1. Be present – Slow down every once in a while. Take a deep breath, check in with your 5 senses, and simply observe your state of being. This is a gradual process of checking in and it cannot be rushed. This simple activity will provide you with many insights as you brush off the mental clutter and come back to the present. Mindful creativity is about living in the moment.
2. Dream big – Let your imagination run wild. Invite yourself to go beyond your imagination. When you come across a great vision, go bigger! There is always more to expand into. It is important to not compromise your creativity for other peoples’ standards. As a creative person, there will be instances where others may not approve your ideas and a major part of being creative is to learn to accept rejection. Still, honor your exciting dreams.
3. Ask why then ask how – Asking why leads you to illuminate the overall purpose for your work. It motivates your core potential. For example, why are you working or studying in your field? The how drives action: how are you going to meet this month’s goal? If the why is weak, most likely the how will be weak. If the reason for doing something actually excites you, the proper how’s will naturally emerge.
4. Develop your listening style – The creative mind is an open mind. Get in the creative space of your mind by establishing a strong listening posture. How are you when you are most curious about something? Think about your spinal posture, facial expressions, breathing pace, etc. Become familiar with that style and apply it to whatever areas of your life you want more solutions (work, relationships, etc.). As you become open to new insights, accept them, express your gratitude, and move on.
5. Take intelligent risks – As a creative person, you need to step outside your comfort zone and take bold risks every so often. If you choose to lead an exciting path for yourself and others, you must believe in what you do. As you familiarize yourself with the why’s of your quest, you will have an easier time taking risks because you will know when the right opportunity arises and you will act on it. When you truly love doing something, you will love the risks it involves.
6. Don’t hesitate, just move – Improvisation is a major part of creativity. It takes a certain level of trust in yourself to be able to continuously move through situations. Often times we block certain thoughts or emotions from surfacing because of fears and insecurities. Embrace them. Own them and be free to do what naturally moves us.
7. Do something strange everyday – Inspirations live in unfamiliar places. Engage in a strange act at least once a day and see where that takes you. Do things outside your routine and notice how that affects you. Maintain your curiosity so you will absorb the insights that are presented to you. The more you build sensitivity to your inspirations, the easier you will find them.
8. Build sensitivity to your excitement – An excited mind is an inspired mind. Be sure you’re fully present to what moves you, moment-by-moment. In other words, build your familiarity to the dynamics of your own energy field. Make the choice to connect to what excites you.
9. Create the action plan – Inspiration is worthless without processing it into some sort of action plan. Create a template and update it regularly. Include your goals and hold yourself accountable to meeting them. Cultivate strong intentions for your goals and they will come true. No need to question it.
10. Reflect on your day – Every night when you go to bed play back your day in your mind. Don’t evaluate, just observe. Let go of everything that happened and allow yourself to dream at peace.