A quicklist of ways to put a spark back into your creative life:
1.) Cultivate a sense of wonder.
We live in an amazing world but too often the daily grind or the compulsion to overanalyze pull us away from noticing the abundance and wonder around us. Take a minute and consider the perfection of nature and our own ingenuity. Notice how perfectly dew sits on a blade of grass, or if you like your inspiration grand, admire a structure like Rouen Cathedral.
2.) Say "yes" to something you usually say "no" to.
We know our like and dislikes, but sometimes we say "no" to something out of habit or assumptions. I'm not talking about extreme sports but small things like opening ourselves up to new foods, music, and sensations and becoming engaged with them.
An example from my experience: I usually don't wear fragrances and perfume because heavy scents often trigger headaches. But once, in a funky boutique, I found a bottle of a sandalwood-based scent that was so unique and different that I had to try it. This scent became an olfactory muse for me because one sniff conjured up images of stories from the Thousand and One Nights and the Mahabharata, images from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and journeys down the Silk Road. A real storytelling genie in a bottle!
3.) Learn a new language.
Of course I say this as a writer, but learning a new language, even in the adult years, has a way of creating new synapses and breaking thoughts out of old ruts. Our brains are more malleable and flexible then we realize and while we may not learn a language fluently, the process of learning builds the brain's "muscles" and expands our understanding of how people communicate.
And all three of these tips have one thing in common: the put our minds into a state of focus and relaxed concentration, states essential to sustained creative output.
1.) Cultivate a sense of wonder.
We live in an amazing world but too often the daily grind or the compulsion to overanalyze pull us away from noticing the abundance and wonder around us. Take a minute and consider the perfection of nature and our own ingenuity. Notice how perfectly dew sits on a blade of grass, or if you like your inspiration grand, admire a structure like Rouen Cathedral.
2.) Say "yes" to something you usually say "no" to.
We know our like and dislikes, but sometimes we say "no" to something out of habit or assumptions. I'm not talking about extreme sports but small things like opening ourselves up to new foods, music, and sensations and becoming engaged with them.
An example from my experience: I usually don't wear fragrances and perfume because heavy scents often trigger headaches. But once, in a funky boutique, I found a bottle of a sandalwood-based scent that was so unique and different that I had to try it. This scent became an olfactory muse for me because one sniff conjured up images of stories from the Thousand and One Nights and the Mahabharata, images from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and journeys down the Silk Road. A real storytelling genie in a bottle!
3.) Learn a new language.
Of course I say this as a writer, but learning a new language, even in the adult years, has a way of creating new synapses and breaking thoughts out of old ruts. Our brains are more malleable and flexible then we realize and while we may not learn a language fluently, the process of learning builds the brain's "muscles" and expands our understanding of how people communicate.
And all three of these tips have one thing in common: the put our minds into a state of focus and relaxed concentration, states essential to sustained creative output.
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