Creativity Catalysts

We know we are creative beings. Yet, we are also well aware that sometimes our creativity stalls, plays tricks on us, or appears to have vanished completely. It is at those moments that we need to reconnect with our vitality around our creative process or project and leverage our inspirational powers to stimulate our ability to make new connections. The following tips are meant to arouse your natural creative gifts so you can surmount those obstacles in your journey and achieve maximum potential. Have fun with them and enjoy the wonder of discovery as you expand your imagination and allow yourself to be a conduit for excellent work!

1. Keep a daily excitement list about why you are passionate and committed to your exploration or creative project

2. Visualize your end result and make a collage of images that support that vision and post it where you can see it regularly

3. Take a field trip relating to your project to explore a particular facet of it

4. Experience your project using the three learning styles of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic experiencesna.) Draw a picture of it, make a mind-map of it, or take a photo of it and play with it on photo-shopnb.) Talk about your project into a tape or video recorder or teach a real/pretend class on the topic to an audience or your friendsnc) Act it out with props and maybe even other characters

5. Record and follow your intuitive clues relating to your project

6. Go to a toy store and select a toy that reminds you of your project and let your inner child play with it

7. Set up a series of experiments related to your project with hypotheses to test out

8. Exercise regularly to clear your head

9. Find someone who is an opposite thinker (a devil’s advocate) from you, tell them about your project, and let them challenge/stimulate your thinking

10. Select inspiring music that resonates with your project and play it at the beginning of your work time

11. Create a water experience–sit in a hob tub, go swimming, take a shower, or visit a spa to increase your flow of ideas

12. Take your project away with you as a companion and see how it changes in a new setting

13. Meditate or pray about your topic

14. Find a symbol of your creative process and keep it close by when you are working or contemplating

15. Initiate creative rituals, such as lighting a candle or reading first, to invite your muse into the process

16. Look at visual representations relating to your project, like paintings, or special destinations, or a murder scene

17. Send your inner critic to a foreign land so you feel free to make mistakes and cast about for new connections

18. Change your location–work on your project in bed, outside in nature, in a museum, or simply change rooms

19. Take a day or two off so you can take a fresh look at your project when you retur

20. Keep a file card packet in your office, car, etc. to jot down all related ideas and thoughts even if their meaning is a mystery

21. Read related books and articles, etc. and take notes to jog your inspirations

22. Look for the metaphors–i.e., how is your project like a pine tree or a trolley car?

23. Keep a separate journal/computer file for each project and keep track of new impressions

24. At the right time, share your project with trusted others and gather new insights

25. Take creative risks using your fascinations as a guide to unique explorations