8 Ways to embrace your creativity.
Amber Badger
Award-winning Communications Consultant at The Wild Wordsmith ??? ?? ?? and Wellbeing Practitioner at Wild Wellbeing.
There is a creative spark nestled inside all of us. Here are 8 ways you can start to embrace your own creativity.
Creativity has always played a huge part within my life; that creativity has come in all different shapes and sizes as I have meandered down this crazy path. It shows up every single day; be it in the simple task of cleaning the house or organising a day out, or the heftier process of writing a book.
But, it’s so easy to downplay our creative talents and be our own worst critic. How many times have you uttered the words; “I’m not creative” or “I’m no good at that?” More than once, I’ll bet.
Listen, pal. You’re wrong. You ARE creative. You ARE good enough. Each and every one of us has something out there just waiting to spark our inner creative. So, it’s time to embrace creativity and get your creative engine burning like never before.?
How can you embrace your creativity? There are many methods you can take to help inspire and tap into your creative spirit. From creating a ritual to trying something new, creativity can help your professional life and also your personal life in multiple ways.
One of my ‘go to’ ways to light my creative flame is journaling; I do this both personally and professionally within my business. Saying that, this is just one of a beautiful kaleidoscope of ways that we can all embrace our creativity with purpose and intention.? In this blog, I will also explore:?
To help you find the best way to release your creative side, I will be sharing the 8 different ways I tap into my creative spirit… I really hope that these methods work for you, too.
Why does creativity matter?
Creativity has a huge positive impact on our health and wellbeing. And it isn’t just the outwardly creative souls that believe that. Psychologist and art therapist Dr. Cathy Malchiodi argues that being creative increases positive emotions, lessens depressive symptoms, reduces stress, decreases anxiety and even improves immune system functioning. We all need solace from our hectic lives and need to find a way to declutter our crazy full thoughts. That’s why allowing yourself to be led by your inner creativity matters.
It’s a way to express ourselves… To speak out, even if we aren’t quite ready to use our physical voice.?
It gives us the space to tell stories and record moments in history. Without creativity there would be no Michelangelo, no Slyvia Plath, no Fleetwood Mac for goodness sake (and I refuse to imagine a world without them).
It helps us make sense of emotions and uncertainties. All those jumbled up, confused and complicated thoughts vying for attention underneath the surface? Yep - creativity gives them the tools to break free.
And that’s why allowing yourself to be led by your inner creative compass matters.
Why is creativity important in the workplace?
There’s a common misconception that creativity within the workplace only matters if you are in a creative role, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Even if you aren’t in a creative role, creativity is a brilliant way to enhance and develop your position for so many reasons.
First of all, it inspires employees to work with one another. Why? Because at its core, creativity is the act of taking new, exciting ideas from concept to reality. It is FAR easier to do this when we are collaborating. We get to bounce ideas off of each other, ask the right questions and find innovative solutions to problems. Creativity thrives in a team environment - it can lead to major breakthroughs which could, in turn, culminate in new company wide processes that benefit everyone.
Struggling to solve your problems at work? Creativity can help! With the ability to think creatively and outside of the box, you and your colleagues are more likely to come up with unique and innovative solutions to obstacles within the workplace.?
Of course, creative writing (especially within blogs) is a vital part of marketing. Brand storytelling sits at the heart of any impactful content marketing strategy - creativity is that special ‘thing’ that pumps the blood through the brand body.?
Take a look at my blog on why your business needs a blog to find out more.?
8 ways to embrace creativity.
There are countless ways to explore your creativity, but to help you get started here are some of my favourite ways to embrace creativity.
1. Push fear to the side
From a young age, it is built into us that if you aren’t ‘good' in art or you are ‘bad’ at writing, you aren't a creative person. This negative narrative ingrains itself deeply into our psyche to the point that we cannot get past the idea that creativity is simply not for us.
For many people, fear swamps their self-esteem and like an annoying itch at the back of their head it reminds them time and time again that they aren’t good enough. This means that they are too scared to even try something new, let alone something they have been told they ‘suck’ at their entire life.?
On top of that, as we get older we simply aren’t taught to enjoy creativity just for the pure joy of it. Everything has to have an aim - a goal at the end. So, my first step is always to break down those fear barriers and allow our playful nature a seat at the table.?
2. Step into your playful side
Speaking of which, creativity shouldn’t be too serious. There’s no better feeling than using it to embrace your childlike wonder. Take colouring, for example. Something that may seem ‘pointless’ actually has an abundance of benefits - there’s a reason that it’s grown so steadily in popularity! Colouring has the ability to reduce stress and anxiety, improve motor skills and vision, improve focus and allows us to be as creative as we want with no demanding tests or obligations barking at us.??
I personally love to sit down with my notebook and doodle. Within half an hour of letting my hand run free across the page, my page is covered with meaningful, random and sometimes hilarious drawings and musings. It can really help me get into a creative state of mind and empowers me to kick off my next creative project.
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3. Find a creativity ritual
Creativity is fuelled by inspiration but is built on foundations of habits and routines, and that’s what a creative ritual digs into. It helps to free up brain power to focus on creative ideas rather than making decisions on the spot which can be incredibly hard to do, no matter how creative you think you are.
Finding a creativity ritual looks different for everyone. Meditation followed by morning pages is the perfect beginning to my creative ritual. I then make a nourishing cup of tea and sit at my desk (which has notes on my manuscript stuck to the walls), put a candle on, choose a playlist and write. Journaling works for me as it helps me to tap into my inner dialogue while setting me up for the rest of the day. For more information on the power of journaling, check out my recent blog.
4. Try something new
Stepping out of your comfort zone is a foolproof way to kickstart your creativity. You may even need to push yourself to the point you feel a bit silly, but trust me - it really does help.?
In my Copy Confidence Coaching classes, I set writing tasks that are pretty unusual to say the least. But my clients have to trust the process... and so do you. My favourite task is one where I encourage them to picture a time in their life where they felt no judgement while doing something they adored. They then have to write it as if they are there, and soak up all the senses. It feels odd at first, but my clients quickly lose themselves in the creative writing and lose themselves in the joy and freedom of the task.
5. Ignore the rest of the world
It’s within our human nature to downplay our creations and compare them to others. And while it’s far easier said than done, it’s important to try and leave comparison at the door. There will always be people out there ‘achieving more’ than you are - but remember, you never know what’s really going on beneath the surface. Focus on you, and you alone.
Also, try to physically ignore the rest of the world! I make sure to remove any distractions by ignoring my social media channels, giving myself time to look after my mental health and creating more space for the things that light me up in my day to day life. Switching off my phone is one of the easiest ways for me to block out those unwelcome distractions, and the days where I am struggling to be self disciplined, I love using the Selfcontrol app which limits your time on specific apps such as social media and news sites.
6. Record inspiration
To inspire my next piece of work, I have a pocket book and everyday I note down any interesting things I heard or thought about in the day. I come back to this book whenever I need a gentle burst of inspiration - I often surprise myself with the things I’ve written down. But of course, how we choose to record inspiration looks different for all of us.
Recently, I was extremely lucky (and proud) to be awarded a place on an ‘Emerging Writers’ course with Literature Works and the Costa Book of the Year award-winning author Monique Roffery (and yes… I am gushing!). A fellow student shared her own way of recording inspiration - a USB stick which she could record audio on. She would carry it around her neck whenever she went for a walk so that she could instantly take note of anything she spotted or thought of along the way. I love that idea.
A few other ways to record inspiration and fight back against creative mental block include:
7. Find a passion
We all know the power of finding something that you love doing. It doesn’t matter whether you studied it at school or at university, passion is the greatest teacher of all. Having a strong determination to expand your current skill set and mind is what will help you to improve and learn from previous mistakes. Passion is about being driven to succeed, setting yourself goals and working to make them a reality.?
8. Carve your own path
You may think that creativity doesn’t hold a place in your business, or the creative project you want to create is unnecessary, but I want you to ask yourself: WHY do you think that? Have you been told it’s not as important as your other business tasks? Or that you’re wasting time? If so, keep reminding yourself: your dreams are yours and yours alone. Screw what anyone else thinks.
Plus, business creativity can significantly increase your missions and goals, no matter how ambitious they are. Which means that all of those other niggling tasks will actually find themselves on the ‘green tick’ list much quicker if you’re living a creatively abundant life.
You can’t expect your company or even yourself to stand out from the crowd without creativity. Creative thinking is a pivotal tool used on the road to innovation and growth... This is your chance to grab it.
What if you’re ‘just not creative’?
Everyone is creative; let’s get that there immediately. We are all creative in our own way because there is no one single definition for what is classed as creative. Some of us are creative when we put pen to paper. Others show artistry through their makeup or fashion. For many it’s cooking, decorating. The list goes on.
Making the first leap can be daunting. But, once you do take that step and embrace creativity, you’ll never look back.
?And trust me when I say that your work will thank you for it.
How can I help??
Are you ready to tap into your creative spirit and unlock your writing potential? My Copy Confidence Coaching will help you gain the confidence and clarity to write like a creative writer. For more information, I’d love to get you booked in for a chat and help you on your road to making magic.?