Seven Steps to a More Creative Life

Some of us think that creativity is reserved for a group of naturally inspired people who carry it in their genes. But genetic predisposition alone doesn’t mean much because creativity actually starts in our head! Everybody with a functioning brain has the potential and the responsibility to be creative (even more so in the age of wide-spread automation where robots will be able handle most of the jobs)!
Humans are made to be creative! Only in those inspired, creative moments we feel liberated and happy. Think about the children, how they can immerse in play and creativity. But on the way to being adults, we forget cultivating creativity. Luckily it is never too late, because our brainpower is very strong, and it can compensate for passed years or for a huge number of “missing” genes. All we need to do is to start committing to a creative life.

Here is how:

  1. It is in your hands to embrace creativity as your new life style. Just as you decide to become vegetarian, start doing yoga or quit smoking, you can decide to live a more creative life.
  2. We can only be groundbreakingly creative in things we’re passionate about. Ask yourself: What is it that makes you forget time and space? Be honest in your answer.
  3. Be curious, be open. Start looking at everything as a potential source of creative input without evaluating, without pre-judgment.
  4. Don’t wear the blinders of over-specialization, because the creative “eureka!” is nothing else than analogical thinking that connects seemingly unrelated things. So, force yourself to read a book from a foreign field, maybe about quantum physics, gardening, coding, art history or ornithology?
  5. Don’t lull yourself with the song of “solitary genius”. Meet and collaborate with individuals who are better than you! Surround yourself with a community of creative and successful people from other disciplines. Talk to them and listen (this is exactly why I createdSonophilia), because cross-disciplinary exchange is an extremely valuable source of inspiration! (Don’t feel intimidated by heated discussions, creative people are passionate about what they do).
  6. Sounds carry intelligence, so start practicing concentration and awareness by listening. Listening is the most effective way of accessing and processing information. Every sound comes with information and all information -when it resonates by the ear- is stored more effectively in our brains. So; close your eyes and listen to your environment and listen to yourself as if you’d listen to a piece of music. What do you hear and what do you feel about it? Say it loud (yes, talk to yourself).
  7. Take yourself at least one hour of undisturbed time everyday to practice your creativity. Make analogies, listen to your stream of ideas and think about what really moves you. I find, early mornings are best for this and have a positive impact on the rest of the day.