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creativity

Why Should You Care About Becoming More Creative?

Every person ever born has some creativity within them. Creativity is simply the drive to create and/or the act of doing so. It does not have to mean being a painter or an artist. Creating can be as simple as cooking dinner for your family. It can be writing a report, building a fence, forming a relationship, or a million other things that are not “art.”

Creativity is a natural part of being human. Some people have more inherent creativity than others, but everyone has some level. Furthermore, it’s possible to increase your natural levels if you wish. That’s right! You can become more creative if you want to. The decision is up to you.

But you might be asking, why should you? If you are a working creative, the answer is pretty obvious, but not so much if you’re not. And it is not like you don’t already have a lot to do, after all. Most of us have too many things on our to-do lists these days. And we don’t have them on the list, we’re dealing with the fact that they forget to get done, because well, we don’t have them on the list!

Creativity boosts productivity

As it happens, you can get a lot of tangible real-world benefits from becoming more creative. Increasing your creativity also boosts your productivity and your self-confidence. It helps you improve your problem-solving skills. All of these combine to make you better at your occupation and lead to more success in life. This is true whether you’re a writer, a painter, or a candlestick maker.

Creativity can lead to happiness (and health)

Creativity is closely tied to happiness. The more creative a person is, the happier they are. If that is not reason enough for you, higher levels of creativity also lead to longer lives. Being more creative also keeps the brain more active, reducing the chance of developing dementia in old age.

Even without any of these benefits, it would still be worth it for you to become more creative. Why? Because it helps with your personal development. It will make you more satisfied with your life and give you a sense of accomplishment.

Being Creative is just plain fun

Creating something, anything, also creates a feeling of joy in the creator. That alone makes the effort to become more creative worthwhile.

Becoming more creative is not difficult. Nor is it expensive. It can even be fun. You will improve your current skills as you do so. You can also learn new skills and make new friends along the way. The biggest investment you will need to make in the process is time.

 But don’t worry. I’ve got you. You can start slow. You can try one new habit at a time. And to that end, stay tuned for the launch of my next book, The Creativity Habit, hitting bookstores in October! It will take you step by step through various tiny habits that can boost your creativity and unleash your inner genius!

The Power of Doodling

One of the simplest and easiest ways to make yourself more creative is also one of the oldest human “art” forms: doodling. It is not just a way to stay awake in yet another boring meeting!

Doodling is free drawing. This just means drawing without a plan to create anything in particular. You draw without paying much, if any, attention to the outcome. Doodling helps you to be more creative in multiple ways. And no, you do not need to be able to draw well to doodle.

It allows your conscious mind to “switch off”

Or at least to attend to other issues (like those boring meetings). Your conscious mind is not engaged at all in the process of doodling. It is your unconscious mind doing all the work. This means that it is free to process information, come up with new ideas, refine ideas you have already had, and form connections through free association.

Most creative ideas start in the subconscious and anything that allows it free rein helps this process along. Doodling is just one of the best ways to do that.

It uses different circuits in the Brain

Every action we take and every thought we have utilizes different sets of circuits in our brains. Some of these circuits are used repeatedly throughout every day, while others are only used occasionally.

MRIs have shown that doodling uses a seldom-used circuit that is related to creativity, comprehension, and problem-solving. This means that doodling improves your thinking ability and your creativity!

Doodling improves both your mood and your focus

Just spending a few minutes doodling has a powerful effect on your mood that is at least the equivalent of eating chocolate. It also improves your ability to focus for a few hours. (Hence why it is used so often by people in meetings.)

These two effects combine to temporarily improve your creative faculties. If you doodle on a regular basis, some of the effects can become permanent.

How do you doodle? Grab a pen or pencil and a blank sheet of paper and just draw. Do not think about it or try to draw well. Focus your attention elsewhere or just zone out. Play some music if you like. Draw whatever comes to mind.

Your doodles can be works of art if you are good at drawing or they might be unrecognizable. It does not matter. Squiggly lines and wiggly shapes are perfectly acceptable.