Ten tips on how to develop your own creativity in a world of conformity

Creativity is our ability to take elements from our world and arrange them into something completely new and unique. It begins with an idea in our minds and ends with a tangible product that other people can see for themselves and experience. Culture, art, science, and technology are all products of our creativity and imagination. Every progression in society started with an idea, and through work and determination was made into something that had a real impact on our civilization.

If individuals always conformed then society would never grow and improve. Therefore, creativity is not only healthy and necessary, but also an act of rebellion. It goes against the norms – by definition – which is why being creative often takes guts. Creativity is therefore not as simple as taking walks through nature or long baths or singing in the shower, it is an arduous and sometimes painful process of self-awareness and self-discovery.

In this world of conformity, it’s not always easy to find your own voice. However, there are fundamental ways we can try to break free from the herd and think for ourselves:

• Create more than you consume. Creative people create, and they create a lot. They are usually more concerned with their own ideas than trying to mimic what other people are doing around them. Try your best to create more than you consume, and you’ll be much more likely to find your own unique style and craft.
• Draw inspiration from everything. If you’re a musician, don’t just be inspired by other music. Find books, movies, people, and nature to inspire you as well. The more sources of inspiration you have, the more your ideas will stand out from the same old crowd.
• Seek new experiences. A creative person lives life to the fullest. They are open to new experiences because they are willing to step outside of their comfort zone to learn new things and gain new perspectives about life. This gives creative people a richer palette of experiences to draw from in their work.
• Have a way to record your ideas at all times. Creative minds are constantly buzzing with new ideas. It’s important to always have a way to record these ideas in the moment – whether on a notebook or an audio recorder or a cellphone – otherwise many good ideas will pass through our minds and be quickly forgotten.
• Find an environment that works for you. We are very much influenced by our environment, so we can improve our creativity by keeping our work surroundings fresh and stimulating. If your workplace gets stale, try re-decorating it by putting posters on the wall, adding plants, a fish tank, new gadgets on your desk, or whatever. The key is to make your environment work for you and reflect your personality and creative mission.
• Encourage feedback and criticism. Creative minds are secure enough with themselves to encourage feedback from others. They don’t do it to look for social approval, but to test the strength of their ideas and change them when they find possible issues and drawbacks. A big part of the creative process is adapting our ideas to the tangible world, so being open to feedback and criticism is a crucial step in making your ideas a real possibility. Listening to feedback isn’t conformity, it’s learning.
• Spend time alone and reflect. Self-awareness is an important facet to creativity. And spending time alone with your thoughts and feelings is an important part of developing this sense of self-awareness. The more aware you are of your cognitive and emotional processes – how you think and feel about the world – the more you can apply this self-knowledge to your unique creative process. All creative people are comfortable spending time in solitude every now and then.
• Take an idea to the extreme. We can learn a lot about our craft by trying to take an idea and apply it in an extreme or exaggerated way. John Cage took music to its limit when he wrote 4′33″, a composition made up of complete silence. Ideas like this help us to think outside the box. They inspire us to take a concept and use it in an unconventional, never-before-seen way.
• Put a limitation on yourself. On the other end of the spectrum, sometimes putting limitations on yourself also forces you to be creative in unconventional ways. For example, give yourself a specific amount of time to write a song, or paint, or make an important decision. This restriction can motivate you to finish a creative product without over-thinking it – and the results can be surprising. Sometimes creative people get trapped in the paradox of choice, where too many choices paralyze the creative process. But putting a limitation on yourself can help overcome this roadblock by forcing you to be creative with what you have.
•  Don’t take yourself too seriously. Creativity is hard enough when we have to overcome the judgements of other people in society, and the pressures of conformity, so don’t make it worse by being too critical or judgmental of yourself. A lot of creativity is an outcome of playing around, having fun, and not taking yourself too seriously or letting your ego get in the way.

There is no simple formula for creativity. Do what works for you and what fits your personality. No one else in this world can truly tell you how to be creative, because you know yourself and your own ideas better than anyone.

Credit: ‘The Emotion Machine’ by Steven Handel

I saw this article last year on ‘The Emotion Machine’, it inspired me so much that I had to repost it and I hope you enjoyed reading it too? Please feel free to share it with your ‘creative’ friends.

Warm Hugs
Deborah

Ten ways to be happier in your own home!

I found this original list on a website that I love called ‘Apartment Therapy – Saving the world one room at a time’ and have adapted it slightly to fit my own life. This simple list inspired me and hopefully it will inspire you t00!

1. Make your bed.

The book ‘The Happiness Project’, explains that this three minute task is one of the simplest habits you can adopt to positively impact your happiness.

2. Bring every room back to ‘ready’.

I learned this trick from Marilyn Paul’s clever book, ‘It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys’. It’s a known fact: Clutter causes stress; order creates a haven from it. This mood-boosting routine is simple: Take about three minutes to bring each room back to ‘ready’ before you depart it, the room doesn’t have to be spotless just tidy. (Unless you have a toddler, or a partner who likes to simulate earthquakes, three minutes should be sufficient.)

3. Display sentimental items around your home.

One reason that experiences (and memories of those experiences) make us happier than material things is due to the entire cycle of enjoyment that experiences provide: planning the experience, looking forward to the experience, enjoying the experience, and then remembering the experience. Make your home a gallery of positive memories.

4. Start a one-line-a-day gratitude journal.

Before bed, simply jot down one happy memory from that day. One line is enough cause I know you’re tired! (If you have kids, you can ask them, “What did you like best today?”) Reflection is an important part of happiness, and pausing to reflect on a positive event from each day cultivates gratitude (an added bonus).

5. If you can’t get out of it, get into it.

This tip comes from ‘The Happiness Project’. I love the message: The dishes are not going to clean themselves, so you will do it, and you will like it! (Unless, of course, you can outsource this job, in which case I say: Nice work!) Otherwise, get into doing the dishes. Feel the soothing warm water on your hands. Enjoy the tickle of the tiny bubbles. Crank your favorite album at an unusually loud volume and get into it.

6. Before you get up each morning, set an intent for the day.

In ‘The Art of Happiness’, the Dali Lama says “Every day, think as you wake up: today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.” Wow. What a wise man. I tend to wake up with a strong visceral reaction that says, “Attention human beings: Be afraid of me before my Hot Chocolate. Be very afraid!” Setting a daily intent makes a huge difference. Your daily intent could be something like “be productive” or “enjoy today’s delicious moments” or it could be something more specific like “say thank you to my loved ones today.” But it should not be another “to do” item on your list.

7. Do small favors for the people you live with, expecting nothing in return (not even a thank you!).

(That’s right, I said it: nothing!) Mow the lawn for your husband, but don’t expect him to pat you on the back. Make the bed for your wife, but don’t try to get bonus points for it. Take the rubbish out for your flatmate, just because. The ability to cultivate strong, healthy relationships is one of the biggest contributors to health and happiness, but when you start to keep score, the benefit is lost. (No! It’s YOUR turn to clean up the dog poop!) It’s a well-known fact: When you do good, you feel good.

8. Call at least one friend or family member a day.

You can do this while you clean, while you make the bed, or while you walk the dog. Texts and emails do not count! Make an actual phone call to a loved one, just to chat and catch up. We humans are social beings and studies show that even when we don’t feel like it, even if we are naturally introverted, socializing with our loved ones makes us feel better.

9. Spend money on things that cultivate experiences at home.

Save money for a new BBQ for parties or a new DVD for family movie night – something that will encourage you to have people over and entertain. Plan a summer BBQ, invite your closest friends, kick back and relax. (And don’t forget to print out the pictures to remember the good times.)

10. Spend a few minutes each day connecting with something greater than yourself.

Whatever your spiritual beliefs — or non-beliefs — may be, studies show that connecting to a high power is correlated with happiness. Just stepping back to realize that we are part of an enormous universe can put some perspective on those sometimes annoying encounters that happen during the day. Take a walk in nature. Write in a journal. Create a sacred space in your home. (Or if spirituality is really not your thing, create a home spa: light some candles, soak in a hot bath, delve into a good book on your couch filled with your favourite cushions. Before bed, spend just a few minutes contemplating something larger than yourself.  . . . are you feeling better yet?)