Recently, a client told me, “I know creativity is important, but I feel I don’t have time for it, I am so darn busy every day.” Truth be told, I hear this type of story often, and it always brings me back to a belief that is at the root of all I teach: Creativity is everywhere, it’s just waiting to be found by you.
Seeking creativity connects you to the moment, brings more meaning to your life, helps you solve problems, and deal with stress. It’s actually simple to find creativity—the complex part is you have to be willing to open yourself to creativity’s presence.
Here are 10 ways you can find creativity in your normal routine:
1. Surround yourself with beauty.
Make sure that the spaces you look at every day, like your kitchen, office, and bedroom, have an essence of beauty and cleanliness. Have a beloved photo or inspiring quote next to your desk. Set up a small arrangement of plants, stones, or images that you cherish and can glance at while cooking dinner. Gorgeous items around you are pleasing to look at, and can also make you pause and appreciate the creative beauty in your life.
2. Stay curious and in wonder.
Often, the mundane tasks of everyday life can leave you feeling creatively dull. Try to look at what you experience each day as having an essence of wonder. For instance, when you step onto a subway platform, think of the marvelous inventions that allow for such a type of travel. Or, when you have a conversation with a stranger, think of all the circumstances that had to be in place for that one moment to occur in your lives. Stay curious about what is around you, and you’ll see how creative energy pulses in everything.
3. Embrace the mess.
Mess and chaos are often signs that creativity is emerging. Embrace moments where you are making a mess, whether it’s in doing laundry or in cooking preparation. And embrace the moments when your life feels like a mess—this is when you are repatterning yourself. By sifting through the mess, and sorting through the myriad of ingredients in your life, you’ll find the perfect recipe for your new creations.
4. Pause to connect to your breath.
In our fast-paced lives, it’s pretty easy to forget to take a moment to breathe. One of the simplest tools for our peace of mind and creative inspiration is our breath. Carve out moments to feel expansive and connect to your breath throughout your day.
5. Shut off your phone for 30 minutes.
Take time away from social media, email, and constant communication. In one way, the vast Web of connection is very creative. In contrast, all of the information can easily become overwhelming. When you set aside time to turn off your phone, you connect to yourself—and your inner web of information. Amplify this by taking a walk in nature and thinking—or journaling—to check in with how you are feeling. During this time, keep asking yourself: What do I want to create?
6. Ritualize your actions.
A ritual is a habitual behavior that sets the tone of what you are about to do. Create a short ritual to carry out before you start a new activity. This could be as simple as lighting a candle or saying a short prayer to invite creativity. Through the awareness you create with your rituals, you will be empowered to find where creativity lives within your tasks.
7. Notice color.
Most of us have the incredible ability to see color. Take note of the many shades of color in any given moment you desire to find creativity. Write down what colors cause a reaction in you. For instance, red can provoke a sense of love and connection, and in others it can cause a sense of anger or warning. Notice the color in your everyday life, and decide deliberately what shades you want to have surrounding you.
8. Explore a new way.
Change the way you do something each day and be inspired by the freshness. Find a new route to drive to work. Do your morning preparations for the day in a different order. Creativity and new ideas sneak in when we open up previously well-grooved paths.
9. Watch your words.
Your ability to speak is one of your main creative expressions. A shadow side of creative communication is when you misuse your words by gossiping, telling white lies, or speaking negatively about your life. Think of your words and what you say or write as the most powerful creative expressions you have during your day.
10. Trust.
To trust the pulse of your life, and the unfolding of your unique path, is the ultimate creative act. In doing so, we allow ourselves to be present to explore what is right before our great eyes. Trust that it is all creatively unfolding how it needs to for you, now and forever.
Creativity seeks you at the same rate you seek its presence. Try one or all of these suggestions to find creativity in your everyday life for you to explore and embrace.
Photo via iStock
—
Rose Candela is a passionate artist who writes and teaches women the power of creativity. Through her mentorship programs, she invites her clients to become in rhythm with their intuition and unique creative abilities. Join her weekly musings online at rosecandela.com.