Tips to boost your creativity
Tom Cronin is a meditation teacher, life coach and writer. He is the founder of The Stillness Project, a global movement that aims to help people on their journey towards calmness and fulfilment.
Have you ever told yourself that you’re just not a creative person? Have you experienced mental blocks, or periods where you just didn’t feel creative? If you’re wondering how to boost creativity, the following tips can help you.
1. Change your definition of creativity
Creativity is the process that leads to the development of something totally new. That thing could be a novel, a work of art, an idea, an invention – it could be almost anything really! There are no limits on where and how you can exercise your creativity. Boosting creativity also requires that you change up your process from time to time. For instance, if you’re trying to think of an innovative solution to a business problem, spending time reading about mathematical theory or going to an art gallery might help your cause. Although these things may seem unrelated, you never know where you’ll take inspiration from.
2. Brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm
No idea is a bad idea! If you’re trying to approach something creatively, try a brainstorming exercise where you write down anything and everything that comes to your mind. You’ll find that when you turn off your mind’s natural filter, you open yourself up to new possibilities and out-of-the-box thinking. You might see some of the items on your list as impossible, but being creative means not being afraid to take risks.
3. Open and clear your mind
Meditation and creativity go hand in hand. By making your mind still through meditation, you give yourself the opportunity to move beyond your normal boundaries. Filtering your thoughts allows you to put an end to limiting thought patterns and open yourself up to pure creativity. When you practise meditation on a regular basis you sharpen your mind by learning how to focus your thoughts on one thing. You eliminate distractions and you open yourself up to receiving inspiration from different sources.
4. Fight negativity.
Studies have shown that a positive mood can help you think more creatively. Finding innovation solutions to your problems and coming up with new ideas requires a certain amount of optimism. If you want to increase your creativity, you should try to eliminate negative self-talk, criticism, or defeating thoughts. Surrounding yourself with positive people is also a good idea. Smiles are contagious, and you’ll feel more ready to tackle problems and projects when you have a positive outlook on the future.
5. Don’t be afraid to take risks.
Being creative is about doing things that have never been done before. It’s about pioneering a new way or seeing things in a new light. And whenever you break off on your own, it takes a lot of trust in yourself and an ability to take risks in order to see your dreams fulfilled. Risks are a by-product of creativity – people who are creative are used to forging forward on their own and standing tall in the face of adversity, obstacles, or struggles. If innovation was easy, everyone would be doing it.
6. Immerse yourself.
Surrounding yourself with books, art, music or other examples of creative thinking is a great way to “soak up” creativity. You can also try to surround yourself with creative people, and attend workshops, lectures, festivals, and fairs to help yourself step into a creative frame of mind. Sharing your ideas and looking for feedback from other creative people is also a great way to refine your ideas. Remember that seeing other creative things and hearing other creative people isn’t going to take away from your potential to be creative.
7. Access the universal creative potential
When you use Stillness to quiet your mind, you give yourself the power to dip into a source of universal creative potential. We all have the power to access this source, but not all of us make use of it. When you practice quieting your mind and forcing yourself to be still, you open yourself up to the truly limitless creative power within the universe. You don’t need to learn how to boost your creativity because it comes naturally.
Written by Tom Cronin. First appeared on The Stillness Project.
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