Wake up your creativity

A woman's hand holding a lightbulb that is lit up. You can see the current lighting up the lightbulb.

We think of creativity in use in traditional arts: sculpting, writing, music. But creativity is something everyone can tap into. The dictionary defines it as "the ability to make, or otherwise bring into existence, something new". So it's equally the muse that inspires a painting as it is the force that powers problem solving.

Everyone has their tricks for waking up their creativity. Here are a few of mine.

Pay more attention

Cover of a book titled "The Art of Noticing: 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday" by Rob Walker

Wake up your senses with tips from Rob Walker.

One of my favourite activities from this brilliant book is to "make an auditory inventory" (pg. 67).

Take some time out of your day and really listen. What sound does the water make when you pour it into a glass? What about when you gulp it down? What sounds do you hear around you - is something humming, is a car driving by, do your footsteps make a sound? Does your shirt "crinkle" or "swish"? What words would you use to describe the sounds you hear? It's a wonderful way to ponder the environment around you anew.

To hear Rob Walker explain his motivation for awakening curiosity in all of us, watch this video.

Change your route

Shake up your routine by taking a different route to work or to the grocery store.

Pick a theme to watch for - anything with numbers, something in yellow or people wearing bright clothing - and look for your "spotted!" item.

Bonus points: If you're walking and are able to take photos of your finds, they'll make a great conversation piece when displayed.

A man walking on a sidewalk, against a colourful backdrop of orange wall then white wall then brown wall. A very vibrant visual.

Work in an unusual location

Red bleachers with a view on a green field

We take our computers to coffee shops but what if you worked from an apartment balcony overlooking the sunrise? Or sat in empty bleachers, or at the top of long stairs at the park, or a quiet spot in a museum?

Can you find a temporary work spot on your way to grab the daily cup of coffee?

Create by discarding

Austin Kleon is a writer who draws. He has a series of books on creativity, which I highly recommend.

Recently, he also struck on a creative way of repurposing newspapers into art: he created poems by redacting articles. All you need is a newspaper and a black marker.

You can learn how from Austin Kleon himself.

Two hands on top of a newspaper, crossing out words with a marker

Spend time in nature

A gloved hand holding a glass sphere in front of beautiful, green, mountain and lake scenery. The scenery is reflected in the glass sphere.

If you're fortunate enough to have access to green spaces or a body of water near you, get outside.

Turn off your phone notifications and take a walk, jog or climb the path on a hike. Whatever your level of activity, focus on the sounds, smells and colours around you. To keep your mind focused on the fresh air, observe and catalogue all the shades of green (or blue), details of the weather, sounds of animals or nature around you.

I promise that this will help your brain rest and open up to new ideas.

Become a display artist

I spent over a decade working in retail, including with a very creative partner in crime: our head of visual merchandising. Interesting shops and retail spaces were a favourite topic of ours. They're memorable because they allow us to experience with multiple senses. Shopping feels like art.

Your mission here is to observe next time you shop: take note of places you enjoy and catalogue what makes them so. Is it the colour scheme, the displays, the way the store smells? How are products arranged? Are staff wearing a uniform? What sounds fill the space? Bonus points if you arrange your fruit or fridge shelf at home with display-for-shopping in mind.

If you're geekily interested in this, I recommend "The Creative Shopkeeper" by Lucy Johnston. Beautiful photographs of beautiful shops.

We see a woman's back as she's touching an item on display in a colourful store interior.

Art-ify your thoughts

A framed green poster with white letters that read "In a land far"

Try your hand at the creative arts: pick your favourite quote - or open a book or magazine and pick a line from a random page.

Do it on screen or by hand. Play with different fonts and sizes, colours of background, how words are arranged, what order you want them read, maybe some are missing.

It doesn't even matter if they're legible. Tinker until you're satisfied. Then print and display.