Erratic bursts of creativity followed by lengthy spells of creating very little or nothing at all is a recipe only for frustration and despair. But that’s how most of us try to create, then expect to be creatively fulfilled!
The only true way to create as often, as consistently, and as rewardingly as you desire is to get the creativity habit.
So what’s the creativity habit?
It’s a way of creating regularly, easily, fluently, without endless painful analysis, debate and deliberation.
Here’s the 3 steps you can take to get the creativity habit, starting today:
Step 1. Choose a time each day to create. When have you felt most creative and found it easiest to create in the past? In the early morning? Afternoons? Late at night when everyone’s sleeping?
You know yourself well enough to know when you create best. Choose this time of day as your creativity habit “appointment”.
Step 2. Choose a minimum period to create. Make it at least 15 minutes, preferably 30 minutes. This is the amount time you’ll spend creating each day in your creativity habit appointment.
Don’t worry too much at this stage about setting a precise amount of time. Start with 15 minutes, you can always extend it later. It’s more important to create for 15 minutes every day than for an hour every 3 or 4 days.
Step 3. Prepare your creative space. You want to be able to come to where you create – your room, desk, easel, laptop – and get straight into creating as soon as possible.
Make it easy for yourself to plunge into creating with the minimum of set up, distraction and reasons NOT to create.
Now you’re ready to begin getting the creativity habit.
Commit to a minimum number of days to build the habit. Many experts say it takes around 30 days to form a new habit, others say longer.
If you’re just going to try this for 7 days then give up, save yourself the frustration and don’t bother starting.
You must give the new habit a chance to take hold and to embed itself in your daily routine and in your behaviour.
What you’ll also find happening when you develop the creativity habit is you naturally begin to give yourself more permission to create.
Because you clearly know that it’s always going to be less than 24 hours until your next creative session, you don’t have to stop the flow of ideas.
As you develop the habit, try extending the time you spend creating.
Don’t jump from 15 minutes to 90, that’s likely to end the habit altogether if you can’t make the 90 minutes and undo the work you’ve done up until then.
Get used to 15 minutes, then try 20 minutes for a week or two, then 25 and so on. Each day you’re building the habit and reinforcing it by extending the time.
Stick to this formula for 30 days and you’ll notice a dramatic change in how you create.
The creativity habit is really the only way to be consistently creative.
Isn’t it time your got the habit?
I invite you to kick-start your creativity today by downloading your free copy of the practical and powerful Explode Your Creativity! Action Workbook. Get it now at http://www.CoachCreative.com.
From Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin
Tags: creative, creativity, creativity coach, Dan Goodwin, increase creativity, unleash your creativity
Related Posts
- Be More Creative - 10 Tips To Help You Increase Your Creativity Today
- Creativity Myths Exposed - Only A Special Chosen Few Can Be Creative
- Discussion On Creative Genius And Societies
- How To Think Outside Of The Box
- Portray The Best Of Your Imagination With Scrapbooking
« Causes Of Panic Attacks | An Informative Bulletin On Faux Stone Siding »