What exactly is creativity?
Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality.
So, where do you get those ideas from and how do you maintain a constant creative workflow?
Self-discipline
The assumption that you have to get in the mood to produce creative projects is an illusion. Sure, you can wait for the day, you feel like it and the outcome is something great but it won’t be satisfying in the long run. Those moments don’t present itself frequently. You will have to set up a schedule and get to work day by day. Over time it will become a habit and something to look forward to, every day.
Even with the best self-discipline and intentions to succeed, you might get stuck from time to time and have to find ways to nurture your creative mind.
Unplugging/Meditation
Time spend alone, away from screens, people and the noisy world, we are surrounded by, gives us time to reflect on many things. Your mind gets the break, it needs to make room for creative thinking. Conversations with oneself mean consciously living in the moment. At other times, you would like to silence this inner voice for a while.
Meditation is a wonderful tool to distance yourself completely from everything that’s going on outside. It connects you with a world of peace and silence where troublesome thoughts just disappear. Afterwards, you will feel refreshed and openminded to so many things.
Walks
A Standford University Study found that walking increased creative output by an average of 60 percent. Researchers labelled this type of creativity “divergent thinking,” which they define as a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions.
According to the study, walking opens up the free flow of ideas, and it is a simple and robust solution to the goals of increasing creativity and increasing physical activity.
Music
Apparently, music has a structure. It has tempo, harmony, and order, regardless of the genre. So even if it is a form of aural stimulation, it does not impact the brain the way noise does.
By simply listening to music regularly, you can already reap the benefits of becoming much more creative. Listening to uplifting music may make You happier. The happier you are, the more you become imaginative and the better your brain will function.
Learning and playing musical instruments allow your brain to function properly. According to research, people who take piano lessons and/or guitar lessons are found to be much more creative and imaginative. This is because learning and practicing to play instruments boosts ideation in totality.
Music can increase your focus. Unlike noise, which divides and distracts your attention, music can actually increase your focus. Thanks to its structure and order, your type of music allows you to concentrate on the tasks at hand. As a result, your brain can achieve a much more open state which allows more ideas to enter that helps you become more creative.
Reading
Nowadays, the problem isn’t so much that we don’t read, it’s that we spend our time reading blogs, tweets, magazines, and other short form snippets. This is great for consuming lots of information and staying up to date, but it does not work our brains the same way as a book, which is an activity that forces the reader to ditch the distractions and focus. It’s this focus that acts as a catalyst for the many perks that come from reading books, not the least of which is an increase in creativity.
Reading just 30 minutes a day flexes those mind muscles. It makes you think, fantasize, use your imagination. You have to comprehend ideas and reasoning, and like any exercise, the more you train the better you will get.
Conclusion
All these tips will help you in one or the other way to keep your creative thinking alive, theoretically.
All creativity is worth nothing without execution. So, feed your mind, create a schedule and get to work! 🙂