Do you consider yourself a creative person? If you do, cherish your creativity. If you don’t, take heart in the fact that creativity is a skill you can develop over time. You don’t have to be naturally artistic or able to come up with brilliant ideas at the drop of a hat; you just need to flex your creative muscles. There are many ways to boost your creativity, and they aren’t difficult or exhausting. In fact, they’re often quite fun!
Easy Ways to Boost Your Creativity
Take a walk.
Research has shown that simply walking, whether indoors or outdoors, can boost your creativity, and many people find that they do their best thinking while walking. If you usually play a podcast or music while you walk, consider leaving your earbuds behind to see where you mind wanders in the silence.
Find a creative hobby you adore.
Sometimes the issue is that you just haven’t found a creative hobby that suits your interests. Don’t force yourself to paint if you don’t enjoy painting. Don’t spend hours learning to play the guitar if you dread practicing. Instead, explore a variety of creative activities until you find one that you truly love.
Unplug from technology.
If you spend all your free time watching TV, listening to the radio, and playing games on your phone, your imagination won’t have much space to wander. So instead of rushing to fill the silences in your day, embrace them. Your next original idea may emerge while you’re watching the sunset, taking a shower, or walking the dog.
Change your environment.
When your environment remains the same, you’re more likely to stick to your usual routines and stay inside the box. But if you change your surroundings, even in minor ways, you might feel motivated to free your creativity as well. For example, you could change up the items on your desk, hang up a bulletin board with inspiring images, try sketching at a museum, or invite a friend to write with you at a cafe.
Write down your ideas.
You might be more creative than you think are! Try carrying around a pocket notebook and then recording all of the new ideas that come to you. If you pay attention to your ideas, you might be surprised how many you have and how exciting they really are. And then, when you have some free time later, you can take out your notebook and explore your ideas in more detail.
Challenge yourself.
It’s human nature to fear the unknown. But if you want to spark your creativity, try stepping outside your comfort zone – you might be surprised at the innovative ideas you come up when presented with a new puzzle. For example, you could visit an escape room, write a poem for the first time, learn some basic Spanish phrases, or brainstorm answers to a difficult question (for example: What exactly is it about good jokes that makes people laugh?).
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Now that you know some ways to boost your creativity, how will you use your reinvigorated imagination? You could write a memoir, create a sculpture, bake something new, study a language, learn to play an instrument, participate in a local theater – the possibilities are endless!
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