How to nurture your creativity in 7 ways

“Does this spark creativity?” – have you thought about Marie Kondo-ing your creative process?

Sometimes we can get caught up, and lost, in the daily meander through life. Doing the same job, working to the same schedule, endlessly feeling like you’re falling behind on deadlines for projects you’re losing the love for. You had a creative spark once, and it can be re-ignited again with a couple of these tips.

Embark on creative exercises

When we were kids, we wanted to use every crayon in the box and art class was about experiencing as many processes as possible. Though you might be specialised in a particular area of your creative work now as an adult, why not explore other mediums or means? Take a life drawing class, embark on a weekly photography assignment, even join a Toastmasters club to improve your public speaking. Pushing yourself to the edges and limits of your current comfort zone will open up possibilities, opportunities and experiences to you that you never considered, therefore offering new avenues for inspiration and motivation to come through. Every day is a school day, so pick up a new creative hobby and run with it!

Change up your space

Where do you do your work? Is it in a drab, dull office with bland, vertical blinds? Is it a corner of your living room, surrounded by lots of mess? There’s a reason artists and creatives operate in eclectic spaces that help prompt creativity at every turn – why don’t you do the same? Take time to have an interior overhaul, whether that’s a large scale transformation or just switching up your desk or cubby hole, make a conscious and specific effort to change the energy, look and feeling of where you work and you’ll feel re-energised, focused and more able to get creative.

Get more sleep

Never underestimate the power of sleep. A long sleep and a well rested mind allows you to make more considered, sharper decisions and focuses the mind more. Likewise, embark on some light meditation practices to reign in the mind, quiet down the outside world and connect with how/what you’re feeling internally. Either way, through sleep or meditation, it’s obvious that time spent away from work or recharging is actually helping you do your work better in future – so make sure down time is a priority and never take it in vain.

Read, read, read more

As humans we have a thirst for knowledge that never gets quelled, but when you’re focused on the daily tasks of your job almost 24/7 every week, your vision can become too narrow, the job can be monotonous and no wonder you’re losing that creative spark you once had. Find that vigour again by learning some more. Take an hour before bedtime to relax the mind and pick up a book. Then, when you’ve finished that one, move onto the next one. Creativity and inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places at times, so don’t discount the power of a great book to capture your thoughts and spark creativity.

Prioritise inspiration gathering

Spend an hour a week by immersing yourself in something you find incredibly motivating and stimulating. People watching in a cafe. Visiting a modern art museum. Setting aside an hour to watch a bunch of relevant Ted Talks. Whatever you already do that you find gives you motivation, book this in to your busy schedule every week so that it’s more of a constant in your creative process. These assignments, designed very proactively to derive inspiration from, will do the job on the tin because your entire focus is to learn from others and gleam inspiration.

Take a walk

Go outside; visit the woods; walk along the beach; immerse yourself in a stimulating environment. From the rustling of the russet leaves in Autumn as the wind blows to the gently soothing swash and backwash of the sea on a silky-sanded beach. By putting yourself in a visually, emotionally and even spiritually stimulating place, you will see, hear, feel and experience real-life inspiration.

Use the internet

The internet is awash with inspiration – mine it! Spend some time trawling through Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and other visual media to find inspiration. You know the way with thrift stores, charity shops and Loppisar sometimes it takes trawling through the racks and rails to find something that really sparks joy – it’s a similar activity online, often you need to spend the time immersing yourself in the world of the internet before you stumble on the right inspiration and creative expression.