Learn some hacks for how you can spark your imagination and boost your creative skills!
Creativity is one of the most sought-after skills you can have. It isn’t just about creating art, it’s about creating original, clever, and innovative ideas for any application. Someone who is creative can solve problems, come up with clever ideas, and invent new things much better than someone who isn’t. It pays to be creative, but what do you do if you’re looking to improve your creative skills?
Luckily, creativity is something you can learn just like any other skill. This means there are plenty of ways to reach inward and unlock your creative potential. Today, expect to read about these topics:
Before we discuss how you can improve your creativity, what exactly is creativity? What is it exactly that we are trying to improve?
Creativity is defined as the ability to create and recognize ideas for problem-solving, entertainment, or communication. The main pillar of creativity is originality, a.k.a thinking outside the box. To be creative means to see things in ways that not everyone can. In order to be creative, you should avoid typical and basic ideas. There are some ideas that are so commonly used that they come to be known as cliches, stereotypes, or tropes. While there will be times when it is necessary to use these more simple ideas, they should generally be avoided.
Usually what makes people creative is the need to create something, to communicate something, or to solve problems. So, the short answer to how you can improve your creativity is that you need to put yourself in a position where you need to be creative. What makes us creative is exercising our creative muscles in order to achieve a goal.
If you’re looking to strengthen your creative muscles, you’re going to need to exercise them! The best way to start improving your creativity is to begin to use the creativity you already have. When you try to be creative, you may not be able to come up with much at first, but like with every skill, you will get better over time. There are tons of ways you can exercise your creativity, so one of them is bound to appeal to you. One of these ways is through art.
These activities will allow you to flex your creative muscles, but it can be difficult to start if you’re not an artsy type. So in order to get into the habit of being creative on a daily basis, it’s important to set creative goals. If you want to try writing, then aim to write something like a 500-word short story or a 10-line poem. If you’re drawing, then choose an artistic focus like people, environments, objects, patterns, etc. With music, try to put your own spin on already existing songs, then eventually try your hand at writing your own. For performing, aim to feel and understand your character. Try to analyze your character’s nuances and complex traits.
There are also smaller, more convenient activities you can do to exercise your creativity.
Consuming media like books and movies is a way you can inspire your creativity. As a writer myself, I get the most inspiration to write right after I’ve read a good book or watched a good movie. The creativity of others inspires us to be creative ourselves. It’s also valuable to become familiar with the works of creative people like authors, directors, actors, designers, or even game developers. Understanding the creative process of the people we strive to be like will help us level up our creativity.
Along with practicing creativity with specific activities and habits, there are also ways to cultivate creativity within the activities you already do in your daily life.
People who are creative are able to spot the extraordinary in the ordinary, so paying attention to seemingly insignificant details can help train your mind to be more creative. Inspiration doesn’t have to come from movies, books, or great works of art, it can also come from everyday things. You may see a unique pattern in a product at the store or an interesting storyline hidden within everyday occurrences. This is often how artists find inspiration for their best works.
In terms of quality and quantity, creative quality is created by creative quantity. Not every piece of creative work you make is going to be amazing, but as you continue to do your best, your quality will increase! Don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t satisfied with your work at first. Improvement comes with time!
When you are working on your own creativity, the best way to learn how to improve is to learn from other creative people. Working with other creatives and observing how they think will teach you the same. Bouncing thoughts and ideas off of others and considering their feedback will undoubtedly contribute to developing your creative process. Ways you can do this is through book clubs, writing workshops, clubs, school, and team-based work environments.
If you are very serious about wanting to be a more creative person, or you want to go into a creative profession, then here are some more involved ways to develop your creativity.
If your goal is to go into a creative profession, then the best thing you can do for yourself is to get a good education that will bring out the necessary skills in you. Some degrees that will make you more creative include a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in any creative field.
These degrees are specially built to nurture creativity and will give you the best possible outlet to exercise your creative muscles. Education also opens you up to tons of opportunities like networking with other creatives and field experience.
If an education is too much of a commitment for you at the moment, then creative therapies are another type of program you can use for creativity. Creative therapy offers opportunities and outlets for nurturing your creativity and improving your mental health.
Music Therapy is a type of therapy that involves channeling emotions through music. Music therapy sessions often include listening to music, creating music, analyzing music, and collaborating with others to complete musical projects. Although the focus of music therapy is to improve mental health and treat conditions, it also encourages improvement in creativity.
Art Therapy involves using painting, drawing, storytelling, sculpting, or crafts to help people overcome their mental boundaries and conditions. Through attempting to express feelings in art projects, you learn to express yourself better and cultivate creativity in the process.
Movement Therapy or Dance Therapy uses dances and symbolic movement to represent and overcome emotions. Movement therapy also helps people’s physical health, mental health, and self-esteem. Similar to art therapy, expressing yourself through movement and interpretive dance exercises your creative muscles.
The main goal of Drama Therapy is to give people an outlet to express their feelings through improv, acting, and other types of performances. Just like expressing yourself through music, art, or movement, drama therapy allows you to exercise your creativity by channeling your feelings into art.
There are many different types of creative therapies, but each functions in a similar way. The aim of the therapy is to express and understand feelings through art in order to improve mental and physical health. These activities are also similar to what you’ll do when partaking in the creative process. When we create art, what we’re really doing is expressing ourselves in physical or audio form. All art, in one way or another, comes from what we have within.
Some of us are born more creative than others, but creativity is a skill just like any other that can be learned with hard work. There are tons of ways to improve your creativity—you can practice by creating art, consuming art, discussing ideas with others, participating in a Bachelor of Arts, or even going to therapy.
There is no excuse for you to be thinking inside the box when you can revolutionize your perspective on life with these tips for improving creativity.
