No matter what walk of life you may find yourself in, creativity is an asset. I've seen people be creative in career endeavors and others be creative in putting together dinner parties. It adds spice and zip to life, not only to your own life but to the lives of those around you. Here are my five tips for stimulating your creativity.
1. Turn off auto-pilot. Ever drive somewhere and suddenly realize that you didn't recall making a turn, only to discover you'd been on "auto pilot?" When we repeatedly perform the same tasks over and over, there's a natural tendency to find ourselves giving little awareness to what we are doing.
Creativity
To stimulate your creative juices try going a different way to work, turning down a different street. When you comb your hair, put the part on the other side. Stir your coffee with the other hand. Brush your teeth with the other hand. It will feel a bit peculiar, but you'll be very much in the moment.
2. Variations of a theme. Just as Mozart or Beethoven may have written a theme, and then variations, be creative. Practice this same approach in your day to day life.There are many things that we do without much thought or enthusiasm. Find a way to make them more fun and more interesting. Find ways to stimulate your creativity in every little task you do.
Anything that must be done more than once is an opportunity to use your creativity. It's a way of creating a slight variation each time; not just once but every time. Dare to be creative. Make it a game to come up with a slightly new twist. Just changing the time or location can make a difference. Try eating with the fine china, or with real cloth napkins, adding candle light or simply eating in the dining room if you seldom do. You will create an experience that feels totally new. Change your writing style, vary what you normally say or how you say it; write more or less than you usually do. All these things can get your creative juices going.
3. Try some new food. Try some new food that you've never had before. Consider something that maybe you've always avoided but never really tried. So, how do you know that you don't like it? Personally, for many years I would just not try sour cream. The name turned me off. When I finally tried it I discovered, of course, something delicious and wonderful that I'd been missing out on.
Be creative, visit a new restaurant. Be bold and daring if you've always been conservative. Try a different sauce, maybe some foods that don't normally go together. You might just come up with something totally new; maybe even start a new trend.
4. Take on a new hobby or course. Taking on something new makes us stretch. It creates new pathways in the brain. It stimulates brain activity and causes us to feel a greater sense of wellness and being alive.
So, if you've never taken yoga or martial arts, or a belly dance class, try it. Be creative. Perhaps try painting or take up playing an instrument. Try something you've never done before, maybe something you've even secretly thought that you didn't have the ability for. Stretch and try something new. Guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing. And you might just discover a talent you didn't know you had!
5. The "Mozart Effect". Don Campbell's book explains how Mozart's music, played in schools affected the minds of the young students hearing it. They were more creative and they performed better. He broke the music down into three categories, producing cd's for each. One, of course, was for "stimulating creativity". On that cd were very simple themes with variation after variation. It didn't take me long to see how it did indeed stimulate creativiy; how it opened the mind up to new possibilities. I often found that I felt like painting when I heard that music.
I don't say that it has to be Mozart, but I do recommend listening to some music that is a theme with variations, to stimulate your creativity and get those creative juices flowing. You hear the same thing presented many different ways. It is particularly helpful if you are a musician. And you certainly can't go wrong by choosing Mozart either.
If you try these five tips to stimulating your crativity, you'll find yourself paying more attention to your day. You'll find yourself more creative. You'll find yourself more involved in your day and I dare say that you'll find it more interesting too! By constantly thinking and making conscious choices, you are stimulating, using and practicing your creativity. And then when called upon to perform, it is honed and ready to go to work for you.
Be Creative - Five Tips to Stimulating Your Creativity
Gail Karen (G.K.) Eckert is a vocalist, musician, songwriter and teacher. She founded Musikhaus Studio of Creativity in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada in 1987 and continues to guide students through the crucial steps of learning to sing. She believes that anyone can learn to sing, given the proper guidance and encouragement. She also believes that singing your music your way is not only a fun past time but is also crucial to self expression and well being.
For more tips on creativity and self expression, visit her site http://www.YourMusicYourWay.com gk@YourMusicYourWay.com
