9 Ways to Channel your Inner Creativity

Maya Angelou was once quoted in “Conversations with Maya Angelou” in 1989 by Jeffrey M. Elliot saying, “You can’t use up Creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Creativity is endless, but we can have difficulties at times channeling our inner creativity. You cannot wash dishes if the faucet doesn’t turn on, right? This is the same for creativity. You can’t create something if you cannot channel the creativity to think of an idea, set a goal and make your plan of execution. Here are some tips that may hopefully help you open your creative channels and get back to work.

If you have never created a journal of goals or ideas then this is something that may be worth a try to tap into your inner creativity. Begin with thinking of a list of goal. If you can’t think of how to create a list like this, then this of a bucket list. What are creative hobbies you would like to try. What are some creative things you already do (painting, drawing, writing, etc.)?

Photographers look at the world through a different perspective, a different eye. If you own a camera, whether it’s a DSLR or other style of camera, just look at the world through your lens. How does it look to you compared to how you normally look at your surroundings? Is there a different color tone than your normal sight visualizes comparing to what you see through the lens? You can zoom further than your vision with a camera – What do you see in the distance?

Nature is the most soul opening scenery you can find. Nature has no limits. Its creativity comes naturally. Go for a nature walk or go take a tour at a park that you haven’t visited before. Pay attention to details on how nature works. How do the trees create intricate branching and survive after it is struck by lightning? How do the insects stay alive under the soil? If you have a guide, ask them questions that you can’t think the answers of.

Find what music motivates you. When you are listening to your favorite song, one that has an emotional meaning to you, how does it make you feel inside? Can you create a story in your mind that would depict this song? Close your eyes and focus solely on the music and what creative story it opens in your mind.

At time when you fully immerse yourself into a new hobby, it will ignite your inner creativity. Sometimes, we cannot visualize what it is we want to create until we are putting pen to paper or brush to canvas. If you choose painting, look at your blank canvas and at your choice of colors. What color would depict what you feel at the moment? If you choose to draw, begin to draw a shape. Think of what can be created from that shape. When trying new hobbies, think about them realistically. Meaning when you try a hobby, notice how the hobby makes you feel. Is the hobby something that you are good at or becoming better every time you do it? Is it something that you would want to spend the time to learn more about? Does it challenge you to channel your inner creativity?

Talk with someone in your family or your friends that knows you and your interests. Reminisce on past events and memories, what could you pull from a previous experience? Ask them how they channel their inner creativity or find inspiration.

Join a social group that has other people with similar interests. Surround yourself with people who will motivate and inspire you to channel your inner creativity. Collaborate with another person on a project that both of you are passionate about.

If your inner creativity is driving you to write, but you have noticed you have a bad case of writer’s block. Take a blank piece of paper or your laptop, think of ONE WORD to write. This one word means something to you – write or type it. Do not think of a list of words, choose the first word that comes to your mind. Now, once your word is on your paper or screen, start to think of how you could turn this word into a story. This word is your topic. It is the sole structure of your story, what can you branch off from your topic?

If you find more and more that you feel like your inner creativity is being blocked, it may be your surroundings. Whether your surroundings are noisy, distracting or you just don’t feel there is any inspiration to inspire you to find your inner creativity then it may be time to change your scenery. Go to a nearby library, sit outside in nature, go sit at an outside cafe in the city, or go to an art museum. Find somewhere that won’t be too distracting, but will inspire your inner creativity.

Try these ideas the next time you’re working on a project, and you suffer a “creativity block.”