Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, individuals have been making more time for their creative pursuits. However, as things are returning to some form of normality again, making time to embrace and nurture your creativity may not be taking centre stage anymore. Here are six tips to help you in fostering your creativity.
1. Read every day
One of the benefits of reading daily is that it improves your ability to empathise – a skill that is more important for creativity than you might think. Various studies show that when we read stories that explore the emotions and inner lives of characters, our ability to understand the views and feelings of others improves.
Being able to see alternative perspectives and relate to others is invariably useful when creating, whether it’s your own writing, a painting or some fun DIY activity.
2. Experiment with creative activities
Who says you have to be any good at something to enjoy it? Experimenting with a range of creative activities can help to ignite your natural curiosity and develop a better sense of creativity as a whole. When you allow yourself to get imaginative and lose yourself in the craft, you’ll find that new ideas come to you much more easily.
Muse by Clio offers dozens of creative articles that might help to get your creative juices flowing!
3. Spend more time outside
If you find that you’re struggling to get or stay inspired, something as simple as taking a walk in nature can help you to slow down and find that inspiration you’ve been looking for. By taking time to admire your surroundings you’re allowing your brain to rest and reduce stress levels.
4. Stream of consciousness writing
A practice that’s been proven to calm your mind and encourage creative thinking and expression is stream of consciousness writing. This simply requires you to sit and write for 10-15 minutes without stopping, the purpose being to leave your thoughts and feelings out on the page instead of in your head.
5. Meditation
I know you’ve heard this hundreds of times before but hear me out. In the same way that writing everything down can clear your head, so can meditating. When we let our preoccupation with the stresses of the day go, our minds create the stillness and clarity that’s needed for creativity to really thrive. Give it a go and see if it works for you. After all, you’ve got nothing to lose!
6. Spend time with other creatives
Whilst receiving feedback on your hard work is certainly a benefit of spending time with other creatives, in this article we’re thinking about how spending time with others can inspire you. It’s important to ask questions or for advice when you’re struggling because more often than not, a few words can work wonders for you.
Similarly, being in a group of creatives is a lot more fun than working solo. If you’re not having fun when you’re being creative, what’s the point? Even if you have nothing else to show for the day, you’ll have some memories to cherish!
So, what are you waiting for? Use these 6 tips to embrace and nurture your creativity.
