16 Tips to Increase Creativity

Creativity is a natural part of life that we all have. Everyone has the ability to be creative, either by using logic and reasoning or through something more abstract like problem solving. It is usually the childlike side of us when it comes to art, music or just being inspired in general. Although our creativity might fade over time as we grow up and face challenges in our personal lives and at work; there are ways we can increase our creativity.

Creativity is one of the soft skills and should help create innovative solutions to problems.

Here are 16 tips to increase your creativity:

1.Spend at least 30 minutes a day just looking for inspiration – paying attention to what you see, hear, smell or taste around you.

2.Take up an interesting hobby that will allow you to express your creativity. If you work in a business that doesn’t allow much creative freedom, doing something for yourself on the side can be an excellent outlet.

3.Learn or acquire a new skill, like singing, dancing or playing an instrument. Just learning something new is exciting and fun – and it will help you get that “creative” mindset back if you haven’t felt inspired for a while.

4.Spend time in nature, especially somewhere with a lot of trees or plants around. Being in the woods is relaxing and helps put your mind at ease so that you can think more creatively.

5.Write down your ideas in a notebook, even if they’re just random thoughts. The act of writing things down can help you focus and make it easier to find connections between different ideas.

6.Find some kind of creative activity that you can do with a group of people. You may be surprised by the kinds of new connections or opportunities that arise!

7.Spend time reading or listening to inspiring stories. You’ll get new ideas for things you can do yourself, and also see the kind of creativity other people have had – which may inspire you even more.

8.Take a creative course or enroll in a workshop on something that interests you, from screen-printing to woodworking. Learning new skills can be a really fun and inspiring way to get back on track with your own creativity.

9.Draw or paint something, even if you’re not very good at it! Being creative through drawing is a wonderful way to express yourself (and also work out other frustrations if you’re having a bad day).

10.Go for a walk outside – preferably somewhere quiet and natural, like a forest or a beach. Walking in nature is an excellent way to relax your mind so that you can think more creatively when you return home.

11.Change something small about your environment at home or work! For instance, get a colorful new lamp or place some flowers. Just changing things up can help you feel more inspired and boost creativity.

12.Find someone who’s really good at the kind of creativity that inspires you, and spend time with them watching what they do. In the process of observing them, you will be able to see what they do that you could learn from yourself and improve!

13.Ask for feedback on your creative ideas, especially if you get some negative responses on something new that you’ve come up with. Feedback can be really helpful in shaping and refining your ideas so that they fit better with the way people think or act – leading to more creativity in the process.

14.Spend time with people who are really creative, and consider working for a company where there are many other creative employees working together. Working with other creative people can help you be more inspired yourself, simply by being around them!

15.Make sure to have some time to relax every day – without thinking about work or other things that may be stressing you out. Take a bath, go for a walk in the park, read a book, do whatever helps you relax and feel rejuvenated every day – and creativity will come easily when you’re feeling good!

16.Believe in yourself and your abilities to be creative! Even if you haven’t had the best experiences in life, have faith that you can be creative – and your creativity will get stronger as a result.

To conclude, I leave you with this inspiring quote from Abraham Lincoln :

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” Unknown Author.

Let work be its own reward, rather than a stimulus for creativity, which is its own end in life. — James Russell Lowell.