Just like smiling, you need to practise being creative more than just being creative.
Does that sound weird? Yes it does and I'm sorry about but it is the truth.
Being creative isn't something that we just are once we are born and it doesn't mean we all have to be artists or able to draw, anyone on any career path can be creative, it just needs an identifying of your own unique creative strain.
It might seem difficult or a herculean task but here are 4 surefire ways to unearth your creativity:
1.
The easiest way is to Find something you truly love and do it.
I'm not surprised I became a writer of sorts because I devoured books when I was a little girl and put other little kids around me in trouble because of it. I read books until the emergence of the internet, I typed out my own final year project, went on a 1 year break from everything creative during youth service and right back after that I was back to reading, got a job and the rest is history cos here we are. I truly, truly loved reading novels and now I'm either writing content for my job or for my blog or translating it into a visual for a client.
2.
Move.
I'm sure I've said before but I used to be a professional choreographer and I was good at it. One of the best actually but I just never believed in how good I was. If you have never danced before it is hard to understand what it means to move to a rhythm and create a moment where all the focus is on moving your body. It is the same for exercise, going for a walk, using a standing desk. There is something about moving that helps with the flow of the creative juices, all you have to do is move more often and think less about it. Empty your head of worry and the creativity will flow in.
3.
I'm not sure how I managed to somehow discover this but Learning something new actually helped me find my creativity cos it made me unearth a part of me I never would have found out about if I hadn't learned about it. It was a process and didn't just come all at once - first I read, then I wrote, then I moved, then I read again, then I started writing & snapping away, then I started working with my hands doing makeup, then I learned digital marketing, then learned how to do it for Clients, learned how to take better pictures, learned how to edit them better, learned how to edit videos, learned how to edit them with more advanced software and so on. I was constantly learning something new or doing something new or wanting to learn something to make what I already knew better. That is something that has stuck with me even up till now as I'm constantly wanting to learn.
4.
Sometimes Doing nothing and just letting yourself be does the trick as well. This might sound gross but have you ever thought about how many ideas were born in the loo? In one of the offices I worked at, it seemed every time someone went into the loo, a new idea was born. Not surprising as that company has constantly topped creativity charts in Nigeria and globally but it goes to show that at the singular moment when the only thing on your mind is a release, that might just be when the idea drops in. You don't have to wait for the loo but you need to learn to just let yourself go.
5.
Think Different.
Force yourself to look for alternative ways to tackle challenges and solve problems. Hey, that doesn't mean you need to get stuck on something but make it a habit to think different first when faced with task before sticking to the norm or regular way.
Please promise you you'll try these 5 things I've just shared with you. I'll be looking forward to hearing what worked for you and what bundle of creativity you've been able to unlock even behind your office desk.
Social Icons