How to Unleash Your Creativity in 30 Minutes a Day
By: Pamela J. Nikodem
Tags: Self, Mental Health, Growth, Creativity, Art

Give some of the following methods a shot for 30 minutes each day to release your creativity:

Nostalgia to the rescue!

Harken back to your childhood. Did you have an active imagination? When I was in 3rd grade my teacher, Mrs. Bermudez gave myself and two friends all the extra worksheets she had left over from the year. We took possibly three bags of school work home. I set out to be a teacher. I arranged my teddy bears and dolls, made desks of cardboard boxes, and set out to teach. I did the assignments (since teddy bears cannot write), and pretended to grade their work.

The interesting fact? I am a teacher who works with men and women educating them on domestic violence and anger management. Who knew a creative side would turn into a real life career move? Maybe you pretended you were a teacher or a doctor. Or, you thought you were a grand hero, like Spider-man or a famous hunter, playing in the woods. Perhaps you played as if you were the greatest skateboarder or a champion football player. Borrowing different personas is a fun way to show your creativity.

Right now, imagine yourself as a successful and talented worker at your current profession. What would you wear? What about behaviors, your style, or your hairdo? What would you communicate to others or to the media? How would you relate?

Visualize that you’re the greatest at something you enjoy doing for at least 10 minutes each day. If you can see it, you can achieve it.

What are you good at?

Imagination is powerful. As you develop the skills of creativity, you’ll find the ability to focus on what you excel at and what you’ve accomplished. Do you have specific skills or talents which you thrive in discussing?

For the next 10, 20, or 30 minutes, consider your various skills, talents, and knowledge base. After your mind has toyed with the ideas, pick one skill to focus upon with intention. What makes you shine with particular ability you chose?

Are you focused and follow instructions well? What about listening skills or speaking skills? If you noticed what others say, or feel when they share their thoughts, you can write about the way you are impacted. You quickly pick up on what’s expected of you.

Consider if you find yourself internally motivated to accomplish jobs in a timely manner, or you can find ways to improve work performance. Take some time to write out how you create time saving documents or lists.

When you know what you excel at, you feel confident. And when you’re confident, you’re not afraid to try new things and experiment (which are aspects of being creative).

Let your mind fantasize about anything amazing in your life.

My brother used to dream about buying an expansive house on the hill in Washington State. He’d tell me what he would do and how he’d have a room just for model making. Maybe, you’ll thrive with dreaming about a love relationship. Give yourself 30 minutes to sit back and dream.

Imagine what the inside of the house looks like. Consider where you’d have a craft room, or even a holiday feast.

Picture the face of a potential mate. Imagine what your first encounter would be and what you will wear to meet them.

Create and laminate an index card for your pocket.

On the index card, write your top 3 life goals. Keep the card in an easy place to take out and look at when you have a few minutes. The concept here is to remind yourself of the goals and dreams you have. Your future self needs to be reminded in the present of what you love, long for, and plan to accomplish. Ponder how you want to achieve the goals. Savor the victory. Cherish the wish. And visualize yourself arriving with accolades of honor.

Remember, you hold the creative power to pursue every goal. You decide the process. Let your mind run free.

Consider the following questions: what can you do today, tomorrow, next week, and next month to go after your goals?

What mini steps can you take today to get you headed toward tomorrow’s success? Take massive action to head toward your dreams.

Role models help us grow.

Identify someone you admire or hold in high regard. I enjoy the research involved in studying about famous psychologists, neurologists, or criminal forensic scientists. The ideas they present inspire my work with the justice system helping prevent violence. As I consider their history, I success, and focus I become inspired to keep pursuing the dreams.

Ask yourself, what is it about them you like? How would your life improve if you acted or believed as they do? Sometimes the personality or the traits we see in others makes us feel happy, or content. If we were to act as if we had the same trait we’d begin to demonstrate the same behaviors. Usually if you are around someone for 10 minutes a day, you’ll start acting like the person. Be mindful who you study! For the next month, emulate the characteristic you admire.

Maybe Joe gets to work on time, has a positive attitude, and tackles the job without criticizing the managers or leaders. As you notice the different characteristics of Joe, you may start to emulate him by ceasing negative self-talk about the leadership team, even if you feel justified.

Find a way to look at the good around you and share what you see.

Trying on new personal characteristics allows you to stretch yourself creatively to see what you can do.

Try something new.

Experiment with a new creative activity. Explore arts and craft stores: buy a block of clay, a jewelry-making kit, or some paints and canvases. Look on Pinterest for ideas of Do-It-Yourself creative ideas. Find a way to incorporate the artistic side once a week into your schedule. As we cultivate creativity we build an artistic side to us we may have not realized in the past.

· One of the benefits of setting a time (30 minutes), limit on the project, means you do not have to complete it all in one setting. It’s possible you’ll spend over the half-hour mark, however, it’s the creativity you are looking at, not necessarily the time. Your skills will expand, and your time for ‘away’ from work activities becomes an event you look forward to.

Art or creative craft classes at local stores may be perfect to get you interested. Sometimes they are classes you take once, and then move on, or at other times they are several weeks, once a day. Start with what feels comfortable for you.

As you build creativity in your life, you’ll begin to feel the imagination take off. Working with your hands and mind together opens up new avenues.

Release the innovator inside. Delve into 30 minutes of pure invention-focused growth.

When you focus your energy on any of the above strategies, or connect 2 or 3 of them together you’ll find yourself developing a new set of coping strategies, reducing stress, becoming and building resourcefulness, as well as connecting with the younger version of you.

Believe in yourself. You are a creative individual. As you feel more confident, you’ll prove you have talent. Take the time to do something which cultivates your imagination and originality either daily or weekly. As I consider my favorite artist side, I realize I have let it slide too much and need to return to my first love: the arts. Maybe, after you read the above article, you too want to delve in and explore a side of you not yet found, or one which lays dormant under the surface of hustle and bustle. I encourage you to step up and find the artist inside!

~Just at thought by Pamela