The Loving Creative

Building Your Creativity Muscle

Spring 2024

Discover effective strategies and engaging exercises to enhance your creativity. Whether you're looking to improve your writing, art, or problem-solving abilities, this article offers valuable insights and actionable steps to help you tap into your inner creative genius and express yourself more freely.

When you hear the word creativity, do you think back to the time you felt inspired to write a poem, or maybe it was a blog or a song, but then after the third line, it started to fall apart, so you just dropped it and never came back to finish it?

Or perhaps you flash back to a pottery class with your child, nephew, whatever, but when you picked up your finalized art projects you couldn’t tell which one was yours and which one was your child’s, hitting you in the gut with the blatantly visible realization that your painting skills are... unmistakably untrained?

Don't hold onto those pinches of reality as any sort of lifelong truth. Just because you've tried something or don't feel accomplished in an area doesn't mean that's how your story is written, The End.

Your capacity for creativity is just like any skill, or muscle, if you will; what you need to do is give that muscle a little attention, a bit of exercise, and allow it to build up into something more toned and functional.

You most definitely were born with a kook-quirky creative engineer in the dark store room of that beautiful mind of yours.

You may just need to let it out into the sun, give it a drink, let it run around a bit, and watch its eyes brighten with excitement and let the ideas flow in. You just need to know what exercises and activities will bring it to life..., what fuel will get the juices pumping and the thoughts jumping. This is what we’re going to talk about right here and now.

When talking about creativity, it's important to remember the root "create," which essentially means to originate, or to bring into existence. This means you want to explore things you don't normally do, things you're not used to, things outside your comfort zone. So, if you're comfortable with journal writing, but are overcome with snake-swarming twister panic at the idea of writing a song, or you feel you couldn't even draw a rectangle with a ruler, or you absolutely refuse to dance in public, then these might be areas that you should consider exploring.

No, you're not trying to face your life-flashing-before-your-eyes fears, but you want to open yourself to new possibilities that were hidden behind these dusty, locked doors of your creative carousel factory. Now, if you are averse to chili peppers, then we're not suggesting you ignore your red flag safety warnings and order a habanero Bloody Mary... but what of the things you WANT to do and WANT to try? Do those! Don't hold back and don't count yourself out of anything.

As with anything new, you want to take baby steps. When you first walk into a gym, (unless you're a returning seasoned weightlifter) if you head straight for the free weights, load them up with the equivalent of your bodyweight and start squatting or pressing, you may need to leave your car in the lot and Uber home because you can't lift your arms or legs, and you'll swear off the crazy people at the gym for the rest of your life.

You to want save the foot-crushing weights for later; start by testing out some safe exercise machines, just opening up your lungs a little, getting a feel for some different body movements, and getting acclimated to them. Then push forward from there. So, yes, even though you can still sign up for online drumming lessons or join a book writing club, you can also dabble in a few of these smaller step exercises for easier yet effective daily doses of creativity building activities.

Journaling

No doubt, you've heard of the wonderful benefits of journaling. It allows you to collect and reflect on your thoughts for the day, and can provide a method for planning your next day(s). You can revisit and explore your thoughts on actions that happened, and think through effects on your emotions, processing, and resulting experiences. These logged insights then provide you with a record that you can review and reminisce the memories and lessons through your life's journey. Now, let's take this journal idea and play with it a little, shall we?

Gratitude Journaling

Gratitude journaling is a common practice, but you can take it to the next level by seeking gratitude in unexpected places. Instead of just listing the usual blessings, such as family and health, look for the little surprises in your day, the uniqueness of your community, or the charm in the weather. Reflect on a special moment shared with family, the joy of a new friendship, or the excitement of a new idea. Consider drawing or taking a photo to enhance your entries. This exercise will deepen your appreciation for life's smaller, often unnoticed joys.

Letter to Your Future Self

Writing letters to your future self is a unique form of self-reflection. You can offer advice, set goals, or simply remind your future self to take care of their well-being and reduce stress. Additionally, consider writing letters that flashback to significant lessons learned, reminisce about nostalgic moments, or appreciate the little things in life. This exercise allows you to connect with your past and future selves, fostering personal growth and gratitude.

Inanimate Life Perspective

Ever wondered what an everyday object thinks or says to itself? Take on the perspective of an inanimate object in your journal. Whether it's a chair, a keyboard, a basketball, a sink, or a towel, explore the world through their "eyes." Create a story for them, imagining their reactions to various situations and events. This exercise not only sparks your imagination but also encourages empathy and a deeper appreciation for the objects you often take for granted.

Dialoguing with Quotes

Your Creative Repository

It is very likely that while you are writing your journal entry or doing other types of creativity exercises, you will get hit with occasional random thoughts and ideas. Write those down, real quick! Don't spend so much time that it takes you off track from your current activity, but a fast and dirty list or blurb that provides a little context and related concepts. An idea log is a fantastic way to capture your creativity. Use your journal to record innovative concepts, project ideas, or solutions to problems as they come to you. You can revisit your idea log when you're seeking inspiration or tackling creative challenges, turning your journal into a valuable resource for your personal and professional life.

Your idea is just the seed. When you're ready, you can take that seed and plant it, giving it light, sun, and attention, and that's how it becomes something beautiful.

Hold onto your ideas, and every once in a while, you'll get hit with a couple related thoughts, and as you record those, you'll start to think of elements that create a plan, which leads to crafting a detailed blueprint, which then pushes you to design an actionable schedule, and then you're taking off with a new project of growth!