Five Ways to Boost Creativity

Some people state writing is purely technical. I don’t believe that. I think it requires as much creativity as it does technical skill. And sometimes I feel low on creativity and not much (good) writing comes forth. I think many will recognize this, and I think we can all use these five tips on how to boost creativity.

1. Take a Power Nap

Napping is a great way to boost not only energy and recharge your brain, but also to boost creativity. Power naps can range from 5-25 minutes. Don’t sleep longer than that, because you’ll reach the deep sleep state and you’ll only wake unrested and groggy. Don’t nap any later than 3PM, though, because that’ll confuse your brain (it will think it’s sleepy-time for real!).

2. Exercise for Half an Hour

Short lengths of exercise can seriously boost creativity. Actually: exercise boosts every form of cognitive ability! The kind of exercise doesn’t matter and the boost lasts for around two hours. Note, though: only the physically fit experience this boost, those who aren’t fit will only feel exhausted :( . Good excuse to get in shape!

3. Brainstorm,Then Let Your Mind Wander

You’ll probably recognize it when I say that my great ideas usually come when I’m not even trying. You can stage this! If you’re trying to make up a great plot twist or motives for a character or such, brainstorm on it for a while. Then, take a short break and let your mind wander. The chance is quite high you’ll be struck by a great idea during your break.

4. Go Out in Nature

Spending time in nature has been proven to up your creativity (and happiness and focus). Spending three days in nature can improve your creativity with 50%, but shorter outings can certainly help, too. Take a stroll, have a picnic in the city park, go to a lake or the sea and enjoy nature. You’ll feel invigorated!

5. Think Positive

Negative feelings can negatively impact your creativity. It’s the same for the other way around: positive emotions have a positive impact on creativity. Take notice of how you’re feeling: if you’re feeling blue, irritated or just generally negative, that isn’t the time to write. You’ll only get more agitated. Take stock of how you feel and balance out those negative feelings!

I hope these tips will be of use to you :) . Do you have any tips or tricks to boost your creativity? Please feel free to share them in the comments!

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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Posted by on Aug 2, 2012 in Featured Content, Writing | 2 comments
  • Yoshi X.

    Oh, boy, now that I’m a “writer” by accident (read: ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ circumstance), it would serve me well if I follow this blog more religiously!

    Now that I’m here I feel like I’ve got to react to this post coz if you look below there’s heading called “Reactions” with my thumbnail under it!

    So here goes nothing. . .

    1. Power Naps – Huh, Power naps? O.0  Oh, boy, I’ve never really understood what “power naps” are, to be really really honest. How can ANYONE sleep for just FIVE MINUTES??? I know I can’t. Hell, I have trouble sleeping for the normal duration of time when it comes to sleep. Whatever that is! I truly envy people for whom sleep is at their very beck and call. Like my roommate for instance: All he has to do is lie down and close his eyes while I have to read through pages and pages of boring college notes of past in order to make my brain release tiny drops of melatonin!  =_=

    NO, I DID NOT google “What’s that sleep hormone called?”. I honestly knew its name.

    2. Egsercise – Haha, what’s ekcherdice? When was the last time I ebserpised? God it’s been so long since I even spelled that word that I’ve forgotten how to spell it altogether! No wonder I didn’t make it past the 1st round of the local spelling bee competition here. No prizes for guessing which word it was that got me expelled! =_=

    3. Brainstorm – Yes, I do that, too (even though I’ve been told by my jealous peers that I have no brain to storm in the first place!). Anyway, so I’m usually at my desk and staring at the computer screen for hours, slouched in my chair with one hand under my chin and lost in deep thought – like that famous statue of that dude – searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. And it always manages to prick me when I think all hope is gone.

    But then what do I do next? Do I embark on a writing spree? No!

    I get up from my chair. . .feeling dizzy coz of euphoric feelings oozing out of every pore in my body. . .and start hallucinating about winning some big shot award; prancing around the room as if I’m walking up to the stage, and finally delivering the speech in front of millions of people!!! Yes, I do actually give a speech.

    After I return to reality, I realize that I wasted a lot of time on my act, and sometimes to make matters worse, the damn needle gets lost again in the bloody haystack!  =_=

    4. Go out in nature – Man, I live in a concrete jungle for Christ’s sake! (sorry, Lord Krishna, but them Christians rule the world of English literature). Okay, where were we? Oh, yeah. . .Soooooo everything is made of concrete here! EVERYTHING!!! Even trees!!! Too bad my destiny isn’t set in stone. . .oops. . . concrete. That would have really done me a whole lot of good. Thanks for nothing, God(s)! =_=

    5. Think Positive – It’s really hard to think positively when the chips are down. Especially if you’re someone like me! I’m a moody person. . .and not by choice. If my mood were to be graphed (for lack of a better term), then it would resemble something like the trail of an airplane with no pilot controlling it. Just a simple line curving up and then curving down. Up, down, up, down, up, down. . .

    =_=

    I know that some “creative” people resort to recreational drugs like weed, hash, and etc. etc. to get their creative juices flowing. I do not condone using such methods to be more creative. For one it’s bad for health, and for two, it’s heavy on the pocket (Why God Why?????).

    So I just choose to. . .smoke cigarettes.

    *exhales*

    On a serious note (finally!), I’ve made a mental note of the points you mentioned in this post and will try to apply it. Save for the first one because I know I’ll always be an epic fail at that.

    Although I wish I could. . .

    *sniff*

    Thanks a lot for this post! :)

    PS: Most of what I said in my comment was meant just for fun. I’m a “writer” after all. . .and sometimes we writers tend to write shit, write? But, hey, wasn’t that the point behind this post? To save us from writing crap due to lack of creativity? :D   Damn, I do write a lot when I’m high! XD

    • http://www.manoneileen.com Manon Eileen

      You really made me lol, Yoshi! :p 

      Oh I know about the concrete jungle… Though honestly, it still helps to go outside. Just get a coffee and sit somewhere where you can see people pas. It’s inspiring to observe people (and I know there’s enough people over there to watch xD). 

      As for the napping. I too am a little sceptical about the five minute nap, I don’t think that’d work for me either. I usually nap between 20-25 minutes. I just turn off everything around me (literally, no pcs zooming or music on or whatever), set my alarm and just close my eyes. The first 5-10 minutes I’m usually just thinking, but I always fall asleep and feel refreshed afterwards. Just try it some time, it’s good to shut off your mind sometimes. Even if you don’t sleep but still take some time to relax it helps!

      Thanks for the best (and longest!) comment ever o/ 

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