7 ways to Reignite Your Creativity!

• Step outside your monotonous routine. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or an office executive, add variety to your day. Find new driving routes; take side-roads; slow down and enjoy the scenery with an artist's eye. Switch radio stations and listen to something different: jazz, country, or classical. Sing along, and dance. Sample new foods and recipes.

• Allow yourself unstructured playtime and a place all your own for artistic projects to bloom. Let your creative thoughts ramble as you do repetitive chores like weeding, mincing onions, or crocheting.

• Go for a ten-minute walk by yourself; listen to birds, the wind rustling treetops, or distant planes. Take in the smells at the park or beach. Look at the sky and find the dinosaurs in the clouds.

• Surround yourself with supportive people who will boost your confidence and encourage your creative endeavors—those friends who admire autumn leaves or who enjoy savoring the smells, colors, and sounds at outdoor markets.

• Sign up for a class to explore your creative potential. Quilting or tap dancing, anyone?

• The next time your kids get out Play Dough, dig in and be an artist, yourself. Let go of the reins of perfectionism. Most of us suffer from it to some degree, and it snuffs creativity. It’s okay to be a beginner. Hey, Mom, would you expect your son to dribble the ball onto the court and make a basket his very first try?

• Keep a daily journal. Buy a notebook and jot down whatever trivia enters your mind for two or three pages. Writing first thing in the morning will clear your brain of clutter and open the gates of your imagination. Let your sentences unfold like dreams where poor spelling and bad punctuation don’t matter. Your sixth grade teacher will not be checking for mistakes. In the world of creativity there are none, only opportunities to learn.

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