What If You Were Spontaneous & Willing to Try New Adventures?

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a rut. I have. I was working for a "local" company.  I say "local" because they might have been based a few miles away, the location where I was employed was an hour drive away. While I love my family, I felt like I spent most of my days in my car. I got up early to get my husband off to his job...and then the hour commute into where I worked.

After a 12 - 14 hour day, it was back in the car for the hour drive home. Then it was dinner and dishes. By the time I was finished for the night it was almost time for bed. I was  exhausted and frustrated that there was no time for me.

When the weekend finally arrived, my husband or the grandkids would want to do something fun. But I was so tired or behind on household chores, I frequently said no. And forget about trying to expand my business. I barely had time to keep what I had already built running.

Now, I wanted to be more spontaneous but I was not sure how to make it happen. I just knew something had to change.

Create Margin in Your Life

One day after listening to me complain, my sister suggested I start by cutting back. I couldn't be more spontaneous because I scheduled every minute of the day with tasks from the time I got up until I went to bed. There was always so much to do. Meals to cook. House to clean. Laundry. Yard work. The list was never-ending. But my sister made me realize that trying to be the perfect wife, perfect housekeeper, perfect everything while still working basically 14 - 16 hours a day, including the round-trip commute, was impossible. So what if we ate out more often or all of our meals weren't prepared from scratch. The house didn't have to be company-ready all the time. Laundry could be done one day on the weekend.  

While having plenty on your to-do list may make you feel productive, it can also keep you from creating the life you want. But building margin in your life doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as simple as blocking off two hours in your day planner each week. Make no plans for those two hours and see what happens.

Embrace a Positive Attitude

If you’re going to add more spontaneity to your life, you need to keep a positive attitude. When you’re upbeat and positive you’re more likely to try (and enjoy) new things. That means you might find new ways to fulfill obligations, spend quality time with family.... (gasp) try something innovative with your business!

When I’m nervous or worried about serving a new meal for dinner (my husband is not adventurous when it comes to his food), trying something new with my business, or doing something new with the family, I often remind myself that all of my "obligations" will still be there tomorrow, or that hubby just might find another favorite food, or that even if my new business tactic doesn't work, I will have at least learned something.  

Do It with a Friend

Sometimes we fill our to-do list deliberately. We may be hesitant to step outside of our comfort zone and embrace new experiences. A full schedule provides the perfect excuse to say no. But you don’t have to tackle something new all by yourself. You can always bring a friend along to enjoy the journey with you. Maybe that means booking an extra plane ticket if you’ll be exploring a new city or meeting up to try a new Pilates class together.

When you and a friend do activities together, it strengthens your bond. It helps you grow closer and gives you fun memories that you can both cherish for years to come.

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

Give yourself permission to laugh! When you approach an adventure with a serious mindset, you drain all the joy from it. So what if your first painting doesn’t look like a masterpiece? Who cares if your body wiggles like gelatin while you try belly-dancing? Does it really matter that your first YouTube video wasn't polished and perfect if it got your message across?

The important thing is that you have fun. You can explore new hobbies, challenge your boundaries, and discover more about what makes you happy and productive.

I listened to my sister and gradually lightened my schedule. I found my family was actually okay with my new choices and happier because I wasn't always exhausted and irritable. And I discovered that being spontaneous is easier when you create space for it.

Tap Into Your Imagination to Release Your Creative Spirit

Many people think that they don't have a creative bone in their body but that just isn't true. Remember when you were a kid and you could creatively make up games, build secret forts and more? Or how about that imaginary friend you talked to? Those things all prove that you once were creative and can be again. Learning to use your imagination again is a great way to work on developing your creativity.

Like a muscle, your imagination can become weak from disuse. By making time to exercise your imagination with a few fun mind games, you’ll soon find it’s strong enough to bring out your inner creative self. Here’s how.

Grab the nearest book or magazine you have close by - open it up to a random page and then choose one sentence. Now, let your imagination run wild and create a story based around that sentence. This is not only a great way to tap into your imagination, but it's also a quick way to get your creative juices flowing. If you ever find you're hitting that dreaded writers block, this is a quick trick to use to help get past it.

Pick a superpower - yes, you read that correctly. It may sound a bit silly but don't skip over it. It's fun, lets you bring your inner child out and it's a great way to practice your imagination skills and in turn, bring the creativity out.

After you choose your superpower, don't stop there. Now it's time to let the creativity show. Ask yourself these questions:

• How would I use this power?
• When would I use this power?
• How would my life change with this power?
• What trouble would I get in?
• What problems would be solved?

I bet you'll be surprised at where your imagination takes you. Grab a pen and piece of paper and write as you do this exercise. Who knows what it could turn into - a blog post, an eBook, a YouTube video…the possibilities are endless.

Venture outside and take a walk - this one is simple and easy but incredibly powerful. As you walk, not only are you getting some fresh air and exercise, but you're also allowing your mind to run free. Use your senses to get your imagination going. Example: smell - are you near pine trees? Breathe deep and smell the pine then start imagining being in an enchanted forest or medieval kingdom. The key here is to use as many of your five senses as you can and let your imagination go from there.

This is just a small list of ways you can tap into your imagination to help develop your creativity. By no means is this an exhaustive list of ideas, it's just meant as a starting point for you. Once you’ve practiced these ideas, you’ll find more will come to you. The key is to not censor your thoughts, but to just allow your imagination to run wild, just like when you were a kid.

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.

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.

The Power of the Hive: How a Mastermind Group Can Get the Creativity Flowing

It doesn’t matter if you’re a business owner, a mom, or the CEO of a major corporation.  Sometimes you just can't find the motivation to think outside the box or be the least bit creative. It's times like this that you need to seek some inspiration from others, and one way to do that is by being a part of a mastermind group. 

While we all know the benefits of being a part of a mastermind, especially if you’re a business owner, what you may not realize is how those benefits translate into improved creativity in all aspects of your life.

Benefit #1 - Creative Ideas from Others

Sometimes you just get in a rut and don't feel creative at all. That's when you go to your mastermind group and draw on their creativity. Let them know what you're working on and ask for their ideas and thoughts about it. Soon you'll probably have more ideas than you know what to do with and sometimes just one comment from someone else is all it takes to turn your creative thinking back on.

Benefit #2 - You're Pushed to Think Bigger

When you're a part of mastermind group, people will challenge you to think bigger than you've probably ever thought before. They're going to encourage you step out of your comfort zone and stretch yourself to reach for bigger and better things. And if you're going to be thinking big, it's going to require you to use your creativity and think outside the box.

Benefit #3 - Partnering with Others

One of the biggest benefits to being part of a mastermind group is that you'll get to know those in the group with you, and you’ll start building relationships with them. As time goes on, you may find someone you want to partner with on a project or someone else might approach you about partnering with them. It's a win/win situation as long as the both of you do your fair share of the work. Even better, you’ll experience how the other person thinks and works, which will in turn encourage you to think differently – otherwise known as “be creative.”

Benefit #4 - Brainstorming

When you work for yourself, there isn't anything much worse than getting stuck and not knowing how to move forward. But if you're part of a mastermind group, you’ll be able to go to the group and brainstorm ideas with them. Let them tap into their creative thinking skills and knowledge to help you get unstuck and moving forward again.

These four benefits are definitely not an exhaustive list of reasons to join a mastermind group, but they do show you how being a part of a mastermind can kick start your own creativity. Simply by discussing ideas with others in your peer group, you’ll discover new and different ways of approaching and solving problems, and that is the biggest benefit of all.

You Can’t Force Creativity: Know When to Work and When to Stop

When it comes to creativity, while there are courses and books out there about it, you don't have to pay top dollar to take a course or buy self-help books. Sure those aren't bad things but creativity is such an individual experience, it's something you can develop and practice on your own. And just like the other muscles in your body, your brain is a muscle that needs to be worked too. There are many different things you can do to get your creative juices flowing, but here’s the most important tip: know when to stop working. 

For example, imagine you’re working on a project that requires a bit of creativity. Maybe you’re writing an ebook or a series of blog posts, or maybe you’re designing a new website. With the deadline looming you may think that you have to work 24/7 (figuratively speaking of course), keeping your head down and just powering through it to get it all done.

That’s how many of us tackle projects, but it may actually be the worst thing for you when it comes to creative work. Let's face it, if you're not feeling creative you're going to end up staring at a blank page, which will only stress you out even more. Forcing creativity rarely works.

Instead, learn to recognize the signals that it might be time to stop work for the day. As mentioned above, if you're not feeling creative it’s not something you can just force to happen. You have to learn to listen to your intuition and if you're feeling stuck, take a break and walk away for a bit. In fact, you may even find it’s during that break that your creativity starts flowing and you come up with a great new idea for that project. It also works the other way, too. If your intuition is telling you that you're about to have a breakthrough and come up with the creativity you need to finish the project, then keep on working.

What if you don’t have a project with a deadline, though? Maybe you just want to develop your creative side. The same rules apply. You cannot force yourself to get the creative juices flowing. If you've been starting a blank document on your computer monitor for 30 minutes, chances are you need to get up and walk away. Or maybe you can take a few minutes to just start writing and see what happens. Sometimes that can do the trick and trigger your creativity. You know yourself best so learn to listen to your intuition and work with yourself instead of against yourself.

While you can practice and develop your creativity, and you can train yourself to be creative on demand, part of that training is learning when to step away. By listening to that inner voice and recognizing the signs that you may be stuck, you’ll find it much easier to produce creative works.

Boost Your Creativity for Better Business

Creativity is all around us and each of us has the ability to be creative - it's just a part of who we are. Sometimes it comes easy and sometimes it doesn't. If the latter is the case for you and creativity seems challenging, it doesn't have to be. All you need to do is train yourself to be creative and you'd be surprised that it can be as simple as practicing your powers of observation and becoming better aware of your surroundings.
Here are some tips you can try that will help you improve your observation skills that will in turn help improve your creative skills.

Pay attention to details - this one requires you to slow down and be mindful about what you're doing and where you are. For example, when you get dressed, pay attention to what you do first, second and so on. When you leave your house, look at and notice the color of the door. Little things like this will help you learn to be present in the moment, no matter what you're doing and this can carry over into creativity. When you're mindful of what you're doing, you see things in a different light and your creativity begins to come alive.

Do something different - sometimes all it takes to not only hone your observation skills, but to also get the creative juices flowing, is to simply take the time to do something different. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate like running off and taking an exotic vacation, though. It can be something as simple as visiting a new place locally you've never seen before. When you do something new, you're more aware of what's going on around you because you're paying closer attention while observing what it is you see, smell, hear, feel and taste. 

Go to a park, coffee shop or some other public place with a pen and notepad - this one is fun because people watching can be very interesting. Set aside some time to head to a nearby park (or anywhere public) and observe those around you. Pay attention to how they walk, what they're wearing, and how they interact with others.

As you observe them, begin to write down different details. Pay attention to your senses and write about things you see, hear and smell. Don't spend too much time thinking, just write whatever pops into your head. Again, not only does this help you improve your observation skills, it helps you learn to focus and be mindful of what's going on around you. And as you do this exercise and begin writing, you'll start using those creative thinking brain muscles that need to be exercised.

Being mindful and observant is a skill we can all improve upon. Too often we go through life missing many of the details, but if you make it a point to notice what’s happening around you, you’ll soon find many creative ways to use what you learn in your writing, artwork, or other creative endeavors.