it’s the unusual and unexpected that can aid us when we are stuck in a rut. Walking a different direction to work, eating your lunch in a new place or even a switch in our exercise routine can all spark creativity. Commit to doing something different everyday and watch the fresh ideas come rolling in!
Growth is key
Stunting our beliefs in our own ability can affect the way we learn and develop new skills. Adopting a ‘can do’ attitude can increase our creative abilities in outstanding ways. Daily affirmations, gratitude practices and even journaling, can all teach us to grow and evolve our mindset. By doing this we start to see failures as lessons and train our brains to approach problematic situations with new solutions. Want to be more creative? Tell yourself everyday that you are, and the rest will follow.
Be present
Let’s face it, the mind can be a pretty busy place, so how do we create the mental space to innovate, when our brains CPU is already pushed to the max? The answer… we create it! Practicing a mindful activity for just a few minutes a day, gives our brains the much-needed time to process and store the information we’ve already received, until we next need it. This in turn frees up room for creativity to work its spontaneous magic. Activities like meditation, nature walking and even tai chi, all teach our brains to slow down and really engage in the present moment, and the best bit, none of these activities requires a paid membership!
Loosen up
No problem is unsolvable, the answer is just yet to be discovered. By freeing ourselves from judgment and the fear of failure, we allow the mad ideas to come to fruition. Did you know that James Dyson came up with his first hoover design after a visit to a local sawmill? Make creativity fun again and put those so called ‘stupid ideas’ back on the table. Embrace the weird and wacky and it could just bring along your next great idea. Moral of the story, work and play makes for a very creative day!
Conclusion
Still stuck? Don’t worry, there’s hundreds of ways out there to help boost creativity and plenty of brands and websites that dedicate themselves to inspiring you.
Regardless of what you do for a living, creativity and the creative part of your being is essential to your happiness and productivity. Creativity is invaluable to our development, learning and general wellbeing and an important part of being human.
By Wayne Morrish
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