Nurturing the Creative Spirit – A Primer
Creation is our natural tendency. Humans are adept at creating ideas, creating projects, creating relationships, creating problems, creating solutions, creating excuses, and so on and so on. However, it is not unusual for the average person to underestimate their capacity to be creative. Most of us are notorious for putting up barriers to clear, productive, creative thinking – mostly thanks to our own self judgment and resistance. Studies show that fostering our creative skills makes us happy, contributes to health and longevity as we age, enriches our relationships, and give us a legacy in what we have created. Our greatest power as a human being is to create.
Here are some ways to nurture your creative spirit and build your creative capacity:
1) Be surprised by something every day. It could be something you see, hear, or read about. Pay attention to the unusual. Don’t make assumptions. Just be open to what the world is telling you.
2) Break out of your typical routine. Comfortable routines are great for saving energy, but they have a nasty habit of restricting and limiting your thinking. Instead of being your predictable self try something new and do something that people would not expect of you. Notice any new discoveries you make out of changing your habitual way of being.
3) Keep a journal and record your experiences. Write down everything that comes into your head (no edits). After a few weeks, review your notes. Notice any patterns of interest emerging that may indicate some area that you would like to explore in more depth.
4) Follow your fascination. When something intrigues you, follow it.
Usually we are too busy to explore curiosities. Making a serious effort to learn about new things helps create new possibilities and builds your creative capacity.
5) Take charge of your schedule and plan for your daily creative goals. Wake up in the morning with a specific creative goal and give yourself something to look towards. Spend time developing your skills and challenge yourself to keep it interesting.
6) Relax into your space. Make your space enjoyable, and motivating. Sit in reflection and relaxation to engage your whole brain. Explore your conscious and subconscious thoughts while thinking about everything and nothing. Look for new possibilities in your thoughts.
7) Find new energy. Consider, at the end of the day where have you put your energy. Have you spent your time in activities that give or take away your energy? Notice what saps your energy. What replenishes it when you have been drained? Test out a week, where you include planned activities that refresh you everyday, so that by end of the week you are energized rather than exhausted.
Put these principles into practice for a week, and notice the difference in your creative energy.
Joanne Dennis – Creator, Conductor, Coach
Joanne is a local artist, group facilitator, and life coach who believes everyone has the capacity to be highly creative and always has positive intentions in exercising their creative power.
