5 At-Home Tips to Increase Your Creativity… FAST!
EVERYONE has the potential to be creative. It’s a skill that’s developed, just like my awful customer service voice. The problem, I think, with being creative is sometimes you need to dig down to a place that is maybe not comfortable, or it’s where you stuffed your insecurities as a kid.
I myself diminished my own creativity when I was younger. I think I swapped it out for my mall-rat phase. I spent all my time idolizing celebrities, fantasizing about my crushes, and worrying about what to wear and what would get me some attention.
Well, look out, world! Colleen is back and she’s bringing creativity along with her!
Check out these five tips below and try them out to increase your own creativity!
Self Care
What does self care look like for you? For me, it looks like a long, hot shower, even if it’s 10pm and I have to drag myself into that tub.
It also looks like a clean desk so that my thoughts are not literally BLOCKED my dusty chachkies and paperless bills (I KNOW I signed up for paperless…. they just keep mailing them to me!)
Self Care, for me, is talking a long walk, listening to podcasts, indulging in a snack, and anything that lets my brain take a break from the mundane work I’ve found myself in.
I’d also recommend a brain dump here. Is your mind blocked with what you could be doing with your time? Or what you need to do later? Write it all down! It could be in list format, or just a big mess of a paragraph!
2. Gratitude
Another writing exercise here. Sometimes we spend so much time bogging down our inspiration by forgetting what we’ve already done. But what about last week when you came up with that great idea to for a client? Or when you created something out of basically nothing and had your boss speechless over your impressive work?
Try this now: Write down a time where you thought something seemed impossible. It could have been a project, a confrontation, an impatient client, anything that made you feel, well, exactly how you feel right now! Okay, now follow that up with your resolution to the problem. How did you solve it? How did you pull the answer out of thin air?
That’s all creativity is. It’s finding new ways to make old problems work. It’s finding ways to do the impossible.
3. Invite It In
Time to get a little woo woo in here.
To get rid of negative traits, there is a theory of naming that trait another name. Maybe "Frankie,” maybe “Julia.” Maybe it’s the name of an enemy of yours! That’ll keep things spicy. Whatever the name, it may help to eliminate self-hate and improves self confidence when you can simply say “no” to Susan the angry binge eater.
Similarly, making your “creative self” go by a different name, no longer makes you beat yourself up when creative genius doesn’t come to you immediately. Why not invite “Thomas” or “Athena” into your mind when you’re about to start your work. Say “I’m clocking in now. I’m showing up for work. I invite you to do the same.”
Your right brain and left brain are handling totally different things. Try taking responsibility for just the left side for awhile. Let “Mr. Creative Genius” float his way into the right side when he feels like it.
If your creative power lies with someone else, it’s impossible for you to control it. It will come to you when it’s ready. Until that time, your muscles in your brain can relax a little, knowing that you don’t have to provide the creative right now.
4. Trust Your Instincts
I always say “live for your 13 year old self” and I think it has a lot of pull on your creativity.
What are things in pop culture or books you’ve read or games you played that lit up your life when you were young? And maybe you shoved those things down when you got older because you were insecure, or you prioritized other things.
Unfortunately, those are the things that not only make you unique, but they are the ideal assets to pull from when looking for inspiration! Incorporate colors or themes you loved when you were a little kid. Pull patterns and quotes from the depths of your inner child. It will make you stand out and you’ll notice more reactions from other people who can relate on these levels! They key here is to pull elements, not a full blown tribute.
Mixing these elements in your brain with the problem or project at hand is what truly creates and original, creative solution.
5. Exercise the Muscle!
Having creative moments means nothing if you’re not acting on them. It’s just like when I wait until I have back pain to finally do some ab workouts! It’s a TRAINED skill!
So keep this in the back of your mind: When you find you have moments of creativity, you MUST write it down.
Writing down your ideas engrains them into your mind a whole lot better. It also encourages the habit of “inviting your genius in” if every time they come to you, you take advantage of what they bring!
Writing down your ideas also let’s you have a place to recall your creativity when you’re not feeling so hot. You can open it up and think “Hey wait, I am creative! Look how I came up with that invention to combine french toast and waffles for the ultimate breakfast experience!”
Keep a section in your Notes app on your phone. Make it a catch-all for any creative idea that happens to spark at any moment. You’ll be surprised with how strong that creative muscle becomes!
What does "Living for your 13-year-old self” mean to you?
For me, it means Harry Potter, Bright fun colors, Funky socks, Napoleon Dynamite, even Fun-fetti Cake!
Leave a comment below and let’s talk creativity!
