Creativity IS Essential: 7 Ways To Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

“Creativity has this amazing power to give you renewed enthusiasm and energy—even in the most difficult circumstances.” - Warren Berger

The world can be a harsh place and it is in even more chaos right now. We are in challenging and uncertain times. Individuals, families, and small businesses are suffering and struggling to stay afloat. I believe the challenges we are all experiencing right now is testing our strength, our resilience, our faith in the universe, and our ability to reinvent ourselves and become the best version of ourselves. That’s why creativity is so Essential at this time.

When people think of creativity, most people think of artists, musicians, writers, designers, etc…But, creativity is more than producing a painting or writing music for example.

Creativity is also about being better communicators, looking at things differently from a different perspective, and problem solving in an original way. “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” – Wayne Dyer

Creativity links the mind, body, and spirit as one and is at the core of being human. “When you think creatively, you’re opening your heart and mind and you're relating to people as humans.” - Jenn Maer Everyone is creative – everyone has creative skills they utilize in their life everyday whether or not they are conscious of it.

So, how do you get your creative juices flowing? Below are 7 activities that are considered to be meditative, which helps get your creative juices flowing, leading to amazing ideas that can change your life.

1. Meditate

I mention meditation quite a bit in previous blog posts. Meditation is extremely powerful. I’ve been able to come up with ideas during my meditation practice that I have manifested into reality through inspired action. Meditation is an intentional practice, where you focus internally on opening your heart, expanding your awareness, calming your mind, and creating emotional balance and inner peace. If it's your first time meditating, it may be strange or awkward to sit alone in silence with nothing but your thoughts going rampant through your mind, but meditation can get your creativity juices flowing while helping to calm and soothe you at the same time. If you are also feeling anxious, nervous, or stressed out, meditation will absolutely help uplift you, even for just a little bit.

Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit and be still in silence. Even if you can only sit in silence for a few minutes, that is a good start. Close your eyes and focus on something - your breath, a mantra like "Om", a candle flame, your pet, or something that makes you smile and focus on it. As you concentrate and focus on one thing, you start to feel relaxed which is the goal - you want to calm and soothe yourself so the feelings of anxiousness, nervousness, panic, or any negative emotion subsides. As you meditate, your mind will wander. You might be thinking about the past or what to do about your finances, for example. As your mind wanders, and your mind starts to calm down and eventually clear, out of nowhere, you’ll get a picture, a word, an idea, or even a whisper (yes, it’s coming from YOU or what I’d like to call your higher self). Whatever comes up during your meditation practice, write it down. You can journal about what came up for you during meditation or brainstorm ideas with friends you trust. From there, it’s up to you to take inspired action to make it a reality.

2. Write/Journal

Writing out your deepest thoughts and feelings can be introspective and soothing. It helps you organize and create order when your world feels like it’s in chaos. You get to truly know yourself by revealing your most private thoughts, desires, and fears which is healing for your mind, body, and soul. Writing can improve your mood and help soothe and calm your mind as well. Let your imagination run wild as you write freely in your journal, on your computer, or even as a blog article. As you write, your creative juices start flowing and ideas and thoughts come up. Writing not only helps you, but it can help others, especially if you are a blogger.

3. Arts & Crafts

Whether it’s painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, pottery, woodworking, or other artistic activity, it’s a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Even if all you can draw are stick figures (hey, I like stick figures!) or have never painted in your life, now is the perfect time to get outside your comfort zone and start. Plus, everything takes practice. The oil painting shown below that I titled “Blossoming” took 6 months for me to work on. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you as long as you try. I worked on the painting only a few hours each week and there will be mistakes along the way (I still see the small mistake on the painting!), but the end result will be so satisfying. “Blossoming” is one of my best work and I’m proud I framed it and gifted it to my amazing sister who loves trees. It made me happy to paint for her because trees give her so much joy. Working on arts and crafts projects can be meditative and helps you come up with great ideas. You never know what could happen if you don’t try. Or, if you prefer jigsaw puzzles to arts & crafts, go for it! Putting together a puzzle helps people get their minds into Zen mode, which thereby helps them feel deeply relaxed and calm and ideas flow freely.

4. Spend Time in Nature

Spend time in nature whether it's taking a walk in your neighborhood, hiking in the forest, or running on the beach on a sunny day. Being outside in nature is meditative for almost everyone. It can help calm and clear the many thoughts running around in your mind all day long that can cause anxiety, confusion, stress, and worry. I like to go for a walk or run at least once every day. It absolutely helps me clear my mind. Being outside is so rejuvenating and refreshing for your mind, body, and spirit. As you mind wanders, it inspires your creative juices to flow. You may come up with a great new business idea or come up with solutions to solve a problem you have. It can help you communicate better with the people who you care about most. Nature inspires creativity that leads to the spark of an idea. It all starts with an idea.

5. Cook

I don’t enjoy cooking, but some of my friends truly enjoy cooking. It’s another activity that is meditative and comforting which is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Personally, I don’t like the task of preparing food, but I can understand and absolutely appreciate that cooking is soothing and calming for people who enjoy it. For the people I know who are fond of cooking, they enjoy the process of preparing food such as peeling, cutting, or dicing vegetables and meat. Their mind becomes calm and clear during food preparation and they get into a meditative state which gets their creative juices flowing. Some of my friends have come up with great ideas to start a business or to problem solve an issue at work. You can also play your favorite music and/or have a glass of wine during food prep.

6. Listen to Music

Music not only helps stir your creativity, but also helps in stress management. Listening to music can alleviate stress, anxiety, and worries from your mind. Music can also uplift you, slow your breathing, elevate your vibration, and get your creative juices flowing. For some people, listening to music is equivalent to meditation because it can relax the mind, boost your mood, and connect your mind, body, and spirit if it is music you enjoy listening to. It’s healing to the soul and if you find it meditative, then take breaks out of your day to sit quietly with yourself and listen to your favorite music. As your mind calms down and starts to wander, ideas, pictures, and thoughts start to flow freely. Jot down everything you can remember. Writing it down right after helps you retain information that comes from your higher self.

7. Garden

Gardening is considered an art form by many people. Growing plants, fresh veggies, or fruit helps us feel connected with mother earth. There is something appealing about nurturing life and watching it grow. It makes us feel good. Gardening encourages our mind to feel calm and relaxed. It’s another wonderful form of meditation and mindfulness. Planting a seed, touching soil with your hands, and watering plants can be transformative and soothing. Gardening is generally a quiet activity that can stimulate problem-solving and critical thinking. It allows us to dive into our creativity. So, allow your creative juices to flow and see where your thoughts take you in the moment!

Try one or all of these activities if they speak to you to help you dive into your creativity. Creative experiences are considered to be very meditative and when your mind is calm and clear, ideas flow freely. Remember, it all starts with an idea(s). Talk it out with friends if you need to flush out one of your ideas. From there, it’s up to you to take inspired action to make it a reality. Creativity leads to amazing ideas that can rejuvenate you, nourish your soul, and change your life. Start now and let me know how it goes!