Pablo Picasso used to say that “inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” It seems that it comes to us in fugacious moments, but it does not mean we should not put any effort into the process. Great opportunities and ideas do not come knocking at your door for you to take them. Sometimes yes, but you need to develop a strategy that lets you consciously access great ideas. To achieve this, one needs to know himself and how and when the flow is at its prime. Is it in the morning? Is it late at night? We bring you a series of activities that will help spark your creative self to find out. Hopefully, this will help you make more conscious decisions when you are creating.
30 circles
This is a creativity exercise where the objective is based on quantity rather than quality. You take a piece of paper and draw 30 identical circles on it. Then, in a short amount of time, 10 minutes at most, draw something in as many circles as possible. It works better if you do it with a friend or even a co-worker, so you can compare what you both drew.
The goal behind the 30 circles is to stop yourself from self-censoring. When you focus on quantity, you don’t have time to think if your idea is bad because you can edit it later, making creativity blossom with no judgment.
Write a 6-word story
Ernest Hemingway famously wrote: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” Dark, right? well, yours don’t necessarily have to be like this. But try to write one too because it will help you condensate complex information with only a few words. Just try to make it meaningful, but with your own personal meaning. Try to write one each day and you will notice how your brain is starting to become more agile after a few days. Remember that practice makes perfect.
A plus of this activity can be to complement it with an image. For example, write down your six-word story and add it as text on an image. You can use any free tool online. Share it with your friends and encourage them to make their six-word stories.
Have a conversation avoiding a common letter
You can start with the letter “e” or “a.” The dynamic is to tell a friend about this activity and then begin talking without using a common letter. Your brain will be working out so hard that it will be stimulated. This might remind you of that game we used to play as kids, where we would change the letter before any vowel to the letter “f.” Well, that was working out your brain as well! Even if you didn’t know back then.
If you get tired or done with the letter “e” or “a” proceed to eliminate “r,” “s,” or “t.” There will always be a challenge that will help you work out and probably have a laugh with your buddy as well. It is recommended you do this for at least 15 minutes each day. Pure mind gymnastics!
Exercise and tire yourself out
Believe it or not, some of our best ideas come when we’re tired. Why? A tired brain is less focused, making you less critical with new ideas. When you have a lot of energy, you might want to be in control of everything you are thinking. The best way to get tired? Exercise, which not only works out your muscles but also your brain. Exercise helps us get out of ourselves, release chemicals that make us happy, and create new thought patterns.
Every creative should incorporate exercise into their routine. If you are feeling stuck with something, take a walk, or better yet, sign up to the closest gym and work them muscles out. Another positive effect is that it will reduce your levels of stress and anxiety, which sometimes are the primary triggers against creativity.
Meditate in the morning
In the last creative workout of the week, we gave you some examples of meditations you could use to lower your cortisol levels and release anxiety to create successfully. The advice today is that you do it in the morning. Take 15 minutes right when you wake up. You can find some meditation techniques here. This will help you start your day with a clear mind, and it will help you remove fears.
If you want to do a guided meditation, we recommend downloading an app from your mobile app store. An app like Headspace is a good start. Go somewhere quiet, put your headphones on and start. Right when you finish, fix yourself breakfast and immediately start working. You will notice the difference, and if you do it every day, your mind will become quicker.
Hand-write
Carrie and Alton Barron write in their book “The creativity cure” about how there is a deep satisfaction that comes when you create something with your hands. They believe that writing by hand can help you get into a more focused headspace. Nomadx founder Daniel Osuna writes all the content calendars and ideas by hand. He says this helps him get more in touch with the creative substance. We believe it too. Hand-writing lets you touch and feel words rather than just see them on-screen.
If you don’t know what to write, you can start by writing down your feelings. This is not only creative but also therapeutic. I cannot stress how much this can help you feel better because writing down your feelings will help you understand what you are going through. You can even write down what’s been bothering you, read it, and then toss it away. It’s symbolic, but it might help you get rid of certain vibes you don’t want around.
So now you have a couple of exercises and routines that can help those creative juices to keep flowing. Now it’s up to you to put them to practice. Remember what Picasso tells us about creativity. Don’t sit and wait for an angel to whisper you the best idea ever. Become the angel! Work out that sexy brain and become more aware of your process. I think that’s the most important word of the article: process. Find yours. Everyone has a different one and the same things won’t necessarily help you. Try these techniques and if they don’t work, go find others. We are sure there is something suitable for you out there. You just need to find it
References:
https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/10-exercises-to-spark-original-thinking-and-unleash-creativity
https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/7-fun-exercises-to-quickly-improve-creative-thinking
Donate.
Subscribe.
Get Involved.
Stay in the Know.
The Nomadx Foundation is a Federal 501c3 accredited public charity.