Let the creative juices flow

The mind is a funny thing.  When I was younger, I could never decide if I was "right brained" or "left brained."  I was great at math, but I also loved art class and playing in the band.  I've come to realize over the years that I don't have to be one or the other.  I am actually both!  I process problems in a methodical, logical way, and my aptitude for managing data, staying organized, and loving the order of spreadsheets translates into my career in research.  However, I also frequently have intense cravings for creativity, and I dabble in all sorts of mediums--cooking, reading/writing poetry, sketching, watercolor painting, interior decorating, fashion, collage, music performance, theatre, crochet, etc.  I notice that if my workday is spent mainly exercising the "left side" of my brain (which it often is), I come home craving a creative outlet and have to spend a couple of hours painting and reading poetry just to get it out of my system.

Not everyone is like me, of course.  The beauty of human development is that we are all gifted with different abilities and strengths.  But I believe there is something to stretching the creative muscle in the workplace, regardless of whether you are a part-time Picasso or not.  Creativity in any form helps us to think beyond our day to day tasks to discover better ways of doing our jobs and inspire new ideas--whether it's a new pitch for a contract or a new data-crunching method or a fun teambuilding activity.  Creativity is what drives innovation and growth, and higher levels of strategic thinking.

How can you stretch your creative muscles?  The possibilities really have no end, but here are just a few ideas to get you started, that everyone should be able to do:

1. Start an art journal for drawings/doodles, collages, or whatever you like
2. Write a letter to your future self or your future child
3. Imagine what you would want for your last meal.  Look up recipes, and make it.  And use the good china to eat it.
4. Make a bucket list
5. Before bed every night, write down 5 good things about that day
6. Read Pablo Neruda's poetry.  You don't have to "get" it--just enjoy the words.
7. Flip through an art book.  Again, you don't have to "get" it--just enjoy the colors and lines and shapes and shadows.  Find one picture you think is interesting and stare at it for at least 5 minutes.
8. Lay in the grass and look for figures in the clouds
9. For a day, say "yes" to every reasonable request.  Try stretching it to a week.
10. Write a good old fashioned letter to a relative.  In your best cursive.
11. Sidewalk chalk.
12. Try one of these exercises
13. Here are some more tips to inspire creativity
14. And here's a good article about creativity at work (hey, if all else fails, you could just read about the subject itself)

Now I'd love to hear from you.  How do you spark creativity?

Happy creating!