Creativity training, ever heard of it? The perception is that “creative people” are those who are artistic–or more precisely–good at drawing. The education system–often coupled with parental expectations–encouraged people to place themselves in one category or the other. But this isn’t how creativity works, and this kind of thinking is the reason why you might have trouble tapping into the creative parts of your brain. If the creative parts of the brain are dormant, you will have difficulty in even picking up a hobby and sticking to it.
Here are a few ways to train your brain to be more creative!
Spend time with nature
It’s been proven that spending time in nature makes us more creative. Looking at trees and leaves — instead of our electronic devices — reduces our anxiety, lowers our heart rates, soothes us, and allows our brains to make connections more easily. We can connect existing notions, thoughts, and images more easily to form a new, relevant, and usable concept. So make disconnecting a priority. Take a walk in your neighborhood park, stroll along the beach, or add plants to your balcony and spend some time there.
Experiment by picking up a hobby
You might be wondering, what do your thoughts about creativity have to do with whether or not you’re creative? The short answer, a lot. Think about a comfortable home, a kind family, a successful business, or a welcoming atmosphere. People create those things, often not by accident. Somewhere along the line, they put their minds to it and decided to make it happen. Pick up a hobby, painting is the easiest one on the chart. Begin splashing colors, and no need to be the perfect Van Gogh.
Meditate and relax
Meditation clears our minds of jumbled thoughts and gives our brains the space to observe and reflect, improving task concentration and enhancing our ability to make intelligent decisions. But did you know that meditation also puts the entire brain to work? You may have heard that creativity uses your right brain while your left brain is triggered during more analytical tasks. A famous study has revealed that painting is also equal to meditation. If you need to learn how to paint, begin with paint-by-numbers kits. When you start painting as a hobby, the first approach you should take is to start small. Keep it simple. Starting small will help conserve costs and build confidence with quick wins!
When I started, I bought a small starter paint-by-numbers kit from simple-painting.com. Paint-by-numbers can be a really good way to flag off your journey as a painter.
Expand your circle, meet new people with different hobbies
Training the brain to be more creative can only be done by expanding your social circle. Through social media, find circles of people that engage in different hobbies, connect with them, and attend events. This will push you to accept more life perspectives, cherish new experiences, and take up new hobbies.
