5 Easy Ways to Kick-Start Your Creativity

“I am not creative.”

In my work leading creativity workshops with adults over the past 10 years, I have heard this statement over and over again. And I can relate. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I embraced the idea that I was creative. I took a creativity workshop that transformed my understanding of my creativity.

A spark ignited inside of me. I felt as though I had been reacquainted with a best friend that I hadn’t seen since childhood. The realization that I am creative has impacted everything I have done since.

There is a myth about creativity that would have us believe that some of us are creative and others are not. This myth is widespread. In a global Adobe study, 70% of people polled don’t think they are creative. Only 1 in 4 believe they are living to their creative potential. And more than half feel that creativity is being stifled by their education systems.

The creativity myth has led to a creativity crisis. Why? Because our creativity is the most important resource that we have to find solutions to problems. It is rising as one of the most important skills of the future. Our creativity is also what makes each one of us unique. Creative expression is critical to our well being and for finding meaning in life. And yet most of us are operating with only a fraction of our creative potential.

So let’s set the record straight.

We are all creative.

Yes, we are all creative. Full stop. We all have an innate capacity for creativity. In their book Creative Confidence, IDEO founders Tom and David Kelley tell of a conversation with the Dalai Lama’s English translator. The translator told them that in the Tibetan Language there is no word for “creativity”. The closest translation is “natural”. The Kelleys describe creativity as “using your imagination to create something new in the world.” We are all born with the capacity to think something up and make it happen. Creativity is our birthright.

We use our creativity everyday.

Many people equate creativity with artistic genius like Miles Davis. Or coming up with a revolutionary idea that no one else has thought of like Albert Einstein. The truth is that we exercise our creativity every day. Planting a home garden. Deciding how to present a delicious meal. Choosing what clothes to wear. Those are all acts of everyday creativity. So it's not something out of reach. You already use your creativity on a daily basis.

Creativity is a muscle.

Many people believe that creativity is something you have when you are a kid and that most of us lose when we become adults. They are not wrong. A NASA study of creative potential found that 98% of 4-5-year-olds scored at the “creative genius” level. Five years later, only 30% of the same group of children scored at the same level. Five years later only 12%. When the same test was administered to adults, it was found that only 2% scored at this genius level. What happened? The study found that our creativity drops off as we learn to accept others’ opinions, evaluations, and beliefs. As we grow up we fear being judged that prevents us from putting creative ideas out there. But that’s not to say that adults are not creative. It’s that creativity is a muscle. When it is not used, it gets weak.

So how can we strengthen our creative muscle? The most challenging part is knowing where to start. Here are 5 easy tips to help you kick-start your creativity, and develop creative habits that will unlock your creative potential.

1. Let your inner critic go on vacation.

Have you ever had that feeling when you are about to try something new, and you hear a little voice inside of you? It says, “no way, you can’t do that” and shuts the whole thing down? That’s your inner critic. I know, your inner critic is trying to protect you from looking ridiculous. But to connect with your creativity, I’m afraid that you are going to have to ask your inner critic to go on holiday. An important part of creative expression is being able to take risks and see what happens. You need carte blanche to try new things out.

Source: Henneke https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/discover-your-writing-genius/

Find time to daydream.

In our fast-paced world, it is hard to carve out time to do, well, nothing. It has become a luxury to stare off into space. To simply zone out. But this is exactly what your mind needs to make space for creative thinking. During your brain’s “off-time” our brains continue to process ideas. This is when creative ideas can be sparked. So give yourself permission to disconnect from the insane pace of life and let your mind wander.

Develop a creative practice.

Pick up a creative hobby. Yes, so-called non-artists, I’m talking to you. Take your pick: music, visual arts, theatre, movement, creative writing. There is a whole universe of arts that you can experiment with. You can pick up a ukelele (and play a lot of songs with only 3 chords). You can learn to write simple poems. Make jewelry, start sketching, play with origami, paint a watercolor, take some photos, make a collage. Albert Einstein said, “creativity is your imagination having fun.” Developing a creative practice helps you to open your imagination and spark new ideas. And it gets you into the habit of connecting with your creativity regularly.

Focus on the process

When we worry about whether we are going to produce the next Mona Lisa, it becomes much more difficult to pick up a paintbrush. But when we focus on the process instead of the end product things change. Focusing on the process allows you to experiment and tinker which is a crucial part of developing your creative ideas. And it is in the process, rather than worrying if it is "good" or not, we can more freely connect with our creative selves.

Fill your creative well.

A lot of us believe that coming up with creative ideas happens on our own. We imagine the tortured writer sitting in a room by herself ripping pages out of her typewriter trying to come up with ideas. The truth is that creative ideas surface through conversations, unexpected encounters, and adventures. Take a walk in the park. Chat up the barista in your coffee shop. Go to a museum. You’ll start to fill your creative will, and creative ideas will flow more easily.

“I am creative”

Imagine a world where all of us were operating to our full creative potential. It is not only possible. It’s urgent that we learn to tap our creative resources for our own well being and for the future of our world. So strike the phrase “I am not creative” from your lexicon and pick up a paintbrush, grab a ukelele, and start writing. You’ll see that over time your creativity will start to grow. In the words of the late poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

How do you do kick-start your creativity? I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email at gwyn@gwynwansbrough.com. Join me on my quest to learn more about how facilitation skills can transform your sessions, online and in person. Sign up for my monthly newsletter here:

Gwyn Wansbrough is a Creative Facilitator based in Barcelona, Spain. She works with people and organizations globally to create dynamic and empowering learning experiences. She writes about facilitation, creativity, and learning. Visit www.gwynwansbrough.com.

Special thanks to Michaele Robertson and Barry Wansbrough for their feedback on this article. Ideas in this article were inspired by the Creative Empowerment Model developed by Partners for Youth Empowerment.