It doesn’t take much to be able to harness your creative power, even if you have an awful case of artist’s block.
These are five simple habits you can do just once a day that doesn’t take long, and if you do them consistently, your creativity will blossom.
Sure-Fire Ways To Get Your Creative Power Moving
1. Spend thirty minutes offline
You might be tempted to use a problem-solving or brain training app to harness your creativity, but in reality, an app won’t strengthen your mental muscles. Unfortunately, studies show that kids’ creativity is hindered by screen usage, as screens contain predictable and planned activities. These are considered “passive entertainment,” in which your brain goes on autopilot.
Even if you listen to podcasts that inspire your creativity or shows that give you ideas about new projects, take some time to turn the screen off and brainstorm on your own. Because while you might feel inspired by others’ creativity, the best resource for inspiration is really inside you.
2. Try to have a perspective shift on a problem
Next, if you’re feeling stuck on an issue, try looking at your creative venture through a different set of eyes. Once a day, walk a mile in another’s shoes and try to solve a problem like someone else.
Let’s say you make time to paint once a day. But lately, you’ve been having trouble mustering up the creativity to really throw yourself into a project. Try painting in another artist’s style or as if you were someone else in your life – think about seeing the world through their eyes, and you’ll feel reinvigorated.
3. Tell yourself a story
A study from Project Narrative at Ohio State University showed that children have more creativity than adults because of something called “narrative thinking.” While adults solve problems by using logic and memory, children use narrative thinking, which involves creating a story around the situation in order to solve it.
For instance, if you’re stuck in traffic and you’re trying to figure out a different route to your destination, don’t just use Google Maps and call it a day. Tell yourself a story about why the traffic is happening and how to solve it – if the traffic is in the center of town, maybe there’s a parade that’s going through Main Street, and you’ll need to find a way around. While it might sound silly (and you can certainly come up with other solutions after you tell your story) you’ll have a lot of fun concocting a tale.
4. Keep moments of learning in your life
To harness your creative power, it’s imperative that you keep learning, even if it’s not necessarily about your creative pursuit of choice. Take a little time every day to learn something new, even if you’re just reading Wikipedia articles while lying in bed at night. Creativity and learning operate in a feedback loop; if cultivated throughout life, they can facilitate healthy psychological benefits.
Luckily, the internet has a ton of resources for knowledge-seekers looking for fun facts. You can have a notification about news regarding your passion on Flipboard. If you don’t have a particular passion but want to stay creative, you can also sign up for a mailing list with fun facts like Now I Know.
5. Try one new thing per day
Psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman notes that creative people are curious individuals who notice things in life that others may not, such as beauty, novelty, or eccentricity. Whether you’re interested in professional learning in your career or individual learning on your own, Kaufman says, optimal creativity comes from new experiences that allow us to grow.
Trying something new can come in many forms, large and small. In your daily life, try ordering dinner from a new restaurant, reading a new book on your train ride to work, or watching a new show. More time-consuming experiences include wild vacation destinations, interesting sports, or exciting hobbies. You can even use TikTok to discover fun tricks that make boring things into creative activities, like cleaning your house or running errands.
