On finding your creative footing

Creativity is important for all industries, but thinking outside the box can be tough for anyone whose job doesn’t call for using that side of the brain consistently. So, Morning Brew picked the expert minds of Daily Rituals author Mason Currey, former clinical psychologist turned author Dr. Alice Boyes, and writer Jacob Nordby. All three challenge us to rethink everything creativity.

“In childhood we get trained. We never lose our imagination. What happens is we get trained…to imagine things we don’t want: failure, risk, rejection, pain, disappointment,” says Nordby. 

Breaking through the noise and hitting a productive stride may not be easy, but it is possible. Use these tips to kickstart your creative flow:

• Define creativity for yourself. “People often think of creativity as being related to the arts. And I don’t think of it as being related to that at all. I think that for most people, creative problem solving is what’s most useful,” said Boyes.

• Start your own creative rituals. “Notice when you have the kind of energy or attention that suits the kind of work you’re trying to do. And then just carve out some time at that time of the day—ideally for as many days as you can,” Currey instructed. This kind of consistency is important to your creative growth. “It builds the sense of inner value that says, ‘I matter, my dreams matter, what I would love to create beyond survival or beyond just making it through the next day or week with my job matters,’” Nordby explained.

• Give your brain breathing room. Sometimes stepping away from the creative process completely is the best thing you can do. (Maybe that explains why we get our best ideas in the shower!) Currey added, “A lot of people talk about how puttering around is a big part of their creative process. Doing some dishes or watering the houseplants or just tidying up becomes their most important ritual.”

• But…give yourself a deadline. “People think they want to have all the freedom, but too much freedom will totally overwhelm you and kill [your flow]. If you have some constraints, it gives you something to push up against,” said Currey.—Maliah West



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