Creativity can strike at any moment. And inspiration often hits us at the most inconvenient times. You could be commuting home from work, at a party with friends, or at the market shopping. Sometimes just a song, a woman’s scarf, or the stock boy at a store can inspire an amazing idea.
How can we free up this power so that we can use it when we need it? Here are 6 ways to unshackle that muse of yours, so you can call upon her when you need her.
1. Go Old School
6 Secrets to Setting Free Your Creativity
It’s time to stop writing notes on your smartphone or laptop and start writing down your thoughts on paper. With a notebook in hand, those brilliant ideas can have a warm place to live and grow. Modern technology is rigid and can stifle ideas before they are even born. Paper allows creativity to flow free without the restraints of computer devices.
2. Take the Pressure Off
6 Secrets to Setting Free Your Creativity
When someone says to you, “Stop being a perfectionist,” don’t you just despise it? Well, stop being a perfectionist! It’s not enough to always do things correctly to be creative. The majority of the time, our greatest artistic decisions are not made at all; rather, they result from mistakes that we make. Also don’t scrap your project just because you don’t think it’s perfect or people won’t like it. Keep going until you have finished then start a new draft. It’s more productive to finish what you started and then make corrections, instead of stopping and starting over every time something goes wrong.
3. Change Directions
6 Secrets to Setting Free Your Creativity
Even though a project shouldn’t be completely abandoned, it can still be transformed into something new. The very essence of creativity is to approach a project from a different angle or transform it into something else that achieves a different objective. Sam Abell once said:
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
4. Creative Friends
6 Secrets to Setting Free Your Creativity
Muses need other muses to play with to come alive. Work together with your friends, give your feedback on their projects, and get their input on your own ideas. They don’t necessarily have to be in the same field as you, but it helps to surround yourself with a few friends that understand the language of creativity.
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5. Rest
6 Secrets to Setting Free Your Creativity
Getting enough rest is key to staying creative. While artists like Dali have argued for the power of sleep deprivation, most of us lose a little something when we focus too much on our work. Your creativity can benefit greatly from taking a power nap or even just taking a break from a project. If that doesn’t work, boost your energy by grabbing a cub of coffee or getting in a little exercise before stepping back into the lion’s den. Realize how much more active your brain becomes once it takes a breather.
6. Learn
6 Secrets to Setting Free Your Creativity
Whatever activity you want to participate in, it’s important to prepare yourself for creativity. The best way to prepare is to become more knowledgeable about the art, design, and creative community you would like to master. The best way to spark creativity will always be to acquire a new skill. Learning different techniques once in a while can have you seeing the whole world through entirely new eyes.
Want to pursue your creative passion with us? NYIAD offers five great online courses to choose from. We offer an interior design course, wedding planning course, event planning course, jewelry making course.