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How to Improve Creativity

As a world-renowned physicist, Albert Einstein’s name is instantly associated with knowledge, but he couldn’t develop the theory of relativity and make important contributions to the field of quantum mechanics without some serious creativity. Perhaps that’s why Einstein famously said: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” He certainly didn’t feel that being creative was reserved for geniuses and other elites. In fact, he urged others to try their hand at it, saying that “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” Unfortunately, many people stumble when they attempt to engage their creative engines. If you’re having trouble, explore our tips for how to improve creativity.

How to Improve Creativity

The fear of facing a blank page has left many people worried that they aren’t creative or that their creative powers have abandoned them. Poet Maya Angelou offers words of comfort: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” What can you do when you’re feeling blocked? Turning to one of these tricks for how to improve creativity might help.

Be Creative

Time and again, successful writers are asked what advice they would give aspiring writers. Their advice is remarkably consistent: write. Whatever you enjoy creating, get to it. Treat creativity like a muscle. Work a little while each day to make it stronger.

Exercise

Being sedentary increases your risk of brain fog and leaves you more vulnerable to fatigue. To shake out the mental cobwebs, get moving. Being active is good for your body and good for your imagination. You may find that your mind wanders in new and interesting directions while your body is otherwise engaged, which means you’ll suddenly have all kinds of new ideas to experiment with when you’re ready.

Try a Different Type of Art

If you delight in writing, try your hand at painting. If photography is your first love, but you find yourself out of ideas, play with pottery for a while. Sometimes, experimenting with a field that is completely different from your preferred domain will help you find a new direction for your energy.

Change Your Surroundings

Refreshing your work area can help shake things loose in your mind when your creativity doesn’t want to come out to play. Try a different type of soundtrack. If you normally listen to music, try a different genre. Or, really switch it up by putting on a podcast or white noise or a foreign-language station. Make a change to the lighting in your work area to alter the way the space feels. If your tools are portable, you could even travel to an entirely new space for a bit. There are countless possibilities.

Become an Expert

Find a niche that really interests you, and do a deep dive. When you have a thorough understanding, let it shine in your work. How can you share what you’ve learned in a creative way?

Take Risks

Any success is built on a willingness to risk failure. When it comes to getting creative, don’t be afraid to take risks. If things work as planned, great. If they don’t, don’t lose heart. Step back, consider the results, and think about what you’ve learned from the experiment. You might find you like what actually happened more than what you were hoping for. If not, you can recalculate and try again.

Capture Ideas as They Come

Sometimes, the problem is that great ideas come at inconvenient times and slip away before you have a chance to flesh them out. To avoid missing out on fantastic ideas, create a system that helps you capture them as they come. Whether you use a smartphone app to make notes or keep a small journal with you so that you can jot things down quickly as they cross your mind, the idea is to stash these concepts in a safe place. Then, when you need an idea to work with, you can visit your notebook and select one or more concepts that appeal to you.

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Creativity craves inspiration and connection. A vibrant community like Waterstone on Augusta is the perfect place to find both. Located in gorgeous Greenville, South Carolina, this premier assisted living and memory care community offers a vibrant, enriching lifestyle for seniors with independent living in a thriving neighborhood. To learn more, contact us today. To learn more about our amenities and to view our lovely community, please schedule a tour online or call us today at 864-605-7236.