Is it possible to cultivate creativity? I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “I’m not very creative,” meaning they believe they don’t have the ability to create and never will. True, creativity is the result of our genes, but our environment, or experiences, also plays a large part. You’ve probably heard that the brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised. The truth is that the brain, although it does contain some muscle, it is mostly made up of gray and white matter of complex cells. So, you can’t beef it up like you would your biceps, but you can improve your brain functions and foster creativity in the following ways, none of which are surprising:
- Try new things, physically as well as mentally.
- Write down your ideas, no matter how weird.
- Spend time outdoors to quiet your mind and focus on the awesomeness of nature.
- Brainstorm ideas with others.
- Explore multiple solutions to problems.
- Get enough rest and reduces stress.
- Vary your work environment to reduce boredom.
- Don’t worry about failure. From failure comes success.
- Spend time with positive, creative people.
In other words, mix things up and don’t get stuck in a routine.
Recent studies have also suggested that your creativity is boosted when you reduce clutter in your workspace, organize your tasks and your tools, listen to music, pay attention to your wardrobe (comfortable or professional clothes when appropriate), take a ten-minute break every hour. This reduces mental and physical fatigue and recharges your creative batteries. And finally, work on one project at a time to improve your focus. Because of our devices and being constantly “connected” our attention spans have shortened in the last twenty years. So, turn off notifications and silence your phones. And if you need extra help relaxing and focusing, get a dog. They are the masters of relaxing, and I can’t imagine them focusing on more than one thing at a time. It used to write with my dog in my lap. It didn’t matter that he weighed thirty-five pounds and I had to use one arm to keep him from slipping off. We were both happy and peaceful.