Spring Into Inspiration
Everyone looks forward to the new growth and blooms that mark spring.
This lush and inspiring time of year is the perfect time to remind ourselves that fresh inspiration and creative ideas are just as ready to bloom inside each of us.
We create every day, even if we don’t think we do. For example, planting seeds and flowers in the garden is creativity at work.
At Friends Home, cooking with Lucy, doing a craft, singing along with Brenten, or dancing with Michael are all examples of ways we exercise our creative abilities.
Use Your Creativity to Fuel Innovation
Spring is the perfect time to nurture creativity.
Regularly exercising your creativity allows ideas to flow from you in new and fresh ways of seeing the world, instead of doing the same things you’ve always done.
Creativity about how you think causes innovation that benefits everyone around you.
Why?
Because creativity fosters contagious enthusiasm and positive energy.
And when you face an obstacle or make a misstep, your ability to “think outside the box” with your creativity helps you problem-solve quickly and effectively.
Four Ways to Nurture Your Creative Self
Let’s look at some ways you can foster your creativity:
1. Keep Your Sense Of Wonder
Despite the earthquakes, blizzards, and political upheaval, the world is still filled with wonder.
So the next time you sit on the front porch, quietly observe what is happening around you:
- What do you see?
- What sounds do you hear?
- What can you smell?
- How does the air feel?
When you take the time to be still and observe, it’s easy to recall why young children find the world so inspiring.
2. Nurture Curiosity To Help Creativity
Being curious, asking questions, and even taking missteps are the cornerstones of learning and growth.
Curiosity fuels creativity, so when circumstances challenge you, try looking at the problem from different perspectives.
You just might come up with new and novel ways to think about an issue or solve a problem.
Questioning allows new pathways for thinking, and the more you practice, the easier it becomes to foster creativity and self-expression.
3. Recognize The Serendipitous
Recognize that some of your most creative ideas will arise spontaneously, seemingly out of nowhere.
Serendipitous moments or happy accidents always occur when you are open to the creative thinking behind them.
For example, did you know the discovery of penicillin occurred because mold grew on samples while the scientist was on vacation?
He could have just thrown them away, but he was curious and investigated what happened, why it occurred, and what it could do.
When you ask questions, creative answers emerge if you are receptive.
4. Be Patient When Creating
In her book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert defines creativity as “the relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration.”
This quote is so perfect because it so perfectly describes the creative process.
Creativity is often neither pretty nor organized, because it requires inspiration.
And inspiration can’t be forced. So, if you get stuck on a project or problem, walk away from it for a bit.
Do something else. Read, listen to music, take a walk, have a quiet cup of tea, or even nap.
Let the idea incubate.
Often, the solution will suddenly pop up, seemingly randomly.
Get Ready to Bloom
As you become more mindful of your creative self and use these steps to cultivate your personal growth through creativity, you will develop greater flexibility, a more adventurous attitude, and the ability to see many perspectives.
So look around, be curious, have fun, and get ready to bloom!