It’s been one of those weeks where nothing seems to inspire me. I’ve had a few dud clients causing havoc with my stress and schedule, but I guess that’s one of the things you have to deal with as a freelancer! (As a sidenote, I’m working on a piece for The Huffington Post about the things you should NOT do as a freelancer, so feel free to chime in with some ideas if you have any!)

In an attempt to get my mojo back, I’ve been researching ways to boost creativity. I thought I’d share my findings with you guys just in case you are in the same boat as me at the moment – please let me know in the comments if you are and we can console each other!

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Creativity is something that is hugely important to me and I’m always looking for how I can be more creative. It’s also the most infuriating thing when you can’t seem to summon a small sliver of it – how many times have I sat with my head in my hands and a completely blank mind? Too damn many – especially this week! 

Over the weekend I collected a number of in-depth, longform posts about the art of creativity and how you can harness it in your daily life – I then basically spammed my Twitter feed with them.

But, luckily for you, I’ve compiled the list here as well (further down the page) so you can click through to the ones you think might be interesting (spoiler: they’re all interesting).

But first, let’s grapple with the main issue at hand.

What the hell does creativity mean?

It’s a pretty elusive word, right? An intangible one that probably looks different in everyone’s mind. What I might consider to be creative might not be for you. For example, some computer geniuses might consider writing a particular flowery code to be creative, whereas that’s not something I’d immediately jump to.

Of course it’s still creative, just in a different way to the things I initially think of as being creative – like writing and painting.

I think in general, though, we can sum up creativity to mean the act of creating something. Or, more specifically, the act of being inspired to create something (please feel free to call me out if you think I’m wrong!). This can be anything from the more obvious crafts of writing and painting to lesser considered things like coding and cooking.

Creative?

Why should you be creative?

According to certain research, being creative leads to happiness. The act of making something for yourself or for someone else releases serotonin – ain’t nothing bad about that!

I also think being creative can help you in more personal ways – it helps you to learn and hone your problem-solving skills, it encourages open-mindedness, and makes you a more rounded individual.

How to inspire creativity

Creativity is one of those annoying things that never seems to be there when you need it. It’s difficult to force yourself to feel creative, but there are some ways you can inspire yourself to be more creative if you’re not really feeling it.

• Read something – read something really good. It can be about anything. Just escape for a moment into another world and see how taking the pressure off yourself can work wonders.
• Take a walk – being at one with nature is a really humbling experience. I don’t know about you, but it helps me to feel more in touch with the world and allows me to see the ‘bigger picture’.
• Try something new – our lives tend to get bogged down by routine which seems to squish any glimmers of creativity into a dark and endless void. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is a great way to reawaken yourself and, ergo, your creativity.
• Explore new places – I’m a stickler for this one (and I’m sure as travel lovers you are, too!). Getting out and experiencing new cultures and different ways of life is great for encouraging you to think outside the box.

Everyone is different, and what works for me might not work for you and vice versa – let me know your tips in the comments! 

For further inspirational reading on how to be creative, take a look at the articles I’ve collected below. They’re all in-depth pieces and cover areas from idea generation to creativity within writing – scroll through and see if any stand out to you.

Articles on how to be creative

• Isaac Asimov Asks “How Do People Get New Ideas?” on Technology Review
• How to Survive Creative Burnout by Scott Berkun
• How to be Creative – 31 Ways on Funders and Founders
• How to be Creative on the Spot on Creative Something
• Top 10 Sources of Inspiration For Creative Writing on Life Hack
• How to be Creative: The Science of Genius on Mashable
• How to Become a Creative Genius on Life Hack (again)
• To Be More Creative, Cheer Up on Nautilus Mag
• 21 Ways to be More Creative by Christine Kane
• The Psychology Behind Messy Rooms: Why the Most Creative People Flourish in Clutter on Elite Daily
• Secrets of the Creative Brain on The Atlantic
• Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime on American Scientific
• Science Continues to Show Us How to be More Creative on Forbes
• 9 Ways to Become More Creative in the Next 10 Minutes on Inc
• How to be More Creative in 5 Simple Steps on the Pickcrew Blog
• How to Encourage More Creative Thinking on Sparring Mind
• Creatives Are the Ones Who Explore Outside Their Heads on Creative Something

What does creativity mean to you? I’d love to hear your tips – how do you stay creative?