A levels. Music or Maths, Art or Philosophy. Should I go to university, do I really need it?
Why should we have to choose? I'm sure anyone who went to a strict secondary school, sixth form or college is familiar with the "going to university and studying a facilitating subject is the only way forward narrative". Well for those who feel like they were forced to ignore their creative side/struggle to incorporate creativity into their lives or even those who just feel that they'd like to experiment, read on!
1. POSITIVE ASSOCIATION & EXPANDING YOUR NETWORK
Ever heard the saying "you become like the company you keep"? Our friends can influence our mood, the way we think and what we do in our spare time. In the same way, surrounding yourself with people who are already in the direction you'd like to progress in means that you can learn from them and make more connections.
2. LEARN TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Start a new fitness class, watch a film from a genre you would never usually watch, or try a new restaurant. Anything that will shake up your routine or broaden your horizon. I recently watched a film about a girl who creates a poker empire and becomes an FBI target. I was stuck for choice on a nine hour flight and probably wouldn't have watched it otherwise, but surprisingly I did enjoy it. (I probably would have enjoyed it even more without having to listen to the screaming baby and sit through the freezing cold air con but nothings perfect right :)). So it's the little things like examining your creativity through films that will even inspire your next project, whether its a fashion piece, a potentially award winning blog post or a business. And even if it didn't inspire a project, you hopefully learnt something new along the way.
3. CREATE A SIDE HOBBY
If you don't already have a side hobby or project, think about starting one! If you work a 9-5 job, you'll be aware of how valuable your time outside of work becomes. Filling your time with the right activities is crucial and it can be good to get the balance between seeing friends, exploring your creative projects and work. Note that I haven't boxed creative projects and work into one element. It's great when you can have a project you're developing that doesn't feel like a chore. My blog takes a lot of time to maintain but the most important thing for me is that it's enjoyable. It's also worth seeing if you can incorporate your creativity into your job - collaborate with other teams, see what extra assistance they may need, ask your manager if you can develop a new proposal. Be proactive. As long as what you're proposing will help your company commercially, try your luck and see if you can make an impact!
4. INCORPORATE SOME GREEN AND BLUE HUES INTO YOUR WORK SPACE
It has been scientifically proven in various studies that green and blue increase creativity. Hard to believe? A study showed one group a glimpse of green and another group, various other colours. And guess what? Those who were shown green were significantly more creative than those who weren't scoring more on the creative scale. So think about your creative space and whether it's worth buying a green/blue wall sheet, desk plant or changing your laptop background.
5. ADJUST YOUR ROUTINE
Establish whether your creativity thrives in the morning or afternoon, just before lunch or after, on a week day or a weekend. How many times have you sat down to do some work or a task and no matter how hard you tried or for how long, you just couldn't focus? When I was studying for my English Literature exams, I would sometimes get a bout of energy at night and would take advantage of that. Exploring routines and the way your body reacts can really make a difference in terms productivity.Â
