5 Ways to Stimulate Your Creative Side

While many say that creativity is innate, that’s not the case for many self-taught musicians who found their breakthrough by sheer hard work, dumb luck, and creative stimulation. The best artists are not the ones who find inspiration in the mundane and beauty in the most neglected places.

If you think you lack the traits that catapulted the likes of David Bowie and Taylor Swift to stardom, rest in the fact that being creative is learned and, later, internalized. All it takes is practice and these five approaches to help your creativity blossom.

1. Record the world

The people, places, and things that surround you form a source of inspiration you can access anytime. Ideas don’t come out of thin air. The best ones are grounded in the real world. You just have to learn to open your eyes and turn real-world facts into pieces that fit whatever masterpiece you’re working on. With a notebook or sketchbook in hand, record everything you see, hear, and feel. You’d be surprised by how much creative material you could use for your next work.

2. Rub elbows with other creatives

You can’t flourish as an artist if you spend most of your days dealing with people who may not have the same interests as you. That’s not to say that these people lack imagination, but if you want to consider yourself a serious artist, you need to be among serious artists. Go to a local art show or attend creative workshops. Joining online creative communities is also a great way to meet people who would rather discuss the history of punk rock than real estate prices.

3. Look up to the right people

Creativity is influenced not just by the environment you grew up in. The people you consider role models as well as your childhood heroes could’ve caused your creative awakening. Maturing as an artist involves the contributions of past and present artists. If there’s an influential musician you like, treat their musical style as a template that helps you develop yours.

4. Hack your mind and body

You will often need to train your mind and body to produce original ideas. Some artists would turn to meditation or a walk in the woods to help them think. Others stimulate creativity by drinking copious amounts of coffee or consuming cannabidiol oil products from vendors like Secret Nature CBD thinking that the substance could help them think more clearly. Whatever helps you relax and experience a surge of thoughts and ideas, make it a part of your habit. Just don’t settle for activities that will lead you into a downward spiral.

5. Sit down and work

You’ve done all of the things on this list because you want to become more creative. However, keep in mind that you will never be an artist if you lack application. For your creative mind to flourish, sit down and work. You already have enough ideas in your head that could form an album, a great novel, or a sculpture. Don’t let them rot; bring them to life instead. If you’re not satisfied with the result, at least you’ve started the learning process already.

Endnote

There’s no shortcuts to become more creative. All it takes is having the courage to express yourself and feeding your appetite for creation.