How to be More Creative (77 Ways)

January 9, 2020

Creativity is one of those things that sounds romantically easy to do, but often leaves you scratching your head. Even the creative geniuses get stumped from time to time.

The key to getting your creative mojo going is practice. Consistent practice.

Since January is International Creativity Month, I wanted to give you some ideas about how you can add more creativity to your everyday life. Here are 77 ways to get started:

1. Take the Creativity Test
2. Doodle
3. Read more books
4. Drink alcohol
5. Call a friend
6. Listen to music
7. Get rid of stuff
8. Take a quick nap
9. Keep a dream diary
10. Put your phone away
11. Take the 30 circles test
12. Ask yourself questions to boost your curiosity
13. Have a chat with older folks (they have a broader thinking style)
14. Cook something different
15. Stand on your head (blood to the brain does wonders)
16. Drink coffee
17. Do something with your hands
18. Watch a movie genre you haven’t seen before
19. Pick a muse
20. Make mistakes on purpose
21. Paint
22. Try a different hobby
23. Socialize
24. Carry a notebook everywhere you go and write down things that catch your eye
25. Study a language
26. Get rejected
27. Drink a glass of water (your brain needs hydration to work well)
28. Go for a walk in nature
29. Practice something
30. Tidy up
31. Create clutter
32. Do something backwards. For example, eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner.
33. Go somewhere new
34. Mow the lawn (fresh-cut grass releases chemicals that make you happier and more relaxed)
35. Play with your pet
36. Sing
37. Stretch
38. Go down the rabbit hole on the internet
39. Daydream
40. Do a mental exercise like a crossword puzzle
41. Hang out with other creative people
42. Write down a fantasy
43. Color outside the lines (literally, color a picture but  refuse to stay in the lines)
44. Get together with friends
45. Stay up late
46. Take a shower (it puts you in the “default mode network”)
47. Have an open mind
48. Dance
49. Make a list of anything you can think of
50. Watch an old cartoon
51. Spend time alone
52. Rearrange the furniture
53. Look at a situation from someone else’s point of view
54. Do some deep breathing
55. Talk to a child
56. Practice yoga
57. Play a game
58. Smile
59. Start a swipe file
60. Look at the stars
61. Reset your goals
62. Write a hand-written letter
63. Listen more, talk less
64. Set a deadline
65. Write a story
66. Light a scented candle
67. Sleep on the other side of the bed
68. Travel to someplace exotic
69. Do something ridiculous
70. Narrow what you focus on
71. Wear your favorite clothes
72. Laugh
73. Start a gratitude journal
74. Eat with your nondominant hand
75. Look out the window
76. Schedule creative time
77. Have faith

What would you add to the list?

Photo credit: Skitterphoto on Pixabay