Creativity is a highly valuable trait that allows us to spice up our lives. A creative person will hardly ever get bored; he or she will solve his problems quickly and will dream a lot of interesting concepts that can bring a lot of value to their life.

Some people say that we are born creative (or not) and that there’s nothing we can do to trigger our creative juices. That’s a big myth that needs to go away immediately.

There are plenty of psychological tricks (and not only) that can boost creativity. That’s what today’s topic is all about. In today’s article, I’m sharing ten insightful ways to boost creativity. I’d suggest you test each of these strategies and discover the ones that suit you best!

Think While You Walk

Studies suggest that we tend to be more creative when we walk rather than sit. Most studies say that exercising is crucial for better cognitive performances. Nevertheless, a simple walk is enough to get your creative juices rolling.

Work in an Inspirational Environment

Choosing your environment is another useful trick that you can use to improve your creativity. When you have to brainstorm ideas, choosing a natural environment (forest, beach, mountain) will allow you to disconnect your mind from continuous thoughts and experience calmness.

Practice Daydreaming

One study shows that bored people tend to daydream, and daydreaming leads to increased levels of creativity. Now, let me ask you – how many times do you allow yourself to daydream? If you never do it, start now and see where that gets you!

Meditate

Meditation allows you to change your state of mind in a matter of minutes. Once again, science shows that meditation is not only great for our health but also amazingly useful when it comes to boosting creativity.

Meditation doesn’t have to be a deliberate act of sitting in various postures. You can meditate while you walk, wash dishes, or while you’re doing any activity that doesn’t require your full focus.

The main idea is to concentrate on the present moment (that’s what mindfulness means) while observing the thoughts that pop up. You don’t have to fight them but rather observe them!

Surround Yourself with Blue

The University of British Columbia found that surrounding yourself with cool colors like blue can help with creativity. Choose “blue” work environments, smell blue flowers, and wear blue clothes. Simple, right?

Be Curious About Everything

Allow yourself to be curious about everything you stumble upon. If you find out interesting information, keep digging, and ask yourself “why”. A very common obstacle to developing higher levels of creativity is the fact that people perceive curiosity as an indulgence.

Well, rather than limiting yourself, I’d suggest you do the opposite. Every time you find yourself to be curious about things, reward yourself. Do it frequently, and you’ll make a habit of being more curious.
The more you explore mentally, the more creative you’ll become.

Use a Creative Journal

A creative journal is a simple notebook that you use to note down everything that comes across your mind. Some of your ideas will come and go, and you’ll want to put them all down in order to revisit them later. There are many creative ideas that you don’t want to “store” in your mind because that will leave you with less space to generate new ones.

Use Mind Maps

A mind map is a visual illustration of your ideas that allows you to structure everything properly without having to use your brain to do so. Write a central point/topic and link everything that is related to it by
drawing branches. As you draw your illustration, you’re freeing up a lot of mental space. When you do so, you’ll be able to use your mind to be creative rather than strategic and structured.

Perceive Creativity as a Trainable Skill

Don’t you ever limit yourself! Acknowledge that creativity isn’t a born trait but rather a trainable skill. Allocate time to improve your creativity and track your progress. Do it consistently, and you’ll grow your creative muscles just like exercising grows your physical tonus.

Get Emotional

You don’t have to experience positive emotions to be creative. Sadness, melancholy, and even anger can help you come up with amazing ideas and concepts. There are many authors and musicians who set certain emotional moods in order to perform excellently while spicing up their creative juices. Find strategies to get emotional and try it out!

Takeaways

If you’re still wondering how to boost creativity, you need to stop thinking and start acting. If you want to become a super creative person, put your mind on it, and take action. Stay consistent, try new tricks every day, and notice your progress.

Nevertheless, make sure you start with the psychological tips I’ve mentioned today, as they are some of the best advice that you’ll find. Best of luck, and let us know of your results in the comments below.

About Alyssa:
Alyssa Johnson is a creative designer, freelance writer, and academic tutor. Her main work revolves around psychology, a field that she’s very passionate about. She enjoys traveling, reading fiction books, and networking events where she can meet various interesting people.

Image source: The images are from Adobe Stock supplied by Alyssa Johnson