How to Train Yourself to Be Creative: Spend Time Alone

If you talk to individuals who are highly creative, one of the common themes you'll find among them is that they enjoy being by themselves. It allows them to have quiet time, which can sometimes be really essential to honing in on your creativity.

While alone time is a good thing and does help get your creative juices flowing, by no means does it mean you have to be anti-social.

Let's take a look at some benefits of spending time alone and how that can help boost your creativity in the process.

Benefit #1 - Increased Concentration

When you're alone and not distracted, it's easier to concentrate, which in turn can also help with your productivity. But there is one thing worth mentioning here and it has to do with distractions. Being alone with the TV on or while sitting in front of your computer is not the same thing as truly spending time with just yourself. Instead, find a place you can devote specifically to quiet alone time where you are free from distractions. Then set aside a specific time each time to go to that quiet space and let your creativity flow.

Benefit #2 - Clear Your Mind

When you spend time alone, free from distractions, you'll find that it's a quick and easy way to clear your mind. Not only does it free you from all the chaotic thoughts that race around in your head continually, it's also an opportunity to unwind and relax. Creativity thrives when your body is relaxed and you're mind is free of mental clutter. Again, just like mentioned in the benefit above, make time each day to clear your mind so you can tap into your creative self.

Benefit #3 - Problem Solving

Another benefit of spending time alone - and again we're talking about quiet, distraction-free alone time - is that it gives you the space to problem solve.  This is essential for increased creativity. When you begin to train yourself to spend quiet time alone and tap into your creative side, you'll be able to start thinking about different solutions to solve a problem(s) you're having. You can then begin to solve problems more effectively. 

Does all this sound just a bit like meditation? Perhaps. But here’s the key: When you make time to be alone – even if it’s just 20 minutes every day – your brain then becomes free to do what it does best – think. When you’re constantly bombarded by input from your smart phone, the television, a conversation with your spouse or coworker, the podcast you’re listening to and more, there simply isn’t room in your head for anything else.

So allow your brain the luxury of quiet time. You might just be surprised at how creative you can be, when you’re not so busy with other things.

 

Yes, You Can Schedule Creative Time

Somewhere along the path to adulthood, many of us lost our creativity – or we think we did. With a little planning and a regular schedule though, you can get it back, as counterintuitive as that might seem when talking about being creative!

And don’t think you simply don’t have it in you to be creative. All you have to do is look at kids or think back to when you were a child yourself to see the proof of your own creativity. Did you ever have an imaginary friend? Make up your own game with your own set of rules? Design a Mother’s Day card or a Christmas ornament? That was you being creative and that's just a few examples. The list goes on and on.

So why is it so hard as adults to be creative when as a young child it came so easily?

One of the reasons creativity is harder for adults is because we have so much on our minds and spend our mental energy focusing on that needs to be done, or this problem and that. We don't have any 'clear space' to let the creativity flow.

That’s where having a schedule can help

It may sound like a strange solution but once you get in the habit (and remember it takes approximately 21 days for a habit to form) of a schedule and doing things (including creativity time) regularly, you're brain will begin to kick into creative mode just when you expect.

Let's say for example that you've created a schedule and blocked off 30 minutes a day from 6:30-7:00am to let your creative juices flow - whether it be painting, drawing, writing, or another outlet. On the first day you wake up excited and ready to go but find that you couldn't clear your mind and wasted those 30 minutes thinking about the laundry that needs to be done, dirty dishes, work problems, etc. And then the same thing happened the next several days. You begin to feel discouraged but you made a commitment to at least stick to it for 21 days. And then suddenly you find that one morning you get lost in creativity and your 30 minutes fly by.  The next morning, and the next and the next (you get the picture) you find that as soon as you sit down at the spot you’ve designated, creative thoughts just start pouring out onto your paper.

It's because you have trained your brain that every single day at this time you're letting everything else go to clear the mental space for nothing but creative works. Your brain has gotten used to working this way every day and now it expects it – maybe even craves it.

This is exactly how the world’s most prolific authors, painters, and others manage to accomplish so much, and you can too. Simply block off time in your calendar for creativity, and before you know it, you’ll be able to turn those creative thoughts on and off at will.

The New Gurus - My Top 10 List Revised and Updated!

Back in 2009, I posted a list of the people I considered to be the top 10 internet "gurus".  The internet is loaded with self-proclaimed experts, all waiting to take your money and deliver little of value.  I wanted to share the people I knew and trusted.  These were the people I had studied; the ones whose lead I followed while taking my beginning steps as an entrepreneur.  Well, here it is six years later and I have had much success.  But I am also still learning!  There is always something more to learn and you still want to go to the masters to learn it.  So once again I'm sharing with you my list of the top 10 internet gurus.  Some of them you may recognize from my previous list but they still have much of value to offer.  Others are brand new.  All are the best in their areas of expertise and come with my whole hearted recommendation! 

1. Ken McArthur - Ken is an author, marketing expert, legendary creator of Impact, and the resident expert in forming partnerships and collaborations.  Thanks to Ken, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with amazing people.  And I learned a very important lesson - no matter how prepared you think you are, you can still mess up!  Bad!  Epically, in fact!   

2. Felicia Slattery - I met Felicia many years ago on Ryze and came to admire and respect her long before I had the opportunity to meet her in person. Felicia taught me the value of being able to communicate effectively in any format.  Since our initial meeting, I have had the opportunity to participate in her coaching programs which have truly helped to perfect my skills as a speaker.  Too bad I didn't do that a bit earlier!  (See above!) 

3. ProBlogger (Darren Rowse) - I discovered ProBlogger through a teleseminar that mentioned a man (ProBlogger) that was bringing in a six-figure income simply from blogging. I immediately went to his site and through his teaching, entered the world of blogging for myself. From a blog with 1 or 2 hits on a good day, I now have multiple blogs with hundreds of hits. 

4. Ken Evoy - Creator of Site Build It! for web building and hosting. In addition to discovering an absolutely fabulous tool to help create and host websites, Ken taught me the importance of a content-rich site for business.

5.  Andy Shepherd - Would you believe I used to be terribly shy and self-conscious?  It's true!  I am a bit - irreverent - at times, and was afraid that others wouldn't take me seriously. So I avoided speaking or even photos that allowed any sign of that side of me to show through.  Well, thanks to Andy, that is no longer the case.  If you have something that is keeping you from the success you seek, let Andy help you break through the barrier. 

6.  Carrie Wilkerson - I only met Carrie Wilkerson once at a jvAlert event. But she made a powerful impression on me with her reminder to focus and that nothing gets accomplished without massive action TO COMPLETION!  It is a message that still resonates today.  And one I teach everyone of my clients and team members.

7.  Larry Hochman - I have learned so much from Larry, I can't even begin to list it all here.  From providing business advice and guidance to giving me a gentle nudge (or swift kick) when needed, Larry has helped me excel both professionally and personally.  (And he captured the hearts of about 25 little Girl Scouts by helping them set up their first ever websites for cookie sales.  Thanks, Larry!  They sold THOUSANDS of boxes of cookies, which enabled them to reach their goal for a donation to YouthBridge, which helps troubled kids locally).   

8.  Brian G. Johnson - Author, speaker, and poodle wrangler.  His book, Trust Funnel, has been on the corner of my desk since the day I bought it.  I like to keep it within reach for easy reference.  Oh, and he taught me one of the most valuable lessons of all.  Be yourself, even if that self is a little bit crazy!

9.  Debra Jason  - Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget.  Need I say more?  Buy it.  Read it.  Put it into action.  Make money.  Oh, and she's not bad at copywriting either! 

10.  Brian Basilico - Brian has taught me more about the use of social media in my business than anyone.  He is the expert on social media and marketing and when he speaks, I listen and then do exactly as he says. 

There you have it - my newly updated top 10 list of internet business experts. Did I leave someone off that you think should be here? Post a comment with their name, website and why you recommend them and I will definitely check them out.

Refill Your Creative Well by Getting Out and Seeing Inspiring Things

Let's face it, even the most creative people (for example songwriters/musicians) go through a dry spell once in a while where their creative well has dried up and needs replenishing.  One of the quickest ways to fill that well back up is to get out and visit other places where you're surrounded by inspiration and beauty.

Take in a live show. Whether music or theater, these two options have creativity written all over them. During a live music concert or play, it's all about the audience and the energy they create for the performers. You never know what can happen during a live performance. Be inspired and let your creativity build off the creativity of what you just saw and heard. Sometimes all it takes to get the creative juices flowing is to enjoy another art form, so make a date with your creative self to see that new musical that’s in town. You might be surprised how inspiring it can be.

Visit a museum or art gallery. Not everyone is interested in spending time in a museum or art gallery, of course. But even if you think you’re someone who just doesn’t enjoy that kind of scene, you might want to “force” yourself to do it at least once. You may be surprised and find that you actually enjoyed it. But more than that, you can't get much more creative than sculptures and paintings. Look at the pieces and let your creativity take over - think about what the piece means, why it was created the way it was.

Hang out in a cemetery. Admittedly, this may seem like an odd place to visit to get your creativity flowing but it's actually a great place to work those creative thinking muscles. Grab a pen and notebook and head to a nearby cemetery. Don’t think of it as a sad place where someone's loved one has been laid to rest. Instead, look at those graves and start celebrating their lives. Pull out that pen and paper and start creatively writing their life stories. Where were they born, who did they marry, what did they do for a living, how many kids did they have, did they have any pets? Get as creative as you want. The idea here is to let the creativity flow and have fun with it.

Get back to nature. Many people find that simply taking a stroll in a park or along a wooded trail is just what they need to refill the well. Simply getting out in the fresh air and away from the computer and television and smart phone can cause you to relax and replenish your soul.

If you’re feeling a little less creative, or struggling to solve a problem, it might just be because your creative well has run dry. Get out in the world and away from your day-to-day tasks for a bit, and you’ll soon find that those creative juices are flowing again.

Read More to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Think you’re not creative? You’re not alone.

Creativity is a subject that can bring angst to some people because they think they aren't creative or that they don't know how to be creative. Of course this really isn’t true. Each and every one of us has the potential to tap into our creative side. It's just a matter of practice and doing it regularly so we train ourselves to be creative. One of the ways you can do this is by reading on a very wide range of subjects. Reading stimulates your brain and that's what gets your creative juices flowing.

Not just any reading will do, though. Blog posts, short articles, magazines and the like are all a fun diversion, but they simply won’t turn your brain on the way a good book will. Here’s why.

Reading Stimulates Your Brain

Just as an Olympic Gold Medalist has to keep fit if they want to compete well, you must exercise your brain to keep it stimulated in order for creativity to flow. Your brain needs just as much exercise as the rest of your body. It's time to start focusing on the importance of exercising your brain every day. Set aside 20 minutes a day to go to a quiet place, pick up a book and read.

And don't always read the same thing. Stretch yourself and choose different genres to read from. If you normally read romance novels, pick up a biography instead. Immersing yourself, even if just 20 minutes a day, in different subjects will really help your mind start to look at the world differently and in turn help your creativity start to come out.

Reading Improves Your Concentration

With all the gadgets and electronics out there, it seems like we're always plugged into what's going on in the world. Most people are never truly concentrating on just one thing. Not that being plugged in is a bad thing, but sometimes it's a good idea to take a break from the negativity (and all the gadgets!) going on around us. And while there is sometimes a place for multi-tasking, we need to take a break from that too.

When you read, it forces you to unplug and focus on just one thing in order to be fully engaged with the book. The more you do it, the more you'll get used to concentrating on just the task at hand and that will help improve your concentration skills. By exercising that muscle, your creative thinking skills will develop more as well. Being able to concentrate helps you think more clearly and that's when those creative thoughts come out.  

Reading Improves Your Vocabulary

Reading is one of the best ways to increase your vocabulary skills and while you may be wondering what vocabulary has to do with being creative, it can play a big role, especially if you're a creative writer, blogger, etc. Most writers out there will tell you that they spend a certain amount of time reading every day. The more you read, the more you will improve your vocabulary and you'll probably be surprised at all the different words you start to see in your writing.
 
Aside from reading being a way to help you be more creative, books are fun. So what are you waiting for? Grab a book, set a timer every day for 20 minutes and start exercising that brain of yours and see how fast your creative thinking skills improve.

Practice Makes Perfect - How Brainstorming Improves Creativity

Most people, when they hear or think of creativity, think it's only important to people like musicians, artists, photographers, etc. But that isn't the case. Creativity is essential to each and every one of us. Thinking creatively allows us to find new ways to solve common problems, among many other things. If you want to know how to boost your creativity, one of the best ways is to practice and improve your brainstorming skills.

What do you think of when you think of brainstorming? More than likely the first thought that popped into your brain wasn't anything to do with using it as a technique to hone in on your creativity. Usually brainstorming is associated with business related things. Remember those terrible meetings where everyone shouts out ideas and someone jots them down on a whiteboard only to erase them later for being unusable? Brainstorming doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, it can be a fun way to work on developing your creative side.

Those awful meetings did get one thing right: the first thing you need to do is let go of the self-criticism and self-judgment. Whether that be about creativity (I don't have a creative bone in my body) or brainstorming (I don't know how to brainstorm) or both, you have got to let it go or you're not going to have an open mind to be able to think clearly. Once you've done that you can move into the brainstorming phase.

For your actual brainstorming session, grab a piece of paper and pen and get ready to draw it out. Something like a simple mind map will work. That might mean drawing a big circle in the middle of the page and then connecting smaller circles to that. The big circle is going to be the main focus point (for example a problem you currently have) and then all the little circles connected to that one are going to be the different ideas/solutions as to how to work that problem out.

Not a fan of mind maps? Try just making a big list of ideas. Some people call this a “brain dump” and it works exactly the same way as a mind map. The idea is to get as many ideas out of your head and on to the paper as possible. Don’t think about whether a specific solution will work, just write it down. You’ll go back later and refine them.

One fun thing to experiment with is using a timer. Set your kitchen timer for 5 minutes and aim to get as many thoughts and ideas down on paper as possible. This race against the clock can help you stop criticizing and instead focus on quantity, which isn’t something we do naturally.

Don't spend a lot of time on this process. The idea with brainstorming is that you want to do it fairly quickly and generate as many different ideas (solutions) as you can within that short span of time.  Once you've done the brainstorming picture (mind map - whatever you choose to call it), then you can narrow down all those different solutions you listed until you get down to the top two or three that you think will work best.
 
As you begin to practice brainstorming, you'll find that it gets easier and easier for your creative side to come out and that's the goal. So, set aside some time (it doesn't have to be a large chunk of time, even 10-15 minutes) each day to brainstorm and it will help you develop more of your creativity.

Your Personal Creativity Playlist: Kickstart Those Creative Juices With Music

Are you feeling overwhelmed or burnt out? Then it's time to get your creative juices flowing. But how do you do that if you're not feeling the least bit creative? There are so many different things you can do - take a walk, read a book, watch a movie, talk to a friend, just to name a few - but we're going to focus on something that Albert Einstein used to do, and that's listen to music.
 
Now Albert Einstein didn't just listen to any music, he listened to Mozart. And there's a reason behind that. The reason Mozart was a good choice and helped get Einstein's creativity flowing is because research has proven that certain music compilations and songs allow the brain to be more creative. 

So does that mean you have to follow in Einstein's footsteps and listen to Mozart to get your creative juices flowing? Not at all. Talk to a group of people and more than likely if you ask them what music makes them feel creative and helps them think better, no two of them will give the same answer. Music has different effects on different people, so don’t think you have to cultivate a love for classical music to benefit.

Different types of music can also have different affects on your mood. Think about it - when you want to relax do you listen to the music you like to work out to? Probably not. Your workout music is more than likely upbeat and fast paced not something slow and soothing that you can relax to. And vice versa - you wouldn't want to try and workout to your playlist of relaxation music.  And it's no different when it comes to turning on those creative juices. You'll have to find the music that inspires and motivates you.

Here's a tip to keep in mind: when it comes to music and creativity, once you find some music that helps get you in that creative space, stick with it and listen to it over and over whenever you need to be in a creative frame of mind. Soon you're brain will recognize that when listening to this specific music, it's time to turn on the creativity.

As you can see music is one way you can start to train yourself to be more creative. So start experimenting with some different music to find what brings out a feeling of creativity and innovative thinking within you. And remember, once you find the music that inspires and sparks creativity, keep listening to it whenever you want those creative juices to start flowing.