Sunday, May 8, 2016

LIFESTYLE

By Guest Contributor


How to Lead an Inspired, Creative Life

Photos courtesy of Pinterest, writeraccess.com, rebloggy.com, and ZALORA Community



Some days, creativity can feel like an elusive creature always ducking out of our reach. And some days, we are just too burned out by the daily grind to pursue any creative endeavour. 

What is creativity anyway? The textbook definition is "the use of imagination or original ideas to create something". But I see it as finding ideas from life itself, then weaving them into a bigger dream and making that a reality.

And that's why creativity can seem like such an illusory, abstract thing. It's hard to turn new, imaginative ideas into reality if you can't notice them around you because you're too busy or tired. Creativity is something that requires passion, devotion, and ample space to explore and ruminate.



Photo courtesy of ZALORA Community



So if you're looking for new ways to be inspired and break out of your rut, here are some ideas:


1. Change Your Scenery

You can't come up with new ideas by sitting at the same spot every day. Get up and head somewhere different from your regular hangouts. Maybe try a new cafe in another neighbourhood, a different outfit (maybe swap your Little Black Dress for flared jeans), or take a different route home from work. You'd be surprised how a change of scenery can improve your state of mind!


2. Get Those Endorphins Pumping

Deadlines, reports, figures. Those things can drive a person insane - believe me, I understand. It is also soul-sucking and draining to do it every day. 

If you feel like your creative well is drying out and you're itching to get back into the groove, clear your head of all those numbers and Excel documents and get moving. Even brisk-walking around your office building can help you re-calibrate. Exercise also helps to sharpen our minds, improve our productivity, and get the creative juices flowing again!



Photo courtesy of Pinterest



3. Break Out of Your Routine

Creativity can't thrive in an environment that is stagnant and routine. So try new things, gain new experiences, and expose yourself to new situations. Do something outside of the routine you know - be it trying a new workout or picking up a new hobby - and break your habits.


4. Fight For Your Space and Time

Creativity needs its own time and space. It's tempting to just go home and binge-watch Girls or go out for drinks with friends, but if you get too swept up in these activities that don't support your creative ventures your creativity suffers. While you do need some down-time once in a while, creation only happens when you get cracking. So clear your work space and start creating!



Photo courtesy of ZALORA Community


5. Be Curious

Creating something from scratch can seem daunting, but not if you start with the questions "Why?" and "What if?" and let these guide you down uncharted paths. Curiosity is what drives any creative process, so have fun, start asking questions, and you might discover answers you never expected.


6. Jot It Down

Bring a pen and notebook everywhere with you. They're handy enough to whip out whenever a thought strikes you. You never know when inspiration for your next feature film or book might hit you, and you don't want to lose that thought because you weren't fast enough to capture it!


7. Vary Your Companions

If you only hang out with people similar to you, you'll share similar ideas and outlook. To be introduced to new perspectives and new ways of thinking, invite new people into your life who are different from you and have differing opinions. From them you can learn and discover new things that will help you grow as a person.



Photo courtesy of rebloggy.com



8. Head Out and Explore 

While holing up somewhere to create is crucial to getting anything done, you also need to get out and immerse in things that inspire you and feed your artistic soul. Take a day trip to the museum or art gallery, watch a play or recital, or go for long walks somewhere you haven't yet explored.


9. Have No Fear!

Are you a perfectionist? Get over that! There is no room for that in creation - at least, not at the start, when you are just exploring every Shiny New Idea. The fear of failure is something that plagues many artists. But you need to give yourself permission to suck, make mistakes, before anything good comes out of the mess.


10. And Finally, Ignore the Naysayers

Artists are subject to all kinds of criticism, especially from those who don't see the value or worth in what they're doing. But birds in a cage think flying is an illness. Don't let yourself get boxed in by what other people think, or what they believe to be true or "correct". What's the status quo? Who decides? You have the power to create the life you want to lead without worrying about what the norm is. Normal is over-rated anyway.



Photo courtesy of ZALORA Community



Are you feeling burned out? What are some of your ways to get back into the creative state of mind and recapture your elusive creative genius?





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