I’m not the creative type. Have you uttered these words? Guess what, we are all the creative type and need to let that little light shine. Maybe you don’t wish to spend several hours of your day in creation mode. That’s okay. A little dab may do ya. Here’s why being creative leads to a happier, more meaningful existence.

You know when a new book by one of your favorite author’s is about to come out and it feels like Christmas is approaching? That is how I felt about the upcoming arrival of Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest book, “Big Magic.” Well, me and anyone else who loves to write.

This book was going to tell us all about moving through writer’s block and willing up some inspiration. Right? “Big Magic,” which hit the stands last month, is actually more a handbook on living a fulfilled existence. For all of us.

We know that Gilbert can get philosophical. “Eat, Pray, Love” was a pretty deep journey of self discovery, no? So it should come as no surprise that she views inspiration, idea generation, and being creative on a rather cosmic level.

Those who steer clear of anything leaning toward woo-woo may be turned off by the thought of ideas as energy beings. In “Big Magic,” Gilbert shares her take on ideas as having a will of their own and desire to be made manifest in the world. And that if your idea is not brought to fruition in a reasonably timely manner, it will leave you and go to someone else who will make it happen.

Are you having a moment? Or maybe you are ready to quit reading now. Consider this…

All of those times you’ve seen a product or idea working in the world and said to yourself ‘That was my idea!’ you were probably right. It was your idea. Until you didn’t do it and the poor little idea was left no choice but to take up residency somewhere it would receive more attention and better care. You not only missed the opportunity to possibly see success with your idea, you missed out on the creation part.

So what is so important about being creative? Gilbert calls it courage. Taking the leap to do something you really want to do, big or small, is more interesting, fulfilling, and creates more meaning in life than letting fear get the best of you.

Who says we are living in fear? Back to those ideas that didn’t see the light of day. All of the notions let go of and desires tossed aside. What else was holding you back other than fear? As Gilbert maintains, fear and creativity go hand in hand.

You don’t have to create the next big best seller or become a famous artist or anything else so public or celeb status-y. It can be as simple as learning to bird watch or rock collect, taking a karate or piano class, whatever it is that trips your trigger or fires up your curiosity.

Taking these little leaps in life leads to learning, meeting new people, connecting with those you already know in a new way, and offering something up to the world.

The next time one of those ideas makes its way onto your radar, give in and see where it takes you. Take the leap and feel the magic.

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Incorporate more creative practices into your everyday and you’ll end up with more creative ideas. 

For some, the idea of taking more time to be creative can be daunting. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to have 8 hours every day to devote to creating a masterpiece to bring more creativity into your life. Creative ideas don’t just come to you, they take cultivation, which is why it’s important to make time for artistic and creative practices in your everyday.

Here are 7 things you can do to ensure that you’re doing all you can to get the creative juices flowing.

1. Sketch

Plan time, 5 or 10 minutes, for a daily sketch. Capture what’s happening around you. Put pen (or pencil) to paper and let your mind and hand work simultaneously. Planning small amounts of drawing or sketching every day is good for anyone, whether or not you’re an artist.

2. Use a creative prompt

Whether you’re writing, drawing, sculpting or thinking, sometimes you need to kickstart the creative flow. A creative prompt can be good for that and breaking through a moment when you feel blocked.

3. Write a haiku

5-7-5, go.

4. Do something new

This one may sound simple, but it’s all a part of having new experiences, something that is essential to being more creative. Take a new route to work for example. A new route to work forces your brain to think a little more than usual as it’s out of its usual routine. It may lead you to see something different. Because insight can come from any experience, so you want to make sure you have a lot of them.

5. Write a six word story

Inspired by Hemingway, six word stories force you to think creatively, yet succinctly, and it’s an easy enough task to do in a matter of minutes if you need to get the wheels turning for other creative ideas.

6. Allow yourself to be messy

A study published in Psychological Science found that while a clean working space is good for some things, a messy working space may actually help promote creativity. Being in a clean room made people tend towards behaving in a way that was expected of them. In a messy room, they had an easier time breaking out of the box. So, if you want more creative ideas then allow for a little mess on your desk.

7. Get outside

In need of a creative idea for work or for a project? Go on a walk. A new study by researchers at Stanford linked walking with creativity, much needed scientific evidence that backs up what many creatives have known for a long time: if you need to come up with a new idea, get outside and get some exercise.

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