For creative people like us, a sure way to greater happiness is to allow ourselves to become as creative as we can be.
But that's often easier said than done.
Here are 7 practical and usable ways to increase your creativity and make yourself happy, starting today: 1.
Create what you enjoy creating.
Too many of us get caught up in creating only the projects we think we SHOULD be creating, those ones that have most credibility or that we think our peers/partner/parents/teachers expect us to create.
This only leads to resentment and a compromise in what you're really capable of.
Be true to your own creativity, create what you enjoy creating and see your happiness rise.
2.
Start and finish creative projects.
What proportion of the creative projects you start do you actually see through to completion? Firstly, its okay not to finish every single project! Secondly, it's likely you're expecting too much from each one and overwhelming yourself.
Choose one small project that you can create in less than an hour, and enjoy it from initial idea to completion.
Once you learn again how to enjoy each stage, you can build up from there.
3.
Create a little each day.
Creativity is all about flow.
Getting a daily creativity habit is the key to hopping aboard your own creative flow and becoming unstoppable.
Set aside just 15 minutes each to create.
15 minutes is just over 1% of the 1440 minutes available each day.
You'll find that a daily creativity habit leads to a boost in your creativity, as well as your overall energy, motivation and happiness.
4.
Support others in creating.
When we're feeling uncreative, we tend to try to withdraw from others, seeking to save every ounce of energy to keep ourselves afloat.
The irony is, when you reach out and support and encourage others in being more creative it naturally increases your own creativity and well being.
Think of it as creative karma.
What 3 things could you do support someone else's creativity today? 5.
Get back in touch with your senses.
All creativity begins from experiencing something through one or more of our senses, then relaying this through art to connect with others.
Think of the art you enjoy most.
It's the art that most excites or soothes your senses and leaves a lasting impression.
Visit somewhere stimulating and focus on each of your senses in turn.
Write down what you experience, and repeat in different places.
Reconnect with the sensory world around you, feel more alive, more creative and more happy.
6.
Experiment in new media.
Trying to create in the same medium, in the same style and the same topics will stifle anyone's creativity.
All artists need to evolve and grow.
Branch out and experiment in different areas.
What medium have you always wanted to try? Start a small project in it today, with the sole aim of exploring new materials, styles and techniques.
It's a worthwhile investment in your creativity, and ultimately your happiness.
7.
Capture your creative ideas.
Without an idea, there's nothing to create from, no raw clay to mould.
No ideas = no creativity = one unhappy artist.
Carry a small notebook around with you and jot down ideas as soon as they come to you.
This extension to your memory (which always seems to forget the best creative ideas!) will mean you encourage more and more creative ideas to arrive.
More ideas = greater creativity = a happy artist! Pick one of these 7 tips and give your creativity a boost today.
Remember how fundamental a part of your life creating is.
Becoming more creative will always be one of the best ways to make yourself happy...
But that's often easier said than done.
Here are 7 practical and usable ways to increase your creativity and make yourself happy, starting today: 1.
Create what you enjoy creating.
Too many of us get caught up in creating only the projects we think we SHOULD be creating, those ones that have most credibility or that we think our peers/partner/parents/teachers expect us to create.
This only leads to resentment and a compromise in what you're really capable of.
Be true to your own creativity, create what you enjoy creating and see your happiness rise.
2.
Start and finish creative projects.
What proportion of the creative projects you start do you actually see through to completion? Firstly, its okay not to finish every single project! Secondly, it's likely you're expecting too much from each one and overwhelming yourself.
Choose one small project that you can create in less than an hour, and enjoy it from initial idea to completion.
Once you learn again how to enjoy each stage, you can build up from there.
3.
Create a little each day.
Creativity is all about flow.
Getting a daily creativity habit is the key to hopping aboard your own creative flow and becoming unstoppable.
Set aside just 15 minutes each to create.
15 minutes is just over 1% of the 1440 minutes available each day.
You'll find that a daily creativity habit leads to a boost in your creativity, as well as your overall energy, motivation and happiness.
4.
Support others in creating.
When we're feeling uncreative, we tend to try to withdraw from others, seeking to save every ounce of energy to keep ourselves afloat.
The irony is, when you reach out and support and encourage others in being more creative it naturally increases your own creativity and well being.
Think of it as creative karma.
What 3 things could you do support someone else's creativity today? 5.
Get back in touch with your senses.
All creativity begins from experiencing something through one or more of our senses, then relaying this through art to connect with others.
Think of the art you enjoy most.
It's the art that most excites or soothes your senses and leaves a lasting impression.
Visit somewhere stimulating and focus on each of your senses in turn.
Write down what you experience, and repeat in different places.
Reconnect with the sensory world around you, feel more alive, more creative and more happy.
6.
Experiment in new media.
Trying to create in the same medium, in the same style and the same topics will stifle anyone's creativity.
All artists need to evolve and grow.
Branch out and experiment in different areas.
What medium have you always wanted to try? Start a small project in it today, with the sole aim of exploring new materials, styles and techniques.
It's a worthwhile investment in your creativity, and ultimately your happiness.
7.
Capture your creative ideas.
Without an idea, there's nothing to create from, no raw clay to mould.
No ideas = no creativity = one unhappy artist.
Carry a small notebook around with you and jot down ideas as soon as they come to you.
This extension to your memory (which always seems to forget the best creative ideas!) will mean you encourage more and more creative ideas to arrive.
More ideas = greater creativity = a happy artist! Pick one of these 7 tips and give your creativity a boost today.
Remember how fundamental a part of your life creating is.
Becoming more creative will always be one of the best ways to make yourself happy...