TOP TEN WAYS TO TAP INTO AND FLOW INTO CREATIVITY:

1.) FINGER PAINTING.

There is something about playing with finger paints that unlock the creative side of our brain. It could be because it allows the analytical side to take a break while the creative side has free range to do what it loves best.

Finger painting is an excellent way to allow your analytical side to relax and flow over into your creative side.

Word of caution when playing with paints or any other colors pigments.

Mixing all acrylic or oils colors could create dark and scary colors; these color types are not pure colors and may have small amounts of other colors that don’t mix well, creating a whole unexpected range of ugliness not wanted. Stick with colors that work well together first, like tempera or some watercolors.

I made that mistake and made myself sick from color meshing, resulting in an unpleasant physical reaction.

BASIC EXPLANATION OF COLOR MIXING RULES:

PRIMARY COLORS

TRADITIONAL PRIMARY COLORS

Red | Blue | Yellow

MODERN PRIMARY COLORS

Magenta | Cyan | Canary yellow

Each primary color MIXES WELL with one other primary color to create secondary colors.

SECONDARY COLORS

TRADITIONAL SECONDARY COLORS

Dark Purple | Dark Green | Autumn Orange

MODERN SECONDARY COLORS

Bright Purple | Bright Green | Vibrant Orange

Each secondary color MIXES WELL with one other secondary color to create tertiary colors.

INTERMEDIATE COLORS

Created by mixing one primary and one secondary color to create a variety of in-between color ranges within the intermediate colors mixtures.

For Example:

Yellow-Orange | Red-Orange | Blue-Violet | Blue-Green | Yellow-Green 

TERTIARY COLORS

It is made by mixing two secondary colors to create various other colors ranges, usually in the brown families and what we call muddy colors.

Muddy colors are so blended with other colors that you can’t tell which primary colors are used.

2.) DOODLING ON SCRATCH PAPER.

I start doodling on a scratch pad to get my mind off whatever is distracting me, moving me into the doing mode-other times when I have a hard time controlling my lines or shapes to create the imagery in my mind.

I will draw rows of overlapping circles in one stroke, paying attention to keeping the shape and size evenly across the pad of lined paper until the page is full of several rows of overlapping circles.

3.) MAKING TIME FOR DAYDREAMING.

Not all ideas are a winner for a variety of reasons. But even realized bad ideas may help lead or re-route us to the great ideas.

By making time to daydream it will become easier to tap into dreaming, connecting dots, thinking of great ideas, which will help propel us into momentum.

Without dreaming we never find the possibilites in our purpose. Without daydreaming it becomes hard to create a vision.

4.) WORKING WITH PLAY-DOH OR CLAY.

Just keep kneading the dough, and you will find yourself eventually shaping, then reshaping the material until we make something identifiable.

These actions help us move into the flow of creativity.

If you are having a hard time coming up with anything to create, keep kneading the material, and eventually, you will start to shape the dough into creatures or other items based on your thoughts.

If play-doh is not your thing, that is ok-you can use any clay or sculpting materials to do the same thing. You could even make fun-shaped cookies or candies instead. The point is to tap into play using your hands.

5.) JOKING AROUND WITH FRIENDS (IF THERE IS SYNERGY).

Yes, That is right; the luxury of hanging out with like-minded people while playing with ideas and joking around creates synergy resulting in the flow of creativity. 

The best thing about having friendships that create synergy is coming up with and working on many beautiful ideas and fun projects.

6.) QUIET TIME ALONE.

In this downtime, I can regenerate my energy, let my mind wander, think, daydream, create, brainstorm, work out issues, reflect, readjust, or make new plans.

Excellent time well spent; I like to get into this mode by driving long distances. Perhaps from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Then spend a day or two in the bay area.

The drive is so incredibly dull or beautiful (depending on which routes I take) that my mind has time to do all those fantastic things.

When I spend much one-on-one time with God, I am given the best ideas and connecting ideas ever.

Alone time is an excellent time for reflection and flowing into creativity. For me, that comes from driving, being in nature (beach), hanging out with my dog, people-watching, sitting quietly, or reading.

I come up with many ideas when learning new things or skillset; dot-connecting remember?

Intuitively you will know what works for you, too, especially as you try new things.

But you may find like I did, that creativity flows from not trying too hard.

P.S. No, you do not have to drive 6.5 hours each way to tap into your creativity via driving. It is more the act of not having distractions and nothing else to focus on but the destination.

With that said, I have also had wonderfully creative ideas pop up resulting from distractions just because of the chaos it can create for character development. But my preference is always quiet activities.

7.) PEOPLE WATCHING.

Observe the body movements and how they change depending on the emotion or lack of feeling the person is displaying.

Watch for oddities like how the body mechanics change with different personalities or possible injuries. Use this information for quirks in your character’s personality and mechanical body movements.

People watching can also cause people to feel super self-conscious, which is not desirable. So if you are an artist or a writer type, bring your materials and double your day productivity by doing quick sketches of the people passing by or jotting down your ideas and observations for stories and character development later.

If you are not already taking your journal or sketch pad everywhere you go, you need to start; this will help you begin to naturally ease in and out of the flow of creativity and analytical thinking.

And Yes, you can do all that on your digital devices instead of paper if you would like to.

Try and be mindful not to disturb people the best you can.

8.) WORK ON SOMETHING ELSE.

So what is this magical practice? When you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or cannot flow over into your creativity. Do something not related to what you are trying to accomplish.

With that shift, you give your brain a break on that topic, project, idea, or whatever. So you can come back to it with a fresh mind and hopefully a new perspective.

I am doing that right now. While writing this article, I am also letting my mind ease into designing three separate 50 sticker packs for the iPhone. Stopping to jot down ideas as they come.

What will it be?

I don’t entirely know, but since I have started writing this miniseries, I have realized it better help people convey their thoughts and feelings that are hard to put into words or help people feel better.

9.) KNITTING TO QUIET THE MIND. 

The more you work on it, the more it becomes intuitive; you still need focus, just not as intense.

When your mind is running ramped, you can’t focus, and you need to flow into your creative side. Try knitting to increase focus, quiet your mind, and pour into creativity. 

10.) SITTING AND JUST STARTING.

Sometimes starting pushes us in the right direction with just the right momentum.

ANALYTICAL AND CREATIVE BRAIN PATHWAYS.

Taking part in these activities allows the analytical aspects of your brain to relax, allowing the creative elements of your mind to shine.

Its sounds odd, but these are things that help me move from analytical to creative thinking.

I can now glean from my creative and analytic thoughts and ideas, using both systems to solve problems. It is helpful. But sometimes, when stressed, I get stuck. That’s why doing things that help you move past the effects of stress is helpful.

Hint: The advice above will help you move past the effects of stress.

But when I create imagery or paint, I prefer to flow mainly on the creative side. It brings quietness to my mind that nothing else can. It is hard to explain, but that flow usually comes from the activities above. They create a different focus and quietness for your mind.