10 Tips to Simply ‘Be Creative’

How to ‘be creative’ is a vast topic to cover in one small article such as this, but would you believe it, that’s what I’m gonna try and do!

Creativity comes in many shapes and forms - a bit like us humans - and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Life would be boring if we were all the same, and creatives wouldn’t be creative without variety and difference. So with all that weighing heavy on my shoulders, I’m going to attempt to give you ten little snippets of general advice if you’d like to be more creative.

1. Forget the rules.

Now I should probably jump fairly quickly into saying that I don’t mean for you to break any laws here. Law-breaking is not encouraged. But rule-breaking is. And I mean the kind of ‘rules’ which are unwritten in society, the kind which we don’t question although we really should, the kind that you were taught at school but never quite understood why they existed but which might’ve got you into trouble with the teacher if you questioned it… you know the kind! Those rules should be broken when you’re trying to be creative. 

2. If you remember a rule - do the opposite.

One of my all-time favourite books is “Whatever you Think, Think the Opposite” by Paul Arden, and this idea gives you a constant reminder to check in on yourself to see if what you’re doing is ‘‘expected’, ‘the norm’, ‘what everyone else will do’ - and if you answer yes, then do the opposite, because that’s where the excitement lies; the interesting stuff that no one else finds. But you won’t find it if you follow the crowd! So, do the opposite!

3. Embrace a distraction. Explore it. Question it. (Then return to your creativity!)

‘Distractions’ get such a bad press! They have such negative connotations (which admittedly are warranted in some cases - don’t remind me of the time I ‘forgot’ to pick my kids up from school because I was distracted by the new Farrow & Ball colour chart🤦♀️), but sometimes those distractions can lead you somewhere unexpected, down a path less travelled, to a place where your creativity can shine. So go there once in a while - ask questions while you’re there and explore all those paths, but always return safely (and set an alarm to get your kids from school! Lesson learned.)

4. It’s ok to stare into space and daydream.

I once worked for a guy who asked me to account for my time - literally, what I was doing when, on a time-sheet, down to the last minute. “OK, seems a tad excessive, but I’ll go with it.” Problem was, a lot of my time was spent thinking. Not about what I was gonna make for tea, or who should be the next evictee on Bake-Off, but thinking about the design project I working on - the concept, my design, how it all would work as a whole, the overall essence of it, and much much more. Should I write “Thinking” down on the time-sheet? Being creative often requires you to daydream - and in the words of Dave Birss “those drifty, random thoughts are where creative thinking tends to happen” (2018, p.41). So here is your permission slip to daydream! Yay!

5. Don’t allow the excuse that ‘you need a good chunk of time’ to stop you. You don’t.

So despite me encouraging you to daydream and wander into your imagination for a while en route, there are other times when you can take the highway and get there in no time! Because often the crucial part about being creative is the act of doing it, rather than the result. These are the times when you can enjoy the ride (be that on the highway or not) and let your imagination lead you. You don’t need to think too much, so you can be in that moment instantly. And just a few minutes a day can make a huge difference to how creative you feel overall.

6. Love your mistakes. Embrace them and take them with you!

Just like taking an empty suitcase for all the booze you’re gonna bring back from your trip to France, leave space in your creativity for your mistakes. They are more valuable than you think. So embrace them, use them, make them a part of your creativity, and you’ll end up with a far more interesting creative practice than you thought (and it won’t be due to the amount of red wine consumed in the Loire Valley!)

7. Don’t stress about what the result will be.

Damn it, I touched on this one above, but no stress, and what the hell, it’s worth repeating (plus I'd only have 9 tips if I took it out🤣). Creativity is a process, not a thing. It’s a verb, not a noun (if you want to get all grammatically correct!). You DO creativity. You BE creative. So why do we put so much pressure on what we end up with? Yes it’s nice to finish with something you love and are proud of, don’t get me wrong, that is GREAT, just like eating the cake after baking it, but in terms of how beneficial creativity is to your well-being and your brain functioning, it’s the act of being creative which holds all the gold. That’s when your brain creates new pathways and your mind leaves the stresses of work behind. That’s when the magic truly happens. So don’t stress about what you’re creating. Just create!

8. Pretend you’re a child, and just PLAY!

How great would it feel to be unburdened by expectations of what you think is ‘good’? How great would it be to stick a patch over your critical eye, and just see what you’re doing as nothing more than playing. Through play, we learn. Through play we encounter new things, new ideas, and a renewed sense of freedom - with no right and wrong! How liberating! And that’s where creativity thrives the most. So pretend your a child again and simply play!

9. Don’t do what you always do or think you should do.

I get it, it’s easy, we can all fall safely into the arms of ‘Mr Same Old’ or ‘Mrs Should’, but where’s the fun in that? Don’t do what feels easy, what you know - because you’ll only get the same in return. Creativity is closely linked to innovation - it’s about exploring the new. So be bold and brave. Step out of your comfort zone and see how it feels. I’ll bet ya it feels great!

And finally, a little bit of a motivational quote which I made up (yep, from my brain to your screen, through your eyes and into your subconscious - remember this folks!):

10. “You are as valid a creative as you are a human.”

(To any other species reading this, I apologise.) YOU, my dear, CAN be creative. We all have the potential. We just need to flex that creative muscle a little more often to truly see what it can do. The benefits for you, for your daily life and for your business are huge. So go on, give it a whirl! What have you got to lose?

So when you decide you want to ‘be creative’, remember all of these points. Or better still, live your life by them! Then you’ll always be creative, you’ll always feel slightly less stressed, and you’ll always come up with great ideas!

Creativity is for all of us. Let’s enjoy it and thrive.

⚡️If you like the sound of what I have to say, and want to join me on this creative journey, hanging out on that highway and meandering through your imagination, then check out Wonder Club - a group for people just like you, who would love to be 'more' creative but live one hell of a busy life! As part of the group, you'll see that it's possible to fit creativity in, and see the benefits to both your well-being and your business.

⭐️"Curate your life and business with creativity".⭐️ Together we can thrive!