The first thing to know about how to be more creative is that you already are a creative genius. This is a part of what it means to be human. You have creativity within you.
Too many people are looking outside of themselves for inspiration, instruction and guidance about how to be more creative.
You won't find your answer outside of you. That's kind of the opposite of what creativity actually is, isn't it? Creativity is about finding and then sharing your unique voice in your unique way. To do this you have to:
- get quiet enough to be able to hear your inner voice
- get brave enough to share it
There is only one thing that will help you to be more creative: PRACTICE.
Your ability to share your creative voice will grow with practice. Start small. Make time for it every day or every week - the more often the better. If you want to be as creative as possible you need to practice as often as possible. A daily creative practice IS magic. It will teach you everything you need to know about your creative voice and how to best share it. A daily creative practice will hold you through the ups and downs of growing towards your creative potential.
I mean you can't be more creative without literally being more creative. You have to just do the work.
If something is stopping you from doing the work - it's NOT a lack of creativity. "I'm not creative" is a story we tell ourselves to avoid the real story because it's too painful. The real story, of course, is that it's terrifying to share your creative voice. It's vulnerable and awkward. It means facing your self-doubt and inner critics.
The path to being more creative goes right through all of this uncomfortable stuff. It goes through your shadow.
Last week I wrote about What Is Shadow Work and How To Do Shadow Work. Being more creative and being more productive (that's what I'm going to write about next) are the results of facing the shadow. (That's why Chris and I called our shadow workshop Gifts of the Shadow: Wild Creative Momentum) Let me show you what I mean: When I talk about having a regular creative practice being the key to being more creative - what is it that makes you think you can't do that? For most people this is a story about why you don't have enough time or the right space or the right skills. You start by exploring that story and looking for a way through it. How can you MAKE time/space? How can you start even though you don't feel ready? What is the SMALLEST step you can take? The path to expressing your creativity more fully will likely be made up of thousands of teeny tiny steps. No step is too small and waiting until you can take a big step is not moving you closer to where you want to be. The more deeply you explore this story the more likely you are to find your shadow lives at the core of it: old stories and wounds about how you're not good enough to be considered an artist, fears, self-doubt, inner critics.
This is the stuff that stops you from expressing your unique creative voice. Handle this stuff and your natural creative energy will burst through.
I know this is HARD. But your creative voice needs your courage! If you want some help with this I'm offering a 1 day workshop on working through your shadow stuff to liberate your Wild Creative Momentum with my friend and colleague Chris Zydel on Dec 4.