Our creativity often comes and goes, meaning we need to have a true understanding of how to work with it in order to unleash our true potential. If you believe you’ve hit a creative plateau, here is how you can take your creativity to the next level.
Let Go of Expectations
Perhaps the biggest thing holding you back in your creativity is yourself and your expectations. Either you care what others think, you are comparing yourself to others, or you are expected to create a certain type of art that only fits with a certain part of your life. You can change the way you express yourself creatively whenever you please.
When it comes to being creative, you should hold no expectations for yourself. You should go with what feels right and if it doesn’t work as planned, that doesn’t matter. Don’t be so hard on yourself and try not to make something that society wants; be as creative as your mind allows, no holding back.
Find Inspirational People
When you surround yourself with people that inspire you and are creative in other ways, they will influence you every day. The right people can help you come up with new ideas and depending on your skills, you may be able to collaborate on pieces together. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and inspirational people should be able to help you with your weak spots, and you with theirs. People who interest you and look at life differently will instil a new mindset in you.
Immerse Yourself in Nature
Being at one with nature can help you to feel happier and more at peace in the world. When we can go outside and see the true beauty of the world around us, we feel more inspired by everything we see. Take a day out to explore a beautiful area near you. Hold no expectations or goals for the day; simply be outside in nature. Avoid the urges to look on your mobile phone and just see what comes to you when you let yourself be in the present, in the outdoors.
Be sure to take a pen and paper in case the ideas come rushing to you. Nature is also a great natural stress reliever and holding onto stress will only hinder your creativity. You are much more likely to be inspired surrounded by nature than you are when aimlessly scrolling through the internet looking for stimulation. There is such a thing as sensory overload, and sometimes all we need is to get back to basics.
Learn
Finding a class or attending a university can provide you with new opportunities to learn and understand your art form. There are many wonderful art universities UK wide, offering plenty of opportunities for you to find a degree that suits your needs and qualifications. Uni Compare has compiled a list of the UK’s most creative universities, to make it easier to find the right university for you. Whilst university may not have been a consideration in the past, studying for a degree in any creative field can improve your work massively and help to bring a sense of routine. You may also get the chance to work with leading artists and host your own art shows.
Surround Yourself with Others’ Creativity
When you surround yourself with creativity, you are more likely to come up with new ideas. You can see how other creatives think and how their work comes together. Instead of filling your social media with meme pages or old friends from school who you no longer speak to, start following different artistic pages, such as these 20 creative Instagram accounts.
You never know when something they post will inspire your own work. Open your mind to new ways of creating and watch others at work. YouTube has plenty of amazing creatives who are sharing tricks, tips, and their experiences in the creative industry. Visit museums, art galleries, theatre shows, and free art exhibitions whenever you can.
Find Motivation
When we have lost motivation, we have lost creativity. There are plenty of ways to bring this back, and the above list can all help with this. Another way to find new motivation is to bring happiness to our own lives. When we are truly happy, we feel more motivated to do the things we love. Don’t make creativity a chore; do what feels natural to you, and only work on your creativity when you feel like it.
When you try to force yourself to sit down and be creative, you are treating it more like a chore than a fun, immersive experience that should be enjoyed. If you find it hard to sit down and concentrate on the here and now, meditation is a great skill that many creatives learn to enable them to be in the present when they are creating.
Most of the time, our everyday routine and expectations are holding us back from truly taking our creativity to the next level. Incorporating the above tips into each day will see your creativity flourish like never before.