3 Ways to Spark Your Creativity

As a writer, sometimes I just don’t feel like writing.

It’s as if all creativity has drained from my brain, and I can’t seem to get a single word on paper.

When that happens, I know it’s time to do something totally different from writing, yet something I enjoy.

Here are 3 ways I spark my creativity when I need new ideas.

These fun activities should work to spark your creativity, too.

1. Turn on some inspiring music and relax.

I happen to love the theme music from the movie The Duchess (you can listen to it on youtube).

It evokes all sorts of emotions that help me relax, and when I relax I am much more creative.

You don’t have to do anything while you listen to the music.

Sit and stare out the window or lie down and daydream.

Feel your body unwind and your mind start to wander—both of these things are good for creativity.

But, if you like, choose one of these other activites to do while you listen to some inspiring music.

2. Paint, color, or draw.

If you’re a visual artist, as well as a writer, you already draw or sketch or paint all the time.

But many writers never try to paint or color, or sketch, and they are missing out.

It isn’t the end product (you don’t need to produce a lovely painting or drawing) that matters here.

It’s the process of letting go, relaxing, and just allowing your imagination to take over.

If you can’t draw a straight line, start with a coloring book for adults and simply color in one of the pages.

I love to use colored pencils and colored markers for this.

But watercolors also work well (if you are careful not to use too much water, so the colors don't run).

If you feel a little braver as far as drawing something on your own, next try doodling.

Get a special notebook to devote to just your doodles.

Then, check out some of the doodling boards on Pinterest for some fun doodling tutorials, and then doodle away.

Again, I like to use fine-tipped Sharpie markers for my doodling.

I use black ones to create the doodles, then fill them in with colored markers.

3. Create a decorated journal.

I find this to be really fun and relaxing.

And, once I have completely decorated a journal, I can use it for writing.

To create a decorated journal, buy a plain spiral notebook or just a plain lined journal.

Get some colorful stickers that are designed for planners.

I usually get some of the Create 365 series at Michael’s and start with those.

But I also use other stickers that I find at Dollar Tree, Target, and Hobby Lobby.

Start decorating your journal by putting several stickers on each page, leaving room for other stuff on the page later.

Note: It takes a while to design each page the way you like it, so don’t try to decorate an entire journal in a few minutes. Give yourself several sessions to do this.

I schedule a few minutes for at least one of these activities every day—even just a few minutes is good—to spark my creativity and just have fun.

You should, too.

Try it!


And for more tips for awakening your creativity, click here!

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 35 published books, a writing coach, and editor at writebythesea.com.

Looking for more ways to spark your creativity?

Join her Facebook Group for Creative Writers!

Creativity Goals

Creativity is a foundational element for any business. This is true for writers, marketers, entrepreneurs, consultants, and/or all of the above. To keep things fresh - your projects, your perspectives - it is extremely important to try different things. That's why you want to set set Creativity Goals.

On a recent GoalChatLive, cartoonist Chari Pere and creative producer Damion Taylor joined me for a conversation on creativity. Chari and Damion shared their backstories, what stops people from being creative, how to tap into and/or replenish your creative spirit, and so much more.

Tapping Into Your Creativity

• Damion: Work on the things you can control and stop worrying about the things you can’t. You may come up with solutions when doing other things 
• Chari: Get outside of your head. Try running, exercise, brainstorming 
• Damion: Spend time alone, even if it’s only for 5 or 10 minutes 
• Chari: Give yourself permission to explore. Curiosity and collaboration are also super-helpful     

Creativity Goals 

• Damion: Challenge yourself. Find 15 red things (or green things or blue things) and write down why are they connected. See how they tell a story about you 
• Chari: Take 15 minutes to do what you want to do for yourself

Watch our conversation.

Final Thoughts 

• Damion: It’s okay to give yourself permission to enjoy things. It's such an important part of the creativity process.
• Chari: Just do it!

Even if you consider yourself creative by nature, there are always new mediums to try. Are you a creative writer? Paint a picture. Are you a fine artist? Take an improv class? Do you have lots of "creative" pursuits, try cooking, gardening, or a new sport.

Taking the time to develop your creative muscles, makes it a win-win for you and your audience/clientts.  

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For more inspiration and motivation, follow @TheDEBMethod on Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin! 

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How do you explore your creativity? Please share in the comments. 

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Debra Eckerling is the award-winning author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals and founder of the D*E*B METHOD, which is her system for goal-setting simplified. A goal-strategist, corporate consultant, and project catalyst, Debra offers personal and professional planning, event strategy, and team building for individuals, businesses, and teams. She is also the author of Write On Blogging and Purple Pencil Adventures; founder of Write On Online; host of  #GoalChatLive aka The DEB Show podcast and Taste Buds with Deb. She speaks on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

Five Ways to Unlock those Creativity Muscles

"Why is the moon in the sky?" "Why don't the stars crash into each other?" "Why did God make me your first child?" (You've wondered that too, right?) "Why do I have to bath every day? The dog doesn't."

Why? 

     Why? 

          Why?

Why does he keep asking questions? Because he's born to be creative. And what do we do as adults? Stifle his creativity! "Just because!"

To be honest, often it's because we don't know the answers. And why don't we? Because someone stopped us from finding the answers in the first place.

A good comedian trains his mind to look for the "different angle" on everyday things. In the same way, as writers, we can train our minds to look for different angles to everyday situations. Truly creative minds not only come up with the answers. They also come up with the questions.

This is why a young child can drive an adult crazy.

So how can we, as writers, re-kindle our creativity? Here are five suggestions:

1. Change your perspective. Look at your life from a child's point of view. Or through your dog's eyes. You may gain ideas on a new way to tackle a problem. Look at your writing from your reader's point of view. Are you satisfying his or her needs? Does this meet the requirements of the publication?

• Don't stop at one idea. Look at your way of life from many different perspectives. I once listened to an LP record (which gives away my age) in which an intelligent man is trying to explain a game of golf to a totally uneducated bushman from Central Africa. Hilarious! But also thought-provoking.

2. Challenge your assumptions. You go out to dinner in a posh restaurant. You just assume they will have staff to wait on you. But what if they don't? How would that work? Imagine the scenario. Play it over in your mind. 

• I once read a signboard sticking out of the lawn of a bowling green. "Keep off the grass," it instructed. Is that possible? Could you play bowls without stepping on the grass? How would you get the bowling balls to run on the grass if you kept on the path? Think it through.

3. Let your ideas run wild. One of my favourite story series as a little girl was Enid Blyton's Wishing Chair. For those deprived readers who have never read these stories, two children, Peter and Mollie, find an armchair that grows wings when they rub the legs. Together with their pixie friend, Chinky, they take off on many wonderful adventures. Be honest. How would you react if you were polishing a chair one day and it grew wings? Would you sit on it and wish yourself to an exotic destination? Or would you run out the room and scream for someone to come and help, because "chairs don't fly"? 

• Look at your favourite armchair and visualise yourself sitting on it as you soar out of the window and across the fields. Imagine the expression on your neighbours' faces as you wave to them. Think of all the advantages. No parking problems. No emission of toxic fumes. Don't stifle your creativity. Relax, and let ideas come. You may never use them in your writing (although who knows? Enid Blyton did!) But you'll have fun.And you'll be building those creativity muscles.

4. Rethink your needs: For example, instead of thinking, "How can I attract more people to my blog, ask yourself, "Do I really need more readers on my blog?" The question suggests other creative solutions, like finding ways to make your blog more interesting to your present visitors. This may in turn help you come up with more profitable ideas.

• Instead of, "What should my character do to solve this problem?" try "Do I really need this character?" Instead of, "How can I think of six suggestions on how to strengthen my creativity muscles?" ask, "Do I really need to have six?"

5. Connect the dots: Look around and choose objects near you, then ask how they may be connected. Connect the sight of a police car speeding down the road with the spate of robberies you read of in the newspaper. Will the criminals get caught? Possibly not. So does crime pay? Maybe it does—for the guy who gets away. Notice an elderly lady crossing the road, her purse hanging over her arm. Connect the dots. Could a criminal snatch that bag and get away with it? What chance would the old lady have of stopping him? 

• Can you write an article for a senior's magazine on security measures? How about "Safe ways to go shopping"?

If you train your brain to habitually use these and other training ideas, you really can strengthen those creativity muscles. It won't happen in one day, and you won't get a best-seller idea the first exercise you try. Remember that it takes time to develop new muscles, and that includes creative muscles. However, if you follow these exercises regularly, you will become more creative. 

OVER TO YOU: When you hit a blank screen, what do you do to spark those creativity muscles back to life? Please leave a comment below.

• FURTHER READING: Read this fun post by Dallas Woodburn, on using playdough to unlock your creativity.

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer has created a multitude of friends and contacts across the world.

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com where she encourages writers, or at RiseAndSoar.com where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or Facebook.

Sign up to receive a short devotional message from Shirley in your inbox once a week.

Three Ways to Powerfully Reawaken Your Creativity

Three Ways to Powerfully Reawaken Your Creativity

A writer’s life is often filled with many demands, challenges and conflicting priorities. As a result, many writers experience chronic stress which can negatively impact their craft and dampen their sense of creativity. Here are three simple yet powerfully effective ways to breathe life into your writing and reawaken your sense of creativity and passion.

1) Let Go of Your Biggest Writing Disappointment

This week, choose to let go of you greatest writing disappointment and enjoy a vast sense of personal freedom. For this exercise you will need a 3 by 5 index card, a pen, a helium balloon and approximately 15 inches of string or ribbon. Prior to beginning this exercise sit quietly and take a few deep-cleansing breaths.

Think about the area of your writing life that causes you the most heartache or sense of failure. This could be the fact that you have reached a certain age and have yet to publish your work. Or perhaps you are most troubled by the lack of support you receive from others who urge you to concentrate your efforts into “a real job.” Maybe you feel hopelessly blocked and every time you sit down to write you hear the harsh, critical voice of your six grade English teacher whispering in your ear. Write down your life’s greatest writing heartache and stressor on your 3 by 5 index card.

Next, attach the index card to your helium balloon with the ribbon. Go outside with your balloon. Spend a few minutes thinking about how your greatest stressor has affected your writing and creativity. Gently release your balloon into the air into a wide open space. As your balloon drifts into the sky, imagine that your greatest writing disappointment is floating out of your life forever, just like this balloon. Imagine how wonderful and freeing it feels to have this problem completely removed from your life. Envision that you are giving this problem back to the universe, back to God or back to any power greater than yourself. Whenever negative feelings resurface; picture this balloon floating away in your mind's eye. This exercise is a great way to let go of anything that seems out of your control. It can be repeated as needed to release problems in any area of your life and help renew your creativity.

2) Set Your Intention Each Day

Each day upon awakening, ask yourself. “What is my intention for the day?” This is really just another way of asking yourself “What do I want for myself and what am I willing to allow into my life?” Examples of daily intentions are “Today I intend to write for at least thirty minutes or get 1500 words on paper.” or “My intention today is to connect with other writers and discover new ways to market my book”. Other examples of intention include “My intention today is to extend kindness to every person that I encounter” or “Today I will experience inner peace no matter what happens.” On many days, your intention may not be related to your writing but can powerfully effect your creativity. Most people give very little thought to their daily desires. Chaotic, overscheduled lives often cause us to live in an unconscious way. As a result, we wind up creating lives that cause dissatisfaction and are not in alignment with our deepest longings. Intention is a powerful tool that will help you manifest your writing goals by gently guiding where you place your attention every day. You may find that once you begin setting an intention each day, you feel the need to make drastic life changes related to your job, relationship status or family life. Or perhaps the only things will change is the way you view life and your newfound sense of prolific creativity. Declaring a daily intention will help you clarify your values and determine what will truly bring you happiness, both on and off the page. In addition, your awareness will shift and you will attract the people, experiences and things that you want into your life.

3) Start a Gratitude Journal

Gratitude is a powerful feeling that can help us reconnect with a sense of creativity, purpose and passion. In these troubled economic times, it’s easy to focus on the problems that surround us and experience anxiety about our future. By spending a few moments appreciating what we have each day, we can gently guide our minds into a more creative, receptive state. It is extremely helpful to maintain a journal of appreciation and thankfulness. Many people find the mere practice of keeping a gratitude journal helps them to stay focused on their personal and professional writing goals. Writing a gratitude list is also a great way to remedy a case of writer’s block. Each night before going to sleep, make a list of all the things that you are grateful for in your life. Learning to appreciate the things that you already have creates a tremendous sense of joy. As you author your nightly gratitude list, review your day and feel thankful for all the positive things that happened to you and helpful people that crossed your path. Some people find it useful to analyze the events of the day in sequential or reverse-chronological order. Remember that there is nothing too small or trivial to feel grateful about. Examples of items of on a gratitude list include “I am grateful for my son’s beautiful smile.” “I am so thankful for this bed I sleep in." or “I feel grateful that I have a car that runs and that I had the money to repair the flat tire I had today.” As you write your gratitude list, focus on the positive emotion that feeling thankful evokes within you. When you feel as if you have completed your daily gratitude list, take a few moments and see if you can think of anything else to appreciate. It is also beneficial to fall asleep reciting your gratitude list silently to yourself. After keeping your gratitude journal, you will be amazed at all the new and fresh ideas that your gratitude has awakened within your mind.

Aileen McCabe-Maucher is a licensed clinical social worker/psychotherapist and registered nurse who has helped many people find inner peace and discover their unique life purpose. Aileen has fifteen years of experience providing individual and group counseling to a diverse client population. She is a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Widener University, University of Delaware, and The Gestalt Therapy Institute of Philadelphia at Bryn Mawr College. Aileen studied yoga and the chakra system at The Yoga Lifestyle Center in Paoli, Pennsylvania. She is the author of the book, The Inner Peace Diet, which was published by Penguin/ Alpha Books and released nationwide on December 2, 2008.

A free sample of Aileen's books, The Inner Peace Diet, and Find Your Life Purpose Now: Recipes for Making Your Dreams Come True can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Aileen-McCabe-Maucher/e/B003IUBRLK

5 Pursuits to Inspire Creativity

When was the last time you stepped away from the computer and got creative? If you have to think about it, then it has been too long.

A regular dose of creativity will keep the inspiration flowing, when it's time to put pen to paper.

Here are 5 things you can (that aren't writing) to spark your creativity,

1. Make Art. Draw, sketch, doodle. Paint, papier-mâché, crochet. Design a tree-house. Or build one. Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, step out of your creative comfort zone and make something. As your hands are occupied, allow your mind to wander. You could solve a creative problem or imagine something new.

2. Get Outside. There are plenty of things outside that inspire creativity - you just need to open your eyes and look around. Go for a walk, a run, or a bike ride. Or plant and tend to a garden. Fresh air is invigorating, not to mention healthy. 

3. Go Dancing. There are social, physical, and mental benefits to going out dancing. And I certainly recommend it. However, you can get the latter two without leaving your home. Schedule a daily dance break. Set an alarm, and when it goes off, put on your favorite radio station or song, turn up the volume, and dance.

4. Cook or Bake. Cooking and baking are two of the most creative things you can do. And, as a bonus, you get eat the fruits of your labor. Whether you follow a recipe (which you have to do to some extent when you bake although decorations are up for grabs) or create as you go, remember to have fun.

5. Have an Adventure. Enjoy the creativity of others. Take a field trip to a museum or art gallery, go to a booksigning, or see a show. Support other artists. At least for me, nothing is more inspiring that seeing and appreciating the creative work of others. 

A few months ago, I shared some tips on how to get unstuck when writing. Well, you don't need to find yourself at a loss for words as an excuse to get creative. You can't avoid getting stuck all the time, but you can decrease the likelihood.

Schedule (yes, schedule) time to be creative to remain inspired as much as possible. 

What creative things do you pursue in addition to writing? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

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Debra Eckerling is a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of Guided Goals and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. 

She is the host of the Guided Goals Podcast and author of Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages. 

Debra is an editor at Social Media Examiner and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

What Is Creative Writing?

 

by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Creative writing is any original writing that falls outside technical, journalistic or academic writing. But wait, there’s more.

Storytelling and fiction, screenwriting, songs, poetry, playwriting are considered creative writing. However, creative writing is not limited to fictional classifications. It also includes personal essays, memoirs, journals and diaries, letters and literary journalism—stories about the human experience.

Practicing creative writing is beneficial to all writers.
It helps:
•    Develop imagination and creativity
•    Organize thoughts, logically to create the plot
•    Grow confidence
•    Improves communication skills
•    Creates a change of pace and stimulates fresh ideas

So, how will we write more creatively? We grow with creative exercises that foster creative thinking & ideas. Make time for art and read well.

Art feeds our creativity—we cannot produce creative works unless we take them in. All forms of art are inspiring, so, make time for your artist’s dates. Films and books inspire story lines, and pictures or photographs can inspire a memory or story.

We must read well to write well. Try out new author’s works, go beyond blogs and social media to classical literature—there’s a wealth of written works to learn from and enjoy. I recently have found three new authors’ from the 1890s and early 1900s—my new favorites! Their well-developed stories, short or novel length, are entertaining. Gratefully, these stories are expanding my grasp of descriptive writing and character driven stories. Newspapers published serials of short stories in that day.

Nurture your creativity, take care of it, and devote time to this grand adventure. Here are a few ways to foster creative writing skills:
1.    Schedule creative writing sessions, choosing your topic ahead of time, then dive in for 20-40 minutes.
2.    Use writing prompts: one word or a theme sentence to boost your ideas and motivation.
3.    Use photographs to trigger the start of your piece. Is it a memory that promotes a story? Write it!
4.    Listen to music, get into your favorites, move and sing it out! Is it smooth and lovely, or wild and hopping fast? Write the memory or story you imagine.

Write a Page or more, Prepare an Outline or a List of Ideas—Just Get Going
Your creativity will flow.

Helpful Links:

Experiment with creative prompts.
https://www.tckpublishing.com/creative-writing-prompts/
https://www.tckpublishing.com/creative-writing-exercises/

Unusual Writing Activities That Will Boost Your Creativity by Melissa Donovan
https://www.writingforward.com/creative-writing/writing-activities 

 

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   

Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love
https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/
& https://books2read.com/b/valuestories

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5 Ways Writing a Book Will Help You to Unlock Your Hidden Creative Genius

 

How often have you thought to yourself, “I’m not creative?” Have you marveled at the creativity of young children playing, wondering where on earth they come up with these crazy ideas? Creativity doesn’t disappear completely as we get older; we simply don’t exercise it quite as much as we did as youngsters. Traditional classroom schooling also doesn’t place a priority on creativity because teachers are so focused on teaching the curriculum and scoring tests. If you want to spur your creative juices once again, write a book.

Here are just a few ways you can unlock your hidden creative genius by writing a book:

1. Use the brain dump method to empty your mind of too many ideas. Experts have proven that multitasking actually diminishes productivity, so instead of trying to write your book while all these other ideas are swimming around, take a journal and just start writing everything down. And I mean EVERYTHING, including calling the dog groomer for an appointment to calling the pharmacy for a refill. Whatever is taking up space in your brain should be on that paper. Now that you’ve released these thoughts onto paper, focus solely on writing your book. You’ll discover the writing process is easier when you’re able to focus on just one task instead of one hundred.

2. Banish writer’s block. Before you start writing your best-selling book create an outline. One might think that this kind of detail will cause writer’s block. But in fact, the exact opposite happens. Because you have a roadmap to follow – and you can decide how detailed to make your outline - your brain will feel safe and allow you to write.

3. Writing itself is a creative problem-solving process. When was the last time you made a pros/cons list to help you make a decision? Or a to-do list to track your daily tasks? Or mind mapping to illustrate solving a problem? Writing out the details of our problem allows us to clarify exactly what has to happen when and it’s then easier to see connections and solutions to these problems our brain relaxes and our creativity flows.

4. Practice makes perfect. Even if you’re not aiming for perfection, this old saying holds true. The more you write, the easier the process becomes. If you’re an expert in a particular field, it makes sense to write about your expertise.  Writing content for your audience will become easier because you have the practice and you’ve done the research to know what your audience is seeking.

 5. Embrace the idea of doing something new or different every day. Our daily lives can become routine and boring but they feel safe and less effort is required on our part. But what if you tried new things, mixed up your daily routines just to be different. Take some time to explore new surroundings, take the long way home from the gym, or skip the gym and go for a walk in nature, turn off social media for a day and let your brain come back to awareness. Your brain will thank you for making it work differently, simply because you mixed things up.

Creativity is hidden inside each of us. Embrace your inner child, and use it to write a book you’ll love. In the end it will be worth it and bring great rewards. 

About Rebecca 

Rebecca Camarena is a Book Coach and author who helps women write, publish and market their impactful books about their heartfelt story of the challenges they’ve overcome so they can be an inspiration to others by sharing their words, their voice, their journey.

As a best-selling author with her co-authored book Out of My Comfort Zone: Stories of Courage, Perseverance and Victory she helped women share their stories of how they got out of their fear zone to excel in their business.

Are you’re ready to turn your heartfelt story into your dream book and become the author you were meant to be? Connect with me here, www.rebeccacamarena.com/contact