by 3 years ago | 3 Min Read
Truth be told, creativity is important in most aspects of life. That being said, a lot of people struggle with being creative. If this applies to you, don’t worry. You’re not alone. The good news is that creativity is something we actually have control over. There are several different ways that you can improve and increase your creativity. Here are 3 of my favorite ways to tap into my creativity.
#1. Schedule Time For Creativity
Many people have a misconception that they should just live their lives and wait until they’re hit with a spark of creativity. In reality, most successful artists keep a strict schedule for their creative endeavors. It is especially helpful to schedule larger blocks of time, instead of working in small increments throughout your day. You want to allow your mind to get into a state of flow so that you can tap into your creativity.
In Julia Cameron’s seminal book “The Artist’s Way”, she recommends that you go on an “artist date” where you get away from your usual environment and allow yourself to create. Whether you can get away for a few days or even just a few hours, putting yourself in a new environment without any distractions will put you into a more creative mood.
#2. Creativity Doesn’t Come Fully Formed
A common problem for most people is that they are far too judgmental of their art, as they are still creating it. Our minds work in 2 distinctly different ways. One part of our brain is very creative and free. The other side is very focused and analytical. Rather than having these two forces clashing in our minds, it’s better to separate your tasks for each half of your brain.
First, you should create with full freedom. Just empty your mind and get everything out. Don’t spend any time or mental energy worrying about the quality of your creative work.
Next, you will shift your focus to analysis. Take a thorough look at your creative work. What do you like? What don’t you like? What do you want to change or improve?
Once you’ve done that, you can go back and revise your work. Keep repeating this process until you are happy with the results.
#3. Diminish Your Cognitive Pressure
When you’re actively trying to be creative, you’re putting a lot of cognitive pressure on your mind. This can lead to a block in your creativity. The most creative part of your mind is your subconscious. You want to put your conscious focus onto something other than your creative endeavor. While you do this, make sure that you know your creative problem you are trying to overcome. This will allow your subconscious mind to work on that problem while your conscious mind is focused on another task.
Albert Einstein used to play the violin when he was having problems with his work. While he was busy playing some Mozart, his subconscious mind would figure out a solution to his problem and he would go back to the lab or office and finish his work.
I like to diminish my cognitive pressure by playing sports and exercising. I also like to go to art galleries and museums. This takes my mind off of my creative task, while also inspiring me. Find what works best for you to diminish your cognitive pressure and do that, the next time you’re experiencing a creative block.
If you implement these 3 techniques, I am confident that you will unlock a new level of creativity that you never even knew you had within you.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
I hope that you’ve found value in this blog post! Feel free to share it with anyone that you think will benefit from it as well.
If you’d like to hear more of my thoughts on this subject, you can check out my video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sstQje2AWDg
If you’d like to be even more effective as an entrepreneur, check out my blog post on How To Redefine Success.
