9 WAYS TO UNLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY

9 WAYS TO UNLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY

“I was a different person before I started to write. When I realized I could be a songwriter and that people would listen—that was when I started feeling good in my life.” − Gwen Stefani

Do you feel that you aren’t a ‘creative person’ because you struggle to put an articulate sentence together, or you don’t know how to draw, or you’ve never played an instrument, or you never seem to come up with great ideas in business meetings?

Did you know that even the most creative people, bestselling authors, and songwriters, compare their creativity to others?

Creativity is the expression of your soul and the innermost part of our being when you share something private that only you can see, hear, or sense. It should be free-flowing, natural and spontaneous…

But if you’re like many people I’m blessed to work with, I’ve noticed these common challenges most of them face when getting into the realm of their own creativity:

• We have forgotten how to be creative, even in the privacy of our own home.
• We are often creative behind closed doors, but too scared to share ourselves with the world.
• We don’t believe it’s possible to make a living from our creativity.

Creativity is not an exclusive gift just for artists and music makers. It’s part of being a leader, CEO and solution-oriented business owner. Each of us was born with a capacity to be creative. We simply channel and express our creativity in different ways. It can be easy for some people and a little painful for others.

Creativity allows us to think outside the box and to solve our problems. It also helps us be innovative and to generate new ideas. Sometimes, we’re in a flow with it, other times we’re not.

Regardless of your past conditioning and beliefs, the reality is that you ARE creative in many ways.

Creativity isn’t a magic and something rare, it’s part of who you are.

Many of us grew up being encouraged to focus on facts and logic, over-relying on the analytical mind, details, and science. Creativity is on the opposite side of this spectrum. It engages your imagination, artistic ability, music, passion, intuition, and playfulness.

Humans are designed to engage both sides of the brain, incorporating both, reality and fantasy. And even though many of us may have ignored our creativity, it’s still there in a dormant state, waiting to be discovered…

But how to unleash and tap into the power of your own creativity?

If you want to be creative, your job is to simply open yourself up, follow your passions, and allow an unlimited abundant stream of universal energy to flow through you onto the stage, onto the page, into your speech, into your canvas, or into your relationships.

There are many sources of inspiration available to you at any moment. You can tap into them and have access to millions of new ideas. But this information will only be revealed to you if you open yourself up to receiving inspiration. Daily practices of focusing your attention on the things that inspire and move you will shift your reality, allowing you to live in a flow with nature and life.

Try to be conscious of your self-criticism, fear of rejection, perfectionism, fear of judgment, and other negative emotions that intoxicate your creativity and disturb your inner balance. Removing these distractions from your life and focusing on the things that inspire you will help to shift your awareness and feel peaceful. 

Our soul craves to create and to play. But at the same time, we have a need to feel safe in life. When you allow yourself to be playful, you never know where your inspiration is going to come from or where it could possibly take you on…

Your Creativity is Unique 

Everyone has a different routine or rhythm that ignites creativity. Some need to be well-rested and nourished, creating effortlessly in the morning after breakfast. Others stream creativity in the darkest hours of the night. Some thrive with a rigorous routine, putting in long hours while others need to be free and only create when they feel inspired.

9 WAYS TO UNLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY

Immerse Yourself in Nature 

Experiencing nature awakens a sense of vitality and joyousness, which invokes your creativity. Without conscious thought, you can look up at the amazing number of stars in the sky or leaves on a single tree, and feel a sense of wholeness and delight. As you gaze at the sky, think about how humanity throughout history (even during the ancient times) and across continents has observed these stars. Have an experience of being a part of something larger than yourself that it timeless and unchanged.

Create Sacred Space at Your Home

In ancient times, sacred spaces, such as temples, churches, were built on land that evoked a sense of connection with the Creator. Sacred places like the temples of India and Machu Picchu have become a place for those who yearn for a sense of connection to the Divine. Your sacred spaces can be created wherever you feel a sense of spaciousness and connection to the life-supporting forces of the universe. Arrange the space in your home or office to bring in more light and nature. It helps you feel expansive as you open up to your important role in all of creation.

Move Mindfully

Many forms of physical movement can be a door into open-minded consciousness and creativity. Somatic therapies such as mindful dance, yoga, martial arts, tai chi, and qi gong, are the well-known ways of quieting the logical mind. They help to access your subconscious mind and connect with the creative forces of nature. Any physical activity that involves discipline and slows down your thoughts, from ice skating to dancing, helps to create new neural connections in your brain and promotes inner balance and problem-solving abilities.

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

A need for discovery, embracing the new and the unfamiliar, can help you transform your life in ways you never thought possible, as you find the strength to move out of fear into something new. We grow when we play out of our comfort zone. To close the gap between where you are and what you want to create, it requires discomfort.

Change Your Established Routine

Look outside of your industry for ideas, take a break to visit new, undiscovered places where you’ve never been before. Change your regular routine, take a different road while driving to work. Chose to wear a different color shirt or a dress. If you wear the make up every day, try not to use it for a couple of days. Go to a department store and try outfits that you wouldn’t normally wear. Look at yourself in the mirror and notice how you feel. Switch what you’re reading or listening to for a couple of weeks.

Turn Negatives Into Positives

If you have a habit of negative self-talk, try changing your automatic negative statements into positive affirmations. Do it as soon as you notice these negative thoughts in your mind. For example, you may change the thought “I can never get it right” to “I always get it right”. Develop a habit of doing this on daily basis and watch your life transform.

Be Present

Learn to be happy in the present moment instead of wishing you were somewhere else. Cultivate gratitude for the things you already have instead of wishing for things you don’t have.

Change Your Environment

Surround yourself with inspiring people, books, movies, music, and environments. Let go of the things in your environment that remind you of your old memories and people you’ve had disagreements or arguments with. Surround yourself with things that inspire you, promote imagination and uplift your spirit, such plants, artwork, crystals, objects from nature, and vibrant colors. 

Dismiss Negativity

Learn to hear and dismiss that voice telling you that no-one will enjoy what you’re creating, that your ideas aren’t interesting, that everything has been said or done before. We all have that voice, but all successful people choose to ignore it. Google executives encourage their employees to play fun activities like volleyball and bowling to activate the creative parts of their brains. You can do that too!

Do you really want to spend the rest of your life listening to this false perception of yourself, that only exists in your head? Or will you listen to the expanded voice of your soul that is calling you to open up the gateway to your creativity?

The Bonus “WAY” – My Favorite Stuff!

• Singing along to your favorite music as you drive
• Walking in silence on the beach with your feet in the sand while listening to the birds and waves
• Doing a headstand or hang upside down
• Writing with the less dominant hand
• Learning a new language
• Tracing figure 8’s in the air
• Meeting connections with new people

Your family, your friends, and your community are all waiting for you to own and unlock the creativity that wants to pour through you. That passionate stream has been building up behind your mundane life and is ready to burst through you. It’s time to unlock and open those floodgates! Have fun! 

What’s your favorite “getting into your creativity vibe” exercise or activity? Share it in the comments below.

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