Are you feeling creative but having trouble getting started? Or you might be wondering how to get your ideas flowing. Perhaps you don’t think you are creative at all. All of us can be more creative. Creativity comes in so many different shapes and forms and fills out life with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.
Here are 15 tips on how to be more creative.
Disclosure – This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Any compensation I receive does not affect the price you pay.
1. Stop telling yourself you’re not creative
If you keep telling yourself you’re not creative, well, surprise, surprise, you probably won’t be feeling a rush of ideas.
Even if you have great ideas, you may not trust them if you convince yourself you’re not creative.
Everyone is creative. Have an open mind to begin with and stop telling yourself you are not creative.
2. Start
Doesn’t get much simpler than this one. Just start!
It doesn’t matter whether you are a writer, photographer, painter, sculptor, dancer, singer, or cook; you need to start somewhere.
Related post – How to Get Your Brilliant Idea Out of Your Head
3. Keep going
The more you do the work, the more ideas you will have. It’s a case of one idea leading to 10 others.
People sometimes give up too early before they have hit their stride.
Keep at it.
Related post – 12 Reasons Why Perseverance is Important in Life
4. Don’t obsess about every idea being fabulous
Not all of your ideas will be fabulous.
Some will be rubbish, and that’s okay. Some ideas will jump out at you more than others. They are the ones to work on first.
Others may need to incubate in your mind before you are ready to take them out for a test drive.
Books that can help with your creativity –
- The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp
- The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
5. Don’t edit while you create
While editing is an essential part of a final product, it doesn’t work well in the first draft stage.
Many of us over-edit our creativity to the point of snuffing it out altogether.
Get the work out in all its creative messy glory – then edit all you like. Make sure that you don’t edit something so much that you change its original meaning and feel.
Related post – How to Be a Fast Writer
6. Forget perfect
Nothing stifles creativity like the concept of everything having to be perfect.
The minute you go down that road, you start doubting yourself and stressing over every little detail instead of allowing yourself to be creative.
Ditch the idea of perfection – it doesn’t exist anyway!
Related post – Dealing with Rejection as a Writer or Creative Person
7. Keep an ideas file
I call mine a brainstorming file. It’s on my laptop. Some people, particularly novelists, use index cards (I know this is old school, but if it works for you, it works). Many people use Evernote or a similar digital product.
It doesn’t matter how you do it; just make sure you are capturing your ideas so that you can reference back to them later.
Related post – 7 Tips for Writing About the Past Without It Coming Back To Haunt You
8. Steal like an artist
When I was in New York, I read the book Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative.
In the book, Austin Kleon reminds us that a lot of ideas have already been done. The trick is to take those ideas and sculpt them into our own unique masterpiece.
9. People watch
When I was young, my parents would drive to my grandmother’s house. At the time, it seemed a long, long way (in reality it was about an hour’s drive).
While I was on this trip, I would look at all the other cars and wonder where everyone was going and why they were all on the highway going somewhere. I knew each of them had their own unique story. I would also look into the houses that were isolated from other people and make up stories in my head about what their lives were like.
Watch people and create amazing stories out of your imagination.
10. Be curious
Ask questions. Dig deeper. Look at things from a different perspective.
The world is an endlessly fascinating place.
Be curious.
11. Hang out in nature
Nature is full of inspiration and life.
Head for the mountains, desert, lakes, rivers, beaches, or wherever fills you with inspiration.
While out in nature, embrace the power of silence. Silence can embrace and enhance our creativity.
Related post – The Importance of Silence in Our Lives
12. Read
Read both fiction and non-fiction. (Heads up, you can click these links to see what’s on Amazon’s Top 20 lists in fiction and non-fiction books)
Aim for well-written books. Avoid gossip magazines.
13. Watch less television
It’s not that watching television can’t give you creative ideas; it can, depending on what you watch.
The problem with television is that it’s a huge time suck. The time devoured by watching television could be used for your creative pursuits. Watch less streaming and focus on your creativity instead.
Related post – How to Stop Wasting Your Precious Time
14. Have your own creative space
This doesn’t have to be anywhere elaborate. It could simply be a chair in your garden where you like to read and write in your journal, or it could mean having your own creative office space at home.
Make space for your creativity. Again, your creative space doesn’t have to be fancy, just somewhere that makes you feel happy and inspired.
15. Spend time with creative people
If you want to go to the next level, spend some quality time with other creative people. Talk through your ideas.
Get their input on things. Collaborate. Bounce ideas off each other.
Create and grow in a sharing environment.
Be more creative
There are so many ways to be creative; you have no excuse for not getting your creative on. Put your fears and ego aside. Ditch your excuses and embrace your creative, amazing self. Be creative and go for it! 🙂
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends on social media.
Read Next – 30 Affirmations for Creatives to Help Boost Creativity
This is a great read. Creativity is essential to almost everything especially when it is required on your chosen career. I want to give emphasize on having your own creative space. As an artist, I really don’t like to be bothered that much when I’m working, that’s why I am planning to have an office space at home, wherein no one could possibly interrupt me while I’m working, and also consider renting an office space wherein I could have complete privacy if I wish to, and be able to hang out with other artist who do the same passion in life.