You and I are creators. We create things, relationships, memories, products, businesses, careers, and more. Sometimes, we also create excuses, problems, and mistakes. Have you ever felt the urge to do something like cooking, drawing, speaking, dancing, singing, or writing, only to dismiss it as "not creative enough"?

You're not alone! We're often bombarded with the myth that creativity belongs solely to artists, highly skilled individuals, and designers, leaving regular folks feeling excluded. But here’s the truth: Creativity is not a talent reserved for the chosen few; it's a birthright we all share.

As someone who does creative work for a living, people often find me creative. Design and art are typically considered direct manifestations of creativity. But that’s not true. You don’t need to be artistic to be creative. You don’t have to be good at something you don’t like doing. You don’t need special skills. A programmer can be creative in their own way. A salesperson can be creative with words, communication skills, and domain knowledge. A student can be creative with presentations, habits, and so on.

here is a difference between Being Creative and Staying Creative. Anyone can be creative, like getting ideas out of the blue, finding new solutions, discovering ways to deal with problems, and doing things differently, such as brushing your teeth with your opposite hand. However, staying creative seems more difficult. You cannot repeat the same thing over and over. You need that novel and unique perspective to see problems. So, I find staying creative more challenging. Since I do design and programming, I found ways to stay creative, like designing things in new styles and solving problems with fresh approaches. Seeking innovative ideas and implementing them has been my go-to approach.

Up until now, I've been exposed to so many problems and products that I sometimes feel saturated, like having no ideas at all. It feels like running out of ideas. So, I am going to share what I've been doing to stay creative, which might help you to be creative too. Let’s get started.

Do It Daily

When it comes to skill and knowledge, consistency is a must. You need to do it daily to get the hang of it. Block out a time when you can practice. For me, it's before I sleep. I design at least something that I want. I don’t share it though; I keep it to myself. It has become a habit to design daily. Although I design for my full-time job, this feels different—more free. So, make something daily.

Have Fun

When you’re serious about what you do, you probably aren't smiling during the process. You're so focused that your face looks serious. That’s completely fine. But focusing and enjoying are different things. You tend to focus on one thing intensely when you're concentrating. However, creativity is a mixture of craziness, being distracted by knowledge, thoughts, and ideas. So, try to have fun. Do crazy things. Make things weird and out-of-the-box. Creative work is the outcome when you’re having fun doing it.

Meditate

Yes, meditate. I do it every morning. Why? Because I know my whole day will be chaotic, full of work, talking, listening, and dealing with problems. So, why not give yourself that 10-15 minutes of peace? Creativity is a state of diverging and converging your focus at will. So, learn to get distracted and learn to regroup.

Try Something New

There is no creativity in doing things that have already been done. Of course, you have to start somewhere. Trying something new refers to exploring newer ideas that have never been done before. It doesn’t have to be unique universally; in your perspective, it should be new. Things you never did before. Exploration is a way of diversifying your mind to different possibilities. It’s the starting point of all inventions—someone tried things differently.

Switch Off

This is something new that I’ve learned: like switching off. Closing everything, not doing design-related work. It helped me explore other areas. I watch random YouTube videos, movies, anime, and TV series. Sometimes, I do nothing, like watching the ceiling. Jokes apart, switching off is necessary. You have to be distracted for a while to understand that you’re distracted. This gives you the urge to start working again. Let me tell you, being disappointed with yourself is the greatest motivation. In my case, it makes me start working again.

These are a few things I’ve been doing lately. They don’t necessarily have to relate to you. It’s my perspective, and you trying to be creative have to take these ideas differently. These ideas might give you other ideas.

So, staying creative is working so far. The urge to design and build something new and extraordinary is on. Thanks for reading my random thoughts so far. If you have any questions or ideas you want to share, feel free to email me at a@anjil.me or on Discord.