5 Ways to Cultivate Creativity in Your Life (and Why You Should)

 “I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking” – Albert Einstein

Words are awesome. The ability to articulate our inner life is the crux of therapy, really. But words are also limiting. Try describing Beethoven’s Fifth to someone without humming “dum dum dum DUM.” You can’t. Try reading a review of an art piece without looking at a picture of the piece being critiqued. Dry, right?

Research is showing more and more that success and happiness in life is a product of things besides the ability to be articulate. You need to be creative, think outside the box, have multiple intelligences.

I think everyone needs some creative outlet in their lives, and this is even more important when you’re going through a transition of some sort.

You’ve probably heard of Art Therapy? We in the biz call it “Expressive Arts Therapy” (because we don’t use 2 words when we can use 3).

It’s amazing, really. Ask anyone who’s used it in their growth process. It’s much less about the finished product than about the process of creating, of letting that left brain take a break and tapping into the depth of the right brain.

But for those of us who can’t draw, it can be really intimidating. It’s hard to let go of our desire to create something that looks good. It’s hard to shut down the inner critic who tells you that it’s all coming out wrong. Here are some ways to cultivate creativity in your life and get around that stuffy art critic inside each of us:

1. Focus on the process, not the product.

Maybe when I’m retired I’ll take some drawing classes. For now, I doodle. I love doodling. Doodling while I’m listening to a lecture helps me focus, and doodling can help me think out a tough problem. There’s a whole art movement dedicated to doodling: Zentangles. These are structured doodles that also have the added benefit of looking really cool when you’re done. It’s rather meditative, once you get going.

For the ultimate in focusing on the process instead of the product, think about the sand mandalas the Tibetan Buddhist monks make and then let blow away.

2. Find your medium.

Do you need to use your hands? How about clay? Don’t like to get dirty? Maybe photography is your thing. Gardening is creative – you’re definitely in the process of creating something. Cooking is creative, especially when you just use recipes as a guideline and then add your own inspired spices. Ever seen the cool designs baristas make on lattes? Maybe you’re called back to the days of paper and glue and want to get some pretty scrapbook paper and make collages for no one but yourself. Sewing?  Embroidery? Short stories? Digital art? Scrapbooking? There are kits out there now that are made for documenting and processing your daily life like an art journal. Check out “Smash Books.”

My husband’s creative outlet is our house – fortunately for us, he loves working on home improvement projects and uses that as his creative outlet. Finding just the right color of wood stain for the doorways is a creative puzzle for him to solve, while the choices and process just overwhelm me. It’s a blessing for us that I think he has pretty good taste and always like how it ends up looking.

3. Pay attention to your dreams.

Our dreams give us the images that are important to us. We may not know why – I still don’t really understand why I dreamed about lost dogs all through my 30’s. Keep a notebook by your bed and jot down the images before you get up – once you get up out of bed, they tend to fade and are harder to remember. Let the images knock around in your brain for a while and then find a way to incorporate them into your projects. You’ll be helping your unconscious process whatever it needs to process.

4. Morning Pages.

The bible of creative process, Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” suggests morning pages as a way to relieve blocks that inhibit creativity. I think it’s a way to relieve any kid of blocks and always recommend it to clients who feel sluggish in their process or stuck. The idea is that you write out three pages first thing in the morning. The content is not dictated, which is the point. You write out whatever’s on your mind without censoring it. Since it’s done in the morning, it’s a great way to keep track of dreams. It’s a literal “brain dump,” which frees your brain for other things during the day.

Practically, it’s hard to do it all longhand, but I think if you can, that’s the way to go. Get a plain spiral bound notebook, and go for it. If you have to do it on the computer, go ahead, it’s better than not doing it at all. Try committing to it for a month and see what happens.

5. What images are repeatedly catching your eye?  

In the past year, I’ve been a bit obsessed with bright colors. I’ve always loved rainbows, but my wardrobe has been mostly browns and blacks the past few years. (OK, if I’m being honest, the past couple decades).  Anyway, lately I’ve found myself drawn more and more to rainbows and bright colors and created a Pinterest board to collect these images. That’s where I got the term “Full-Color Life.” I’m still exploring what it means. But it took a while for me to realize and embrace that I’m just not into pastels right now.

In my 20’s, I was really drawn to suns. I had a picture of a mosaic sun in my kitchen, wore sun earrings, etc. Looking back, I think I was drawn to the sun because I was working towards wholeness in my psyche, and the circle is the major symbol of wholeness.

Don’t interpret it too much – just be aware of what images are arising from your unconsciousness. Let them be there, collect them, sit with them. You may find that the lions that are catching your attention are asking you to gather your personal power. You may find that the snakes are asking you to stop and enjoy the sunshine, and take care of your own needs. Sometimes looking up these symbols in a symbol dictionary can be interesting, and sometimes their definition doesn’t resonate at all with you. Your personal meaning is what’s most important. 

Whatever you are drawn to, letting yourself take the time to nurture the creative spirit inside you is one of the best gifts you can give yourself, and the rewards can be huge.

Photo credit: Alexander Mussard