4 ways to grow your creativity

1 mins to read

Revitalise your creative brain and your overall wellbeing with these science-backed strategies.

1. Face your fears

Think you’re not creative? Think again, says the creative force behind the world’s first computer mouse, David Kelley from IDEO. Kelley believes that breaking the world into ‘creative’ and ‘non-creatives’ is entirely unhelpful and that those who consider themselves lacking creativity let fear stand in the way of their potential.

Gain the confidence to follow creative pursuits by facing your fears, whatever they may be, he suggests in a TED talk on the topic.

Kelley cites research that looked into what happened when people with snake phobias took steps to erase their fears via a psychological counselling technique.

Once fear was overcome, the participants gained a new confidence that permeated their overall mindset. “They tried harder, they persevered longer, and they were more resilient in the face of failure.”

Kelley refers to this outcome as ‘confidence self-efficacy’ – the sense that you can change the world and attain what you set out to do.

2. Make time to be creative at the same time every day or week

In a similar fashion to a fitness or weight loss goal, to be successful, growing your creativity requires a specific commitment of time and energy.

In a Fast Company article about the ‘things he wished he knew about creativity when he was 20’, writer Kevan Lee says that waiting around for inspiration to strike can be futile, and that turning up at the same time each week or day forces you to get work on the page, canvas or kitchen bench – depending on your breed of creativity. Create a habit out of being creative.

One tip for busy parents in particular is to assign a window of three hours every weekend, or on a regular weeknight. In this, your partner or someone you trust cares for your child while you spend time brewing artfulness – preferably out of the house.

3. Breathe deeply

The benefits of meditation for the mind are well known, but simple deep breathing can also fuel creativity.

The State University of New York’s Center for Studies in Creativity runs a blog for graduate students. It reports on research into the impact of deep breathing on the brain.

Writes contributor Jennifer Quarrie: “Deep breathing increases oxygen levels in the blood stream, helping to raise energy, cell survival and brain function, all of which support creativity.”

She adds that the way we exhale is critical to acquiring the oxygen our brains need and that an exhale should generally last longer than an inhale.

Take 15 minutes everyday to listen to your breathing. Taking the time to find calm and quiet could brew big ideas.

4. Play music, softly

Research published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that when played at low volumes, background music can boost creativity.

Noise played at high volumes, however, has the opposite effect. This, the authors write, “reduces the extent of information processing and thus impairs creativity.”

Reporting on the impact of music on the brain, a further study from the journal PeerJ cites previous research in this area. It found that listening to music may enhance the production of dopamine – the ‘reward’ hormone – in the brain, thus potentially promoting a positive frame of mind.

Stream your favourite tunes, on a low volume, in the room as you experiment creatively. If using a smart phone or tablet, use this ‘aeroplane mode’ to block incoming message – ensuring that creativity is your only, and most important, caller.