Fostering creativity in your (non-creative) routine
Watching the sunrise with a smile on your face. Reading an inspirational book on the beach at noon. Visiting an art exhibition before dinner. It doesn’t sound like your daily life? No problem: it’s not mine either and I still carve out the time to foster creativity throughout my good ol’ boring routine — so you can too.
The truth is that sometimes we put an insane amount of pressure on ourselves in search of creativity, looking outwards in every direction for that spark that’s going to inspire us. But we fail to realize that creativity is in the simplest things in our routine, when the “eureka!” moment you’re searching for is hiding in plain sight.
It’s all in your head (really)
Wouldn’t we all like to live in a constant creative flow? In the world of communication, we know how creativity comes both as a bliss and a challenge. So it’s time for you to use your routine to welcome every single moment of inspiration to create something — and to stop using the usual “I got no time” excuse.
Accepting your routine for what it is is the first step to understanding how your — apparently boring — routine is already filled with creativity.
3 steps to foster creativity daily
1. Begin with what’s at hand
It’s not all about beautiful sightseeing, nor the art shows, still less the aesthetics of someone else’s breakfast or Nobel prizes. Instead, fostering creativity is much more about seizing every bit of your day to learn something new, discover other points of view, take in different opinions and try out some new approaches.
Got some minutes on your commute? Take a book on your favorite subject with you and read. You’ll be enjoying a nice trip through those pages while improving your vocabulary and exercising your mind.
Working at the office? Speak to your teammates about whatever problem’s bugging you lately, and their input will make you consider something new.
Exploring a new subject? See what the media in the country and abroad are doing about it and discover new approaches to the same matter.
Focus your effort on the moments, tasks, and conversations that can actually bring some value to your creativity: it hasn’t all been invented yet!
2. Seize each break
As Humankind, we have evolved a lot; but we’ve still got to sleep and breathe to live. Sorry, didn’t mean to state the obvious, but it is what it is. Pausing is as important as producing and they’re very much tied to one another.
If you wish to be more productive, begin by valuing your breaks throughout the day. A coffee and some chat with a colleague, a quick look at the street outside, a walk to stretch your legs along the corridor, or a moment to peel an apple before eating it.
When you find time to stop, stretch a bit and be more aware of your surroundings and sharpen your mind, you can distance yourself from a challenge, sharpen your mind and get more creative on how you’ll approach it as you return to your desk.
Marvelous thoughts and creative ideas flourish in a mind well-rested, as flowers do in a field well-watered.
3. Stop waiting for a better time
There’s this old Chinese proverb I particularly like to remember when I get stressed or overwhelmed: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”.
There’s no right time or best way to do something, and difficult or less appealing tasks will take us down a rabbit hole of procrastination if we don’t take action quickly. So begin right now! Even if your current ideas might seem poor or not creative, just put your hand and mind to work and begin creating something. After a first stumbling approach, a terrible sketch or a silly proposal you’ll notice how your mind warms up to the task and creativity will eventually flow alongside you.
If you make time for creativity, you’ll notice how ideas will begin coming to you like a waterfall. So no matter how boring you think your routine is, there’s definitely value, even within the boredom itself. You just need to foster these moments and creativity will finally find its way in.
