The Myth of Creativity

“I have NO creativity at all.”

“Everybody isn’t born with a creative mind.”

“I can’t write poetry, dance, sing, act, draw, or paint so I’m not creative.”

“I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”

Have you expressed any of these thoughts before?

Well, guess what? None of these are true!

Yes, perhaps some people may be born with a higher creativity IQ but that doesn’t mean that creative thinking can’t be learned and developed.

Besides, if you weren’t capable of some type of creative thinking, you’d be a robot!

The myth of creativity is that you have you to be artistic in some way and that only some people are blessed with its skill.

But in reality, creativity is simply thinking in a unique way and using your imagination to express different ideas.

You are unique ,right? You have an imagination, right? So, yes, YOU are creative!

9 Ways to Spark Your Creative Juices

Now that you know you’re inherently, uniquely and incredibly creative, let’s spark those creative juices so they flow more intentionally and favorably in your life.

The strategies below are ones I’ve used successfully over and over again. Feel free to incorporate these in your life and use them as a starting point for your own ideas!

1. Try new things. Our thoughts and decisions are largely based on our experiences. So start trying new things ever so often. Go somewhere you’ve never been or see something you’ve never seen. Inspiration from these new experiences sparks creativity.
2. Do the mundane. When doing mundane tasks like mowing the grass or taking a shower, it’s very common to experience high levels of creativity because the mind is only partially engaged, but still free to roam. I’ve surely had many epiphanies in the shower myself!
3. Change your location. Have you ever noticed that you think the same thoughts in a given location? You might think one way at home but at work, your thought processes are different. If you need to be more creative, try someplace different. A change of scenery can allow you to think new, creative thoughts.
4. Exercise. Many believe that movement and creativity are closely linked. Going for a jog or playing tennis can help get the creative juices flowing. On my walks, I often come up with ideas to challenges I’m having and use the voice recorder app on my phone to note them for later.
5. Stay up late or get up early. Are you a creature of habit? It’s possible you’ll be more creative in the late hours of the evening if you normally go to bed early. Perhaps getting up an hour earlier can help spark creativity if you often sleep in. I never considered myself an early bird but I often find that when I do get up earlier, not only am I more productive, but I do my best work in the mornings!
6. Listen to music. Einstein claimed listening to Mozart enhanced his creativity. Consider how different types of music impact your thoughts and emotions. Experiment.
7. Meditate or get a massage. Anything that relaxes your mind can be beneficial to your creativity. Perhaps you’re only a nap away from an earth-shattering idea!
8. Play creative games. This is a fun way to foster creativity! Get together with friends and family and play games where success hinges on being expressive and coming up with creative ways to communicate. Guesstures anyone?
9. Try a new creative medium. If you have chosen a creative medium already, try mixing it up when you get into a rut. If you write, try playing music. If you’re a dancer, try painting. Shake things up ever so often to get some new ideas and perspectives.

Talk to me…

As you can see, there are many ways to spark your creativity and it starts in small, simple ways. It’s largely a matter of trial and error to see which methods work for you.

Using the strategies described here and any others you’ve come up with yourself to spark your creative juices bring benefits that go far beyond just artistic expression. Simply opening your creative self more often can help you to be a better (and higher paid) employee or business owner, a better problem solver and an all around more effective person in anything you choose to do.

Remember, we create every day. Now, just spark more of those same creative juices more often to problem solve and think your way to a better you!

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. ~Steve Jobs

Head on over to UncommonChick.com to view the original article plus additional juicy goodness to help you break old and tired rules and create the happyful life you deserve!