Living a Creative Life

It’s easy for the days to fly by, and before you know it, it’s been weeks or months since you’ve done something outside of the ordinary, slowly but surely falling out of love with life. At least for me, living more joyfully goes hand-in-hand with living more creatively. What sets my heart on fire is when I break up my routine to try new things, explore the unknown, and experience wonder and delight, and all of this is inexplicably linked to my creative output.

Creativity, like any other skill, is a muscle that can grow and become stronger with time and practice. Not only is living a creative life more fun, breaking up the monotony and making me fall in love again, but it’s also a valuable skill that helps me in both life and in business to think outside of the box and find creative solutions to complex problems.

How To See The World More Creatively

Say Yes To New Experiences

Sometimes the most unique ideas come from a place that’s entirely new. It may be a new way of looking at things, a new perspective, a new place – all coming together to shape new ideas. Being open to new experiences will allow your brain to begin to see things differently, sparking your imagination and giving you the tools to find more creative solutions.

Embrace Your Child-like Wonder & Curiosity

Think about the natural excitement and curiosity that children have about even the simplest of things. They embrace that wide-eyed wonder, ask big questions, and don’t let what they do know limit their imagination or desire to learn. Think about when you were a child, unafraid and creating just for fun, and tune into that. Open your eyes to your surroundings, be curious, do something silly, ask the stupid question, and see what creativity comes from your child-like wonder.

Surround Yourself With Inspiration

Inspiration is the foundation of creativity – whether it be visual inspiration like a photo on Instagram, a magazine ad, a promotional insert from your last order, a leaf or a flower – surround yourself with the things that capture your attention. Here’s my favorite places to look to for inspiration:

1. Look to yourself. View your life through a new lens and wonder at your surroundings, consider the things you find interesting and why – what makes you laugh and what makes you cry? Finding inspiration from your own life will spark creativity that is unique only to you.

2. Look to others. Who that you know is doing something amazing? Who is making you laugh? Take note of the things that you read or that year hear someone say that makes you pause and think, or feel something. These things can often lead to more complex ideas that can spark new creativity.

3. Look to nature. Sometimes nature shows up between the cracks in the sidewalk, at the farmer’s market, in the sky on the drive into work, or in a picture frame, captured by someone else’s perspective. In the springtime, the bright new growth on the tips of tree branches always makes me happy to see, and it’s such a small thing that is so easy to miss if I’m not paying close attention.

Never Stop Learning

Learning new things gives you the tools to further creative endeavors, see more possibilities, leading to new inspiration and renewed creativity. Whether it’s through new podcasts, books, online or in-person classes, learning something new will always add to your life.

Slow Down & Daydream

Sometimes the best ideas come from nowhere, like when you’re in the shower, or right about to fall asleep, or on a long drive. It’s these times when we slow down and allow our mind to wander that creativity and imagination are given room to breathe and emerge. So, allow yourself to get your head stuck in the clouds, free from any and all limitations.

If you’re not sure where to start, slow down, and allow yourself to dream about your life – what does your dream life look like? How does it align with the dreams you had for yourself as a child, when you just did things for the fun of it and dreamed about what you’d want to do when you grew up?

Give yourself quiet time for reflection and daydreaming. Get in touch with your inner thoughts, so that you can discover and explore what’s on your heart, and then express it. So, start reflecting, daydreaming and just dreaming, without restrictions, creating new realities and pursing your desires.

Take Care of Yourself

Daniel Sunkari of Alabaster Co. once said that “There is nothing more harmful to creativity than an empty tank, a heart of haste, or detached living.” Surround yourself with things and the people that bring you joy, that dream with you, encourage you, lift you up when you’re down, and fill your cup. Because just as you can’t pour from an empty cup, you can’t create from an empty place?

We must love ourselves and our life, and only then can we create things that we love. So, my advice is to do the things that make you happy – learn how to make your favorite coffee drink, buy fresh flowers when you’re shopping for groceries, watch your favorite movie, and say “no” to the things that don’t fill your soul. No one else can take better care of you, than you.

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What does living a creative life look like for you? Is it a bike ride through the park, reading a new book genre, or trying a cooking class? Find the beauty in the journey of living more creatively, and discovering what that might look like for you. Let wonder and delight guide you to new possibilities and perspectives, and when you find what lights your heart on fire, let me know on Instagram.