5 Ways to Cultivate your Creativity
All of us have creative energy in our bodies. Every day we are using our creativity to cultivate the lives we want to live. Even if you don’t work in a creative discipline, we’re all just making it up as we go which means we need creativity to find joy, foster solutions to challenges at work, and explore all the possibilities of our lives. I am here to help you harness that creative energy so you can always access it when you need it.
I have spent my adult life cultivating my own creativity. I run a theatre company so much of my day-to-day life relies on my ability to create. I serve as an actor, writer, and director for the company which are the roles that are most obviously suited to having a creative mind, but there is another role that actually requires more creative thinking. I also serve as the producer for many of these works. This means I collect props and costume items we need for productions, I am in charge of team building and casting actors, and I manage the budget which is next to nothing since we are a small company. I find myself often having to do the most creative problem-solving in that role because I am the one facing most of the obstacles for the company. I didn’t realize it when I started running this company, but the work I’ve done to harness my own creativity has served me to be a better producer, teammate, and even friend.
In addition to my obvious artistic endeavors, I utilize my creativity day in and day out in all the facets of my life. I do a lot of work with kids, for example, so I bring my creative mind to those encounters either in how I teach my material, what games I participate in, or even just planning new activities to try so I don’t lose my mind playing with the same toys day in and day out. Another thing I love to do is cook, so whether I am tweaking a recipe to my own liking or putting together something completely new out of items in the pantry, cooking is an incredibly creative process for me. Being able to come up with new ideas and shake up the daily aspects of your life is extremely useful. Not to mention sprinkling creativity into my everyday chores is downright fun!
All this to say, even if you do not consider yourself to be an “artist”…
We all have the capacity to be creative individuals.
Without further ado, I am going to tell you my tricks to harness that creative energy and maximize the creativity with which you live your life!
1. Take inspiration from everywhere
When you begin searching for things that are interesting or beautiful or new, it’s amazing how many things you will notice! That’s really step zero: start noticing everything. You never know what will inspire your next book or painting or, for that matter, idea for a project at work or dinner with your family. Once you start noticing things, write them down or take a picture or capture whatever that thing is in your memory. That way, when you are feeling stuck, you’ll have a whole grab bag of ideas waiting at the ready.
For example, if you notice a pretty bird in your yard, try to snap a picture or do some Googling to learn more about that species. If you spend time with children, write down any irreverant or wise things that come out of their mouth. If you see a photo of a food you want to try making, create an ongoing grocery list on your phone so you can grab those items next time you’re at the store. There’s so much going on outside of our heads — you don’t need to come up with all the material for your life by yourself.
2. Get specific
This tip is mostly geared towards those pursuing artistic passions, and I mean this in two ways.
Firstly, get specific about what kind of work you want to make. This might sound counterintuitive but the more you define the container you’re working in, the easier it will be to create freely. If you decide you want to try painting, looking at a blank canvas is going to be daunting until you figure out exactly what it is you want to paint. And this can change over time! But for each project, get really specific about what you are making. Try only painting in shades of blue for one piece. Try creating an abstract self portrait. Try doing a hyper-realistic depiction of your couch. Being specific gives you a place to begin which can often be the hardest part.
Secondly, make art about something really specific that you care about. Another paradox about being creative is that the more specific your work is, the more it will be understood. No one likes reading a book that only speaks in generalities. We like intimate details about people’s lives and experiences. It’s what makes us feel less alone, knowing that someone else might be going through the exact same thing as us. Find your niche, and get gritty with it.
3. Use multiple mediums
This goes for everyone, artist or not! I find that pushing myself to try a variety of creative activities helps stimulate my brain in the ones that matter the most to me. I have never considered myself to be talented at visual arts. It’s not easy for me to translate what I see onto paper. But a few summers ago, a friend was renovating his truck to live on the road and he asked me to paint a mural on a big piece of wood in the back of his truck bed. I protested that I’m not a painter but he insisted. His justification? “You’re creative. You’ll do a better job than I would.” I was terrified to mess it up, but I gave it my best shot. I found some inspiration images of mountain scapes and soon I had created a piece of art that he loved. It wasn’t perfect, but I was extremely proud of what I was able to accomplish in a new creative medium.
This is not to say that you have to be a world-renown piano player AND an award-winning author AND a celebrated painter. This is just a good strategy for massaging and expanding the creative parts of your brain. If you’re a musician, try painting. If you’re a writer, try some photography. If you’re a project manager at an office, make a friendship bracelet. Doing something you’ve never done before and looking at things through a different lens will sharpen those creative skills, even if your poetry never makes it to the best sellers list.
4. Try something new
On a related note, trying new things in any capacity is extremely helpful for your growth as a human and a creative being. This can be anything. Try a new restaurant or coffee shop in your neighborhood. Play a game you’ve never played. Take a dance class. Walk up to a stranger at a park and strike up a conversation. I firmly believe that the more experiences you have in your life, the more new ideas will occur naturally to you. Having new experiences expands your worldview and gives you perspectives you never could’ve imagined before trying that thing. The more you can expose yourself to new people, places, and activities, the broader your mind will be and the more you’ll be able to pull from when you need it.
5. Don’t be afraid to fail
One of my favorite sayings is, “Done is better than perfect.” If you wait until you’re perfect at something, you’ll never accomplish anything. And don’t forget, every awesome song or start-up idea or novel had at least a dozen bad drafts on the way there. Something the most creative people know is that all ideas along the way are useful to the final product. The less afraid you are to suggest things that won’t work, the quicker you’ll find a solution that does. It’s a great way to practice getting out of your own head and, I promise, every bad idea leads to a good idea.
Being creative is not about being perfect, it’s about creating! So shake things up. Try something new. Do something you never thought you’d do. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you get new ideas from just about everywhere.
I’m excited to see what you create.
