Creativity is about bringing forth the new. It is the search for better ways of living and being and doing. Creativity isn’t about the kind of job we have, it’s about the kind of life we live. It’s about the life we build.
We are all creative beings. Sometimes, though, we need help being creative. Here are some techniques to help unlock your creativity and invite new ideas into your life:
GET QUIET
The first thing I do when I want to free my creativity is to get quiet. This involves going off somewhere by myself. This could mean sitting alone on the porch, taking a walk, or a retreat to the garden. A long drive may be the only way to get away from everything. Do whatever it takes to remove distraction. What constitutes distraction may vary from person to person. It may vary from day to day. Television, the phone, or people may be a distraction one day while another day it’s not. Let feelings and mood be your guide. Downtime lets the craziness of everyday life fall away. Ideas can magically appear. Of course, they were probably there all along waiting to be revealed.
WANDER AND SEEK
Take quiet time a step further by letting your mind wander while exploring new ideas. I like to browse. This may be browsing the internet—new blogs, Facebook, or Instagram. It may be browsing newspapers or magazines. While flipping through the Sunday paper, I read a short blurb about blogging and a lightbulb went off! From Under A Palm Tree was born!
I also like to browse through shops and stores. I love browsing through all kinds of stores from places like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Bath and Body Works, or Pier 1 to nurseries, hardware stores, and even the grocery store. I like to smell all the candles and lotions, I like to pick up and touch all the picture frames and glasses and cake plates. I examine the designs and colors and patterns on ribbons and labels and bottles. Memories stir, visions and thoughts swirl, ideas pop up. Always carry a notebook to write them down.
Newness is a good source of creative inspiration. Look for new blogs, magazines, shops, and stores. A great idea can come from unexpected sources.
Leave time and room in your schedule for quiet and wandering and exploring. Be open to what springs up. An expansive path will unfold endlessly. Move forward along your creative path.
How do you jumpstart your creativity? Do you have any tried and true methods that work every time?
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Lisa is a mother of three lovely young women and is a new grandmother to a baby boy! She has been married to her high school sweetheart for more than thirty years. Lisa is originally from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, but has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1984. Running a small business for over 25 years and raising a family has made for a busy, busy life with many ups and downs; it’s definitely been an adventure.
Lisa’s always involved in one project or another whether it’s work related or serving her community. She also recently went back to school to finish her bachelor’s degree in American Studies. Lisa tries to make every day a good day—that means learning something new, practicing kindness, and enjoying the present moment.
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