In a world of possibilities, why do so many people play it safe? It’s not that they lack creativity, but maybe they just need a few tips on how to stay creative. This could reflect into any subject, but when being creative, I believe too many people want all the rewards with none of the risk. Not enough people have trust in their respective creative talents, and whether you play a creative role or not, all people are creative. We’re all born with it and the number one enemy is growing out of it. So what are some good ways to stay fresh and to keep the juices flowing? I’ll fill you in on ten tips to stay creative to ensure your mind is seeking new places!
MAKE MISTAKES
Plain and simple: mistakes are how you learn, and learning opens your mind to new possibilities. Not only do you gain further understanding, but you also learn how to see something in a way that you didn’t see it before by opening your mind to new tactics and strategies.
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
This might sound obvious, but more specifically, look around. Look where nobody regularly looks, look at the insignificant details, look at the seemingly meaningless things. They sound like they’re not important, but you can pick up on unique things and see potential where everyone else sees the norm.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Whether it’s on a big or small scale, learning is the best way to open your mind. The reasoning behind learning something NEW is that it will give you the motivation to seek out things that aren’t necessarily within your comfort zone.
CONNECT THE DOTS
Some of the best ideas and solutions simply come from combining A with B. Connecting two opposites to create something new is one of the easiest ways to have a new take on something that is old or has already done before. All it takes is building the bridge.
TAKE IT BACK TO THE BASICS
Sometimes you can get caught up with hustle and bustle of getting your work done, but when it comes to developing new ideas, sometimes the best thing is the ol’ notebook and pencil. Nothing is as raw as putting ideas from your mind directly onto paper. I find that simply seeing your ideas and taking the time to put visuals to them can do wonders.
IGNORE THE PAST
Although we’ve been taught on traditions and methods that have been used for years, being creative is all about developing something new. Throw the book out the window, take everything you learned in the past, and do the exact opposite.
TAKE EVERYTHING AS AN EXPERIENCE
There’s something to learn from everything and everyone, and just because it might not be at your comfort level doesn’t mean you can shut off your brain. Everything in life is an experience, so experiment a bit and try to have a forward-thinking mindset. You’ll be surprised to see everything you were taking for granted.
BALANCE WORK AND PLAY
It’s important to have your mind, body, heart, and soul all active and on point when working within the creative field. You need to find a fine balance to ensure your work has the best results. Too much work and you’ll exhaust yourself wasting valuable time, energy and patience. Too little and you’ll die of boredom producing work with little integrity. Keep your mind happy!
STAY INSPIRED
Always, always, always have a steady supply of inspiration. From website bookmarks to cut outs from magazines, having resources that can quickly influence you are always in need. Try to keep a categorized folder on your desktop of inspiration that you’ve pulled from your favourite blogs or images you’ve found while researching. An alternative to having all these images pile up is to start a Pinterest account or Tumblr blog. These are excellent for keeping your images organized and always at hand. Books and magazines are also very important for inspiration and will keep you on top of what’s going on.
EAT, SLEEP AND BE HAPPY
Eating is necessary for energy and sleep is necessary for brain development. You need to be energized and healthy, both physically and mentally, in order to perform at your best. Some creatives say that their best solutions come after not sleeping for several days, but my response is that exhausting your mind and body takes you to a point where you’re just not thinking like you normally would, alternatively coming across new ideas and solutions. Your brain is a powerful muscle that never feels fatigued and has no max capacity. You’re able to train your brain to think in alternative methods, rather than exhausting yourself to the point of delirium.
There are a million and one ideas when it comes to creativity and to keep ideas flowing… so what are some of your ideas on staying creative?
