How to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
Creativity doesn’t come easily for everyone. For some, it comes naturally, but for others it can be quite difficult to get into the creative mindset. Luckily, there are steps that you can take to help yourself reach this way of thinking. Below are some ideas that you can try out that might be just what you need to boost your creativity.
Research Ideas and Get to Know Your Audience
Whether you’re starting a new painting, a writing assignment, or a poster design, one of the most helpful steps in brainstorming is to research. First of all, it’s important to understand who your audience will be, and you can explore this by looking for projects that others have done that are similar to what you’re trying to accomplish. When looking for ideas for a project, you can also search the web for inspiration, and can research objects and ideas that are related to your project. If you are starting an art or design project, Pinterest is a great place to go to for inspiration. You can search keywords related to your project, and this will result in dozens of photographs of related ideas.
Relax and Clear Your Mind
If you’ve had a long, hard, chaotic day, and try to dive into the creative process with your mind racing, there’s a good chance that you will have more difficulty getting into that mindset. Relaxation is a very helpful way to prepare for getting creative, and there’s lots of ways that you can accomplish this. You could take a bath, go for a walk outside, or meditate to clear your mind. It’s also very helpful to find a quiet, comfortable place to do your work. Once you are in a relaxed, comfortable state, you’ll be ready to be more productive and imaginative.
Listen to Music
Different types of music can induce a variety of moods in people, including a creative mood. If there is a certain artist or genre of music that inspires you, chances are it will help you to become more creative. You could listen to music during your creative process, or if it’s too distracting, you can do so right before diving into a project to get yourself into the mood.
Free Write or Draw
In many creative writing classes, teachers will set aside a chunk of class time solely for free writing. This is because being required to write without aim forces you to explore ideas, and to open your mind to the possibilities. This type of activity is great for boosting creativity and productive thinking. If you’re trying to come up with an idea for a design, you could make yourself sit down and start writing down ideas, or you could doodle anything that comes to mind in relation to the project. If you’re writing an article, you could start making a list of things that are relative to the topic of your article. The main point of these activities is to open your mind, and to start exploring a wide variety of ideas rather than only a couple.