5 Ways to Master Your Creative Process

It’s natural for you to seek inspiration through art, words, photography or anything else that might spark an idea.

However, at the end of the day, your creative process is the most important asset for you to tap into when you’re developing new content and if your business requires a lot of your creative expression.

Your creative process guides you to new ideas and it can be cultivated through a number of activities.

Here are some ways you can tap into your creative process:

1. Follow your gut instincts:

Pay attention to what feels exciting. Think about how an idea or thought makes you feel and what you’re curious about.

If something feels draining, forced, or not aligned with your core values, then move away from it.

The more you connect with your gut and intuition and follow your instinctive curiosity, the faster you’ll get at moving forward with creating something that you’re proud of that has enduring value.

Start by setting aside time each day to fully disconnect from a buzzing phone, apps or other technology.

Give yourself at least 10 minutes each day to sit in silence and connect with your body including the emotions, ideas and inspiration that may flow in and out of you.

2. Avoid comparisons:

Avoid derailing your ideas with comparisons. Comparing yourself or your ideas makes you get off track and disconnects you from your purpose.

If you ever fall into a comparison mode, shift your attention to inspiration. This takes deliberate practice and one way you can avoid comparisons is to reflect on your ideas and reconnect with yourself.

Remind yourself that your voice, ideas and experiences make you unique.

3. Journal:

Journaling gives you clarity and focus on your ideas.

This exercise can serve as a self-motivator to take action and validate your creative intuition.

Engaging in quiet solitude of writing and reflecting can help you reconnect with your inner thoughts and spur creative ideas.

4. Go for a walk:

A study by Stanford researchers found that a person’s creative output increased by an average of 60 percent while walking.

Make it a habit to walk more often to tap into your creative intuition and keep your mind open for new ideas and solutions.

5. Rest:

Sometimes all that you need is a good night’s sleep to let an idea rest and manifest into something.

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed or confused with a project or idea, getting a good night’s sleep can help your mind relax and find solutions overnight.

Researchers at UC San Diego found that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep helps your brain connect unrelated ideas and enhances your creative problem-solving.

Try writing down some ideas or thoughts running through your head, relax your mind and let a good night’s sleep help you with your creative intuition.

Which of these tips will you implement first to help you tap into your creative process?