Sometimes the idea of being creative can strike fear into people (probably stemming back to art and craft lessons at school with a fierce teacher).
Creativity is about seeing the world in different ways and being flexible in your thinking. It’s combining ideas in new ways and finding routes through blocks so that you can head out the other side.
Creativity is not only about painting and drawing. It is many things including how we think and talk to others and how we choose to spend our time.
Great ideas to remember when boosting your creative muscles:
We are all creative
Sometimes we feel blocked but we can get past these blocks by going within yourself – go inside. I have never met anyone who isn’t creative in some way. As humans, we all have the ability to pull in some creative flow to our life. The secret is about finding what you love. Do that.
Discover your passion
Decide what you like doing and turn up to your favourite craft regularly. It doesn’t matter if it’s sewing, drawing, doodling, painting, making matchstick men, writing, playing or writing music, designing, putting image things together, doing a Pinterest board, making a vision board, acting, dancing, playing a game with friends. Whatever you enjoy doing that involves losing yourself in a task that gets you putting ideas together in a new way, do that and get immersed. That is creativity. Forget about the time and lose yourself in our activity.
Meet up with creative people
Surround yourself with other creative people and talk about ideas rather than talking about other people or gossiping. Talking to others helps you to build on ideas and create something new that you wouldn’t have thought of perhaps by yourself. Expand your horizons, meet new people to get new ideas from, do things differently, and do different things. Get inspired and excited by new thoughts and plans.
Think about projects that inspire and excite you
See what projects you feel like getting involved with locally – join a singing group, learn to write poetry, sing, get a new language, taking a drawing class. The way to know if it’s creative for you is to feel if it gives you joy and makes you feel good. When you get creatively immersed, time flies and the hours pass by without even noticing.
Play music
Play music while you daydream. You don’t have to be doing things all the time. Take some time, relax, chill, listen to some soothing music and let the music take you off into feeling good. You may feel like taking a rest and relaxing, or some music may get you energised so you want to dance. Let your body do what it wants to do. Resist responding to the strong voice inside your head and instead follow your flow, follow your intuition and go towards what makes your heart sing and what brings you joy.
See new people and places
Chat with some people you don’t know well who do things in your area of interest. If you like art and drawing, join a local group and see who you meet. Go to places where you don’t know anyone yet and make some friends, strike up conversations. The best times for adventure happen when you don’t have a plan.
Make mistakes – Have a beginners mind set
Remember, that no one knows what they are doing. Everyone is winging it and trying and experimenting. It’s good to make mistakes, fail at things, fall on your face trying something new. No one is really watching. The more you make mistakes, the more you explore and became inquisitive. The more you fail, the more informed you become about what doesn’t work which helps you get onto the track of what does work.
The main thing to remember about creativity is that it’s meant to be fun and enjoyable. Be light with yourself and your creative endeavours. None of it matters. The only thing that’s important is that you enjoy yourself. Try out some puzzles and games, meditate and connect with your spirit, let ideas flow without judging them.
Creativity is about dancing with yourself, exploring your spirit and see what comes through the senses, without judging yourself. Not a bad way to approach life as a philosophy of living in this new world ahead of us.
One thing this lockdown has created is a spring of new creativity flowing out of us while we spend time quietly at home wondering what to do. Inevitably, if we do nothing, something happens and our mind gets busy on new ideas. Just start somewhere with little steps, then keep going.
Good luck on your creative journey!
