3 Ways to Increase Your Creativity

You are creative, really! It’s true. No matter how hard you try to fight it or deny it, you do have at least one creative bone in your body. How do I know? Because I happen to believe everyone is creative.

Before you dig deep into your reasons why you aren’t creative, hear me out.

Creativity is simply about making something new and useful. It’s also about solving everyday problems. Do you have problems? Have you ever solved a problem? Then I contend you are creative. Because it takes creativity to solve problems.

What happens is that our creativity gets buried under all those reasons why we aren’t creative. Reasons like:

• Negative (Stinkin’) Thinking. Our thoughts can really play a number on us. Thoughts like what you SHOULD or SHOULDN’T do, or that there’s only ONE WAY to do things, or that you’re not good enough. The truth is our thoughts can betray us and get us to believe we aren’t creative.
• Negative Feelings. The biggest emotion that can get in the way of our creativity is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of making a mistake. Fear affects our ability to take risks and try new things.
• Lack of Support or Encouragement. Some of us have come across people who don’t really support us, or may even discourage us from following what we want to do in life. If we listen to them, we might believe we’re not creative, or not worthy of following our dreams or passions (which is where creativity lives).

So what can we do to get back in touch with our creativity? Here’s some suggestions:

1. Make just ONE small change in what you do. It could be as small as setting your alarm for 15 minutes earlier in the day to allow yourself some extra me-time.
2. Ask yourself “What if” and start to really listen to the answer. What if you did that one thing you’ve been afraid to do? What if you looked for a new job? What if you made that change, or took that class, or told that person something you’ve longed to say? Live in the possibility, not in the fear.
3. Simply try something new. Check off something from your list that you WANT to do but have kept putting off.

The more you exercise your creative muscles by doing things like the suggestions above, the more creative you’ll feel (and be).

For more ideas on how to get your creative juices flowing, please join me for my next monthly FREE Telseminar, “Thinking Outside the Box: Using Creativity to Be a Better You.” Simply go to the REGISTRATION page at https://krylyn.com/free-teleseminars/thinking-outside-the-box, and enter your name and email to get signed up. Even if you can’t attend the live call, you will get access to the recording of the call, but only if you register.
Photo: Light Bulb © by olga.belobaba

Your Elusive Creative Genius

 “Maybe [artistry] doesn’t have to be quite so full of anguish if you never happened to believe, in the first place, that the most extraordinary aspects of your being came from you. But maybe if you just believed that they were on loan to you from some unimaginable source for some exquisite portion of your life to be passed along when you’re finished … it starts to change everything.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Author Elizabeth Gilbert (“Eat, Pray, Love”) shares about the creative process in this TED talk. Gilbert discusses her own creative process and the stigma many creatives get for being mentally unstable. She challenges that notion and offers up some ideas on how to be creative without being attached to the process (or the outcome). Watch – and Enjoy!

The Creativity-Wellness Connection

When I was a new counselor many years ago, my supervisor said something to me that really stuck with me. She said having good mental health means having options. The truth is we all have options, but sometimes we just can’t see them. We can get stuck into thinking there is only one solution, or worse, no solutions. And that can lead to lots of problems.

As a creative person, I’ve been very aware of this stuckness, or what some call writer’s block or creative block. There is an ebb and flow to creativity, just as there is in life. Sometimes, things come easily. Sometimes, they don’t. What I’ve learned over the years is that the natural rhythm of ebb and flow is a good thing. And that just because something doesn’t come when I want or how I want doesn’t mean it won’t come.

But I’ve also learned that creativity and good mental health have a lot of parallels. Creativity is really about solving problems, and how many of us do that on a daily basis?

People sometimes seem to equate creativity with artistic pursuits – art, music, dance, etc. That is certainly one aspect of creativity. But not everyone is artistic in those ways. What about people who create systems, or machines, or gadgets that make our lives easier? Or people who help us communicate or understand things better? Aren’t those creative? And what about all the creative things we do to get through each day? Navigating traffic, paying bills, setting boundaries with family members or co-workers, etc. There are so many opportunities to exercise our creative muscles.

Creativity is simply the process of making something that is new and useful. I also like to think of creativity as what we do to solve everyday problems. There’s no lack of problems in the world. Why, then, should we believe there would be a lack of solutions? And when there are lots of solutions (or options), we have choices. And when we have choices, we feel more in control, happier, and more at ease.

So, what will you create today?

For more ideas on how to get your creative juices flowing, please join me for the “Creativity and Wellness Summit,” where I’ll be interviewing experts – psychotherapists, coaches, authors, and spiritual healers – on how to get unstuck and live happier, healthier, more balanced lives. Get all the details for how you can listen in LIVE for FREE at http://www.CreativityAndWellnessSummit.com.

Photo: Artist At Work © by katsrcool

Using Creativity to Be a Better You

Do you consider yourself to be creative? Do you think creativity is reserved for the lucky few who have certain skills and talents? It’s amazing how often people are quick to declare themselves as not creative simply because they don’t paint or play an instrument or do something else that is artistic.

As a singer-songwriter myself, I happen to believe creativity is something we all possess, whether we realize it or not. While we may not show creativity in artistic expression, it’s in there. And creativity is an important ingredient to leading a healthy, happy, balance life.

If you’re ready to tap into your creativity, please join me for the September FREE Teleseminar… “Thinking Outside the Box: Using Creativity to Be a Better You.”

In this teleseminar, I’ll cover:

• Why Creativity is So Important to Good Emotional and Mental Health
• What Really Gets in the Way of Being Creative
• How to Tap Into Your Innate Creativity (Even if You Think You Don’t Have a Creative Bone in Your Body)

Don’t delay. Sign up today. The live call is coming soon. But don’t worry, if you can’t attend live, you can still sign up and get access to the recording. Simply go to the REGISTRATION page and enter your name and email to get signed up.

Songwriting Imitates Life: Vulnerability Without Judgment

In a recent workshop I facilitated about Songwriting Therapy™, one of the participants brought up the idea of vulnerability. Ah, yes, vulnerability. That space of opening ourselves, our flaws, experiences, feelings, thoughts, our truth with others. We are not taught about vulnerability. But we learn about it…often the hard way – by experiencing it and all the discomfort that can accompany it. Most people fight it or hide it.

The idea came up as we talked about sharing our creativity with others. As a singer/songwriter, I’ve had my share of battles with vulnerability. It helps me get to an honest place of sharing that connects with others on a deep level. But it can be scary, opening me up to criticism and scrutiny.

When I was younger, I was often deeply affected by what others had to say about my creative expressions. I took it personally when someone didn’t like my voice, my words, my arrangements, or any other aspect of my songs. Oddly (or maybe not) the people who often voiced their criticism were members of my own family – my mom, my sister, and my husband. These were people whose opinions I held dear, so it was a difficult pill to swallow thinking I may not be doing something good because they said it wasn’t good.

As I grew older and experienced many more vulnerable moments (in songwriting and in life), I came to realize that expressing myself and being vulnerable had so much more to do with me valuing my own opinion and self worth than it did with other people’s opinions or judgments. Once I realized that, I noticed a huge shift in my ability to speak up for myself, express myself, and even sing in front of others.

Do you have difficulty being vulnerable? Here’s some tips to get you through:

• Don’t solicit someone’s opinion unless you really want to hear it. Sometimes we get caught up in our ego and needing approval that we just let the words “what do you think” (or something similar) roll off our tongue, then immediately regret it. Unless you’re willing to hear the bad with the good, don’t ask people what they think. Remember, the only opinion that really matters is yours.
• Don’t take other people’s negativity personally. People say and do things we don’t like. It’s inevitable. But when we take it personally, thinking it had to do with something we did or said (or worse, who we are) we can get caught in a downward spiral of negativity ourselves. Think about your reactions to others, which are often colored by what you’re going through in your life, how you feel physically, what happened just before (or what’s going to happen just after). Keep this in mind when dealing with other people’s reactions. How they react may have less to do with you than you realized – and more to do with the kind of day they’re having (or their own general outlook on life).
• Celebrate your vulnerability. Vulnerability comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms. We can easily forget that we have opportunities to share our thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, goals, etc. with others all the time, which opens us up to being vulnerable. Be proud of those small moments you are able to share with others, which can be a stepping stone to sharing even bigger, more meaningful moments.

Remember that being vulnerable is a part of life. The more we can allow ourselves to be vulnerable, the easier it will be. And the more we’ll be able to express ourselves fully, leading to a healthier, happier, more balanced life.

Got more tips for being vulnerable? Please share by leaving a comment below.

Laugh Your Way to Stress Relief and Creativity

“A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your step as you walk the tightrope of life.” ~William Arthur Ward

When is the last time you had a good laugh? I’m talking tears streaming down your cheeks, belly-aching, hold your breath kind of laughter. How did you feel after laughing like that?

Research has shown several benefits of laughter for both our physical and emotional health. Laughter helps us by:

• Providing a physical release of tension. Have you ever felt relieved, lighter, less stressed after a good laugh? That’s because your body automatically tenses and releases several muscles, from your abdominals, shoulders, etc. This tension and release allows our bodies to let go of physical tension, which can lead to a release of emotional tension as well. When we have less tension, we can be more creative because we are more receptive to the flow of creative energy.
• Distracting us from the seriousness we can get focused on when we’re feeling stressed. Have you noticed that when you are overwhelmed or stressed you get more serious? It’s hard to have fun and be creative when we’re worried. Laughter helps by providing some much needed levity and distraction from the seriousness of life we can get caught up in.
• Helping change our perspective. Have you ever been so angry that you did or said something that you later found rather funny? We all have. Allowing ourselves to see humor in unexpected places can help us realize that things are often not quite as serious as we make them out to be. We may also find some inspiration from those serious-turned-funny moments.
• Connecting us with others. Laughter can be contagious and create an instant bond between strangers, acquaintances, or friends. Studies show that the more connected we feel with others, the better able we are at dealing with stressful situations. And when we are more connected with others, it can help us work better and be more creative in getting stuff done.

So where do you find humor? Think of times in the past (situations, people, things) that have prompted a good laugh. Make a list because it’s easy to forget when you’re overwhelmed. Keep that list handy in times of stress as a reminder of what to do to lighten things up. Here’s some other ideas where you might find some laughter:

• T.V. and Movies: Laughter may be as close as your favorite sitcom or a DVD collecting dust on a shelf. You can also rent your favorite comedies from your local DVD rental place, through a rental mailing service, or online through your DVR service.
• Comedy Club: Find a local comedy club to take in the laughs of local or touring professional comedians. If there isn’t one near you, you might try community theaters, colleges, or universities, which sometimes showcase comedy productions.
• Friends: Spend time with friends you can be silly with. You may find humor reliving memories from the past or make new memories by playing board games, DVD games, charades, or making up your own. Good friends can also help point out the humor in your life where you may have a tough time seeing it.
• Photos: Take a stroll down memory lane by looking through old photo albums or scrapbooks. You may be reminded of a funny thing or two.
• Comic Strips: Peruse the Sunday paper to find humor in the “funny” section. You can even clip out your favorites and hang them where you can see them regularly to remind you to find the humor.
• Jokes: Go to the library or bookstore and start reading through the joke books.
• To see the power of laughter in action, watch the video “Bodhisattva in metro” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKnY8tBLG3g

I encourage you to use laughter as a way to not only let go of the seriousness of life and relieve stress, but also to get more creative. Having fun is a great way to tap into creativity, and ultimately to the healing power you have within yourself.

I’d love to hear what you found funny (and inspiring). Leave a comment below.

Photo: Laughing at Dean © by wickenden