6 Ways Unleash Your Creativity in 30 Minutes or Less
Photo Credit: Marina Del Castell
Although it’s true that some people are more creative than others, everyone can be inventive and original in their own way. Your creativity is inside you now. Perhaps it’s just waiting for you to tap into it.
Try some of these methods for 30 minutes each day to release your creativity:
1. Think back to your childhood. Did you have an active imagination? Maybe you pretended you were a teacher or a doctor. Perhaps you played as if you were the greatest skateboarder in the world. Assuming certain personas is a good way to show your creativity.
- Right now, imagine yourself as the best worker at your job. How would you look, dress, and behave? What would you say to others? How would you relate?
- Visualize that you’re the best at something for at least 10 minutes each day.
2. What are you good at? For the next 10, 20, or 30 minutes, consider your various skills, talents, and knowledge base. Then pick one skill to focus on. What makes you good at this particular ability?
- Maybe you think you’re excellent when it comes to following instructions. You listen well. You pay attention. You quickly pick up on what’s expected of you.
- Perhaps you’re intrinsically motivated, which means you’re internally motivated to complete a job to the desired specifications.
- When you know what you’re good at, you feel confident. And when you’re confident, you’re not afraid to try new things and experiment (which are aspects of being creative).
3. Let your mind fantasize about something in your life. Maybe you’d love to buy the big house on the corner or experience the serious love relationship you yearn for. Give yourself 30 minutes to sit back and fantasize.
- Think about what that house looks like on the inside. Picture the face of your potential mate.
4. Carry a written copy of your top 3 life goals with you. Giving yourself permission to dream and reach for your desired goals enhances your ability to ponder how you can achieve them.
- You hold the creative keys to pursue those goals however you choose. Let your mind run free with it. Think about these questions: what can you do today, tomorrow, next week, and next month to go after what you want?
5. Identify someone you like or respect very much. Spend time thinking about this individual. What is it about them you like? How can you be more like them? Pick one characteristic you’ll work on emulating for the next month.
- For example, if you like John at work because he smiles all the time and seems to consistently be in a good mood, perhaps you can begin to behave in the same ways.
- Trying on new personal characteristics allows you to stretch yourself creatively to see what you can do.
6. Experiment with a new creative activity. We cultivate our creativity by engaging in creative endeavors. So, buy a block of clay, a jewelry-making kit, or some paints and canvases at your local arts and crafts store and have at it.
- You’ll likely end up spending over a half-hour daily on your new pursuit. But, that’s okay because you’re expanding your mind along with your skills.
- If you’re feeling timid and unsure about how to start, sign up for a beginning art class just to see what happens. Working with your hands and mind together opens up new avenues and can get your creative juices flowing.
You can release your inner creativity and imagination by devoting just 30 minutes to any of the above strategies or try a combination of 2 or 3 of them.
Believe that you are a creative individual and prove it by doing something each day to cultivate your imagination and originality.