Are you ever at work and the task that you're handling just flows and gets done without much effort? It's almost as if your brain and creativity just explode and you slice through the task with ease. That feeling, the flow, is an awesome feeling but how often do you have it? Wouldn't it be great if you could somehow bottle that feeling and release it when you need it most? Easier said than done.
There are probably a lot of variables that go into achieving this feeling and like most things, they are totally different for everyone. However, with a little thought, most of us can most likely identify a handful of things that help promote their inner creativity. Here are 11 tips I've found to work. If you have other steps or rituals, let us know!
Are you using the right medium to communicate your work and message? Your medium is the outlet that you communicate with. This can be a nurse, writer, speaker, artist, etc. Maybe you have the message right but it's not being shared through the right medium. This happens to lots of super creative people who find themselves in jobs they don't like with lots of restrictions. Creativity knows no limits. Try a new outlet and see if your creativity improves.
Just go ahead and start writing. Know before you begin that this will be the worst thing you have ever created; it's then impossible to be disappointed. More often than not, as you get moving, creative ideas will come to you and it is nowhere near as bad as you first pictured. Sometimes you just need to have the courage to take that first step towards creating what you desire.
Say to yourself "I will work on this for 1 hour" or "I will write a minimum of 500 words before standing up". We can't always be creative but every single one of us can make ourselves work on something for a set period of time as short as one hour.
Start creating whatever is in your mind; writer's block is often overcome this way. If you sit there for 30 minutes and nothing is coming, you're not going to get anything. Get up and do something that you love. Go for a walk, calm and center yourself, play with your kids, meditate. There is always a way. As I read in a fortune cookie once, "Many a bad move is made by standing still". Those 30 minutes have at least been spent moving towards creating rather than stagnating doing nothing.
Whenever I feel like I'm in a creative rut I sing or dance. Take some time to just totally let yourself go. Put on a song that you love and sing and dance to it and you'll get yourself out of all those negative thought patterns and in a really positive place. Really let yourself go. One way to get to a new level is to sing louder than you ever have done before. It leaves you feeling amazing and creativity just flows after that. WARNING: You might want to vacuum your house while singing this loud. It saves other people's ears and is super productive too!
I find that your best ideas come will come to you when your mind is still. When you're too deep into a project struggling to get creative, it makes sense to have a mental reboot every 30-60 minutes. Just go for a walk. Get some fresh air into your lungs and a change of scenery.
Creativity comes in ebbs and flows. Some days you might just be so uptight and tense that you need to take the day off. It's not unproductive because rest is essential to gear yourself up for the days when you really exert yourself. If you have the opportunity spend time with friends, family or doing something you love just for the sake of it. You'll come back to it tomorrow with a fresh mind and fresh ideas.
Do you sometimes find it tough to get creative because you feel like you just don't have enough hours in the day? I get it all the time. Truly deep creative thoughts don't usually come to you within the first 30 minutes of creating something, they come as you dive deeper into it after spending at least one hour there. It's tough to get that deep without the time.
What would benefit you is to set aside a few hours to become a master of your time. Batch similar tasks all in one, start reducing pointless internet browsing, etc. Then you'll be able to experience deep creative flow once again.
I see babies as naturally creative. They know no limits and no fears. Watch a baby for a while and see how they just do things. They are totally focused in this moment, not at all held prisoner by their past. Imitate their aliveness by spending time with them and you will find beautiful ideas flowing through you that you never thought you could access before. This leads me to the next tip ...
Being in the moment is without question the best thing you can do for creativity. If you are thinking about the past, you are limited by it. By being here and present you have access to all the precious gifts that you have now. This is a process of concentrating the mind and the best way for this is through meditation.
You hear meditation defined a lot of ways but it is really just concentrating, which is concentrating your mind on this moment. Practice concentrating 100% on reading this article until the end or the feeling of the keys you are typing. Life is a meditation practice and opportunities are everywhere. The creative benefits can only really be experienced, they're fantastic that's all I can say. It's a whole new level of living.
Sometimes, we spend too much time indoors between the four walls of our homes and at our desk and lose touch with our natural roots. Long spells in natural environments refresh the spirit. Nature is the ultimate creative inspiration. Have you ever looked out across a still river or up at the skies on a dark night and just been awe-struck? They're the beautiful experiences that life is made of. Doing this will invigorate your spirit, body and mind so they are all fresh and aligned towards creativity once again.
Written on 5/6/2010 by Richard Shelmerdine. Richard writes passionately about his love of spirituality and self improvement over at RichardShelmerdine.com.
Unique Ways To Access Your Natural Creativity
Posted by SoMeOnE at 8:31 AM Labels: Business, Entrepreneur, How To, Writing
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