5 Ways to Boost Your Creativity

As an artist, there’s nothing more frustrating than staring at a blank page with a blank mind. Thankfully, there are ways to boost your creativity. Some claim working backwards can help, others say a messy desk is the secret to unlocking the creative recesses of your brain. If working with your shoes on backwards and garbage piling up around you doesn’t do the trick, here are five ways to boost your creativity and  generate unique ideas that’ll have you on the path of creative productivity in no time.

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5 Ways to Boost Your Creativity

1. Do an activity that puts you in a positive mood

While it is true that a person doesn’t have to be in a great mood to create quality work, putting oneself in a positive mental state can definitely help a person grab the reigns of his or her own creative flow. Whenever a creative blockade finds itself between you and your future masterpiece, instead of sitting and staring aimlessly at a blank canvas, take a break and do something productive that makes you feel happy, whatever that may be.  Whether your activity of choice is jogging, meditating, yoga, or baking, the next time you sit down at your work station you will have returned with a fresh perspective and a new sense of confidence that’ll help you get back to your creative self.

2. Brainstorm by writing whatever comes to mind

Sometimes the hardest part of starting a project is just that, starting. There’s nothing more daunting than a blank sheet of paper or word document, so instead of treating that empty white space like it’s a golden calf that deserves only the finest quality work, trash it up with some nonsense writing or sketching. One of my favorite pre-writing activities is to sit in front of my computer and type whatever mundane words or phrases that come to mind, no matter what they may be. A minute of doing this exercise typically reveals some great material to work with that I typically would have overlooked had it remained a passing thought, but having the idea written down in front of me gives me more time to play around with it, usually resulting in a full-fledged starting point in a new creative endeavor. Try it out for yourselves to see how it works for you!

3. Put yourself outside of your comfort zone

For most people, a desk is the hotspot for creative work, but there’s only so much inspiration that can be found in a small room. Instead of sitting, scratching your head, wondering why you can’t think of an exciting idea to save your life, get out there and rediscover the world. Hang out at a bar if you don’t drink, check out a concert headlining a genre of music you’ve never developed an ear for, help feed the hungry by volunteering at a soup kitchen, etc. The universe provides infinite possibilities; get out there and try to discover as many of them as you can. Your life, and your creative work, will only be enriched by doing so.

4. Don’t be too hard on yourself

The fear of failure can absolutely cripple a creative person, but it really is a poor excuse to give up. We all fail from time to time, but there’s not much worse than allowing that failure to control our lives. Instead of giving up because of a fear of failure, remind yourself that failing is only a part of growing as an artist. Never trying is much, much worse than failing.

5. Develop relationships with people who have different interests than you do

There’s a lot of knowledge and inspiration floating around out there that’s just waiting to be discovered. Much of this knowledge can be picked up just by sitting down and shooting the breeze with people who are passionate about things you know little about. If you spend most of your days sitting indoors at a desk, hang out with a person who works on a farm. Not only will you learn about a new way of life, you’ll also develop a new way to think about life, and with that, a new way to think about creating.

Now that I’ve listed five of my favorite ways to boost creativity, what are some of yours? Let us know in the comments below.