What Creativity Really Means
When I think about creativity, the first thing that comes to mind is art - singing, music, art, painting, drawing and all the rest. When I was younger, I always found time to draw and paint. I still do those things, but to a lesser extent as I have small kids to watch and not as much free time on my hands.
Despite the fact that I am an artist, I don’t consider myself creative. I always used to be scared of sharing my answers with the class, or having to come up with an original idea. I always thought my ideas were mundane and boring. I never did the cool and new thing - I always stuck with what I knew and worked along other artists, recreating their art.
I’m currently reading two books on creativity. The first is Creative Confidence by Tom & David Kelley and the second is Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer.
In both books, they refer to creativity as thinking outside the box. On top of that, creativity can be learned as opposed to something you innately have.
Ways to improve your creativity:
Talk with a friend you don’t talk to all the time
Collaborate with someone on your work
Read a book on a new subject
Watch YouTube videos on a new subject or thing that you know nothing about
brainstorm map: write down an idea and think of as many thoughts on that topic that you can - maybe you have a goal you want to brainstorm on. The trick here is to think big! Think of as many ideas as you can. Don’t limit yourself! You can only achieve what you think about and thoughts turn into actions.
go for a walk in nature
get lost on purpose, but try not to stress about it. This is a great way to find new places and explore your town or city and it will curb your fear of getting lost in the process. Also, the act of driving may calm you down and you might have some creative ideas along the way!
Have a relaxing bath or shower - you get more creative when you relax.
Go to a coffee shop, enjoy a coffee and sit by yourself and write in a journal.
Practice solitude - sit and think, or write your thoughts in your journal.
I never thought creativity was something you could practice and get better at. But I find the more I write, and the more I brainstorm the easier thoughts come to me.
If I come to a mental block, or my mind gets all befuddled, I find it’s easier to step away from the task. Then, all of a sudden, the thoughts come to me like magic. The same can happen when you sleep on a problem. You know that old saying “everything looks better in the morning”? Well, it might make your situation look better, or, you might have a really good idea(s) that helps you to solve your problem. Your brain has had time to rest and sit on the problem, and then it just pops into your head. There is science behind this (I recommend reading the books mentioned above), but it’s really cool when you have that “Eureka! moment.
Here’s to your creative ideas! Thanks so much for reading and we’ll see you again next week!
Sandra
