9 Things You Should Be Doing to Unleash Your Creativity

Anyone can be creative. It is not just exclusive to those who know how to play the piano, paint or write a poem. All it takes is practice and developing your skills in order to harness what you know you’re good at. Developing creativity takes a lot of effort and time so it would be best to choose one hobby or craft that you would like to work on.

Here are nine simple things that you can do to unleash the inner creative genius in you.

1 Doodle

If you’re dreaming of becoming a Picasso or Da Vinci someday, the best thing to do is to start doodling. Channel the inner child in you and start doodling on that blank piece of paper in front of you. Contrary to popular belief, doodling is not a sign of the lack of focus. It is actually improves your focus as it redirects your actions to the present. Suni Brown, author of The Doodle Reinvention, did note that some of the greatest thinkers such as Steve Jobs and Henry Ford doodled to spark their creativity.

2 Don't be afraid to do something you haven't done before

You achieve creativity when you do something that is not part of your routine. Learn something new to break the monotony and start seeing the creative side of you come out in the process. Enroll in a baking, painting or pottery class. Whatever suits your fancy and feed the creative child in you.

3 Find or create the right environment

Creativity thrives in the right environment. One of the main reasons why you may not be creative is because of the environment where you work. Being exposed to spreadsheets and excel files all day long isn’t exactly what you can call creative. Create the right environment that fosters and sparks the creativity in you

4 Move around

Did you know that walking is better at helping employees think of creative ideas than it is to sit down and brainstorm? This is because physical movement is said to be correlated to have a positive effect on creative thinking, according to studies.

5 Draw or sketch

Famous artists have started with sketches. During your downtime, why not sketch the coffee you’re drinking or the tree in your park? You can sketch anything in front of you or what you see. What is important is that you start sketching to tap and improve your creative skills.

6 Place toys on your desk

Having toys at your work station can spark your creative minds into coming up with new and fresher ideas instead of constantly staring at your computer screen. Play with your toys, as using your hands is always a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

7 Write stories

You don’t have to write a novel immediately. Start slow, and short. Try coming up with a short fiction consisting of 100 words and amaze yourself. When you have gotten the hang of it, you can start writing longer pieces.

8 Try the 30 Circle Test

Research Bob McKim invented the 30 Circle Test to help ignite the creativity of individuals who took the test. Start by drawing thirty circles on a piece of paper and create as many objects as you can from those circles. The only limitation you have is your imagination. The more you use it, the more objects you can possibly draw.

9 Act out and role play

Remember when you were just a kid and you loved to act and role play your favorite cartoon character? Creativity is often unleashed when you are able to role play and imagine what things or actions you can do if you were acting out as something or someone else.

All these things are simple enough to do and practice on a daily basis. Unleash your creativity by imbibing the habit of doing the abovementioned suggestions.