Image Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

This post is inspired by the first chapter of Scott Berkun’s book The Myths of Innovation. Why not get yourself a copy and join in the discussion?

We all love stories of how ideas started – about that great moment when the solution to a problem just popped into existence as if a lightbulb had turned on above someone’s head.

But, as Scott Berkun brings out in his first chapter, entitled ‘The Myth of Epiphany’, stories of innovation are often either:

• Over-simplifications of events (such as in the case of Archimedes and his ‘eureka’ moment) or
• Fabrications created to sensationalize the event (as happened with Newton and the apple).

Yet we crave the romanticized stories of how these epiphanies came about, believing that ideas are all about being in the right place at the right time.

Well, prepare to have your bubble burst.

The Reality of Epiphanies

Epiphanies don’t just happen to a random passerby who knows little or nothing about the subject in question. Epiphanies come to people who have an in-depth knowledge of their subject. Often they’ve studied their subject for years before they happen upon their great ‘ah ha’ moment.

Why?

Berkun uses the illustration of a jigsaw puzzle and the elation of putting in the last piece.

The last piece of the puzzle is no more special than any other piece of the puzzle. You don’t know which one it will be until the very end. It’s special because of all the pieces that have gone before it.

As Berkun says:

Epiphany works the same way: it’s not the apple or the magic moment that matters much, it’s the work before and after.

There are two causes for the elation felt at the moment of epiphany:

• The hours of work that went before, and
• The surprise of ‘reaching the summit’.

When working on a jigsaw, we can see our progress. We know how many pieces are left before we finish – and we know for sure when we only have one more piece to go. However, when dealing with epiphanies, we usually don’t know when we’re holding the metaphorical last piece until the moment it clicks into place. It’s like we’ve been scaling a mountain and the clouds suddenly pull back to reveal the summit.

But you cannot reach the summit if you haven’t been scaling the mountain in the first place.

The Difference Between Epiphanies and Ideas

Before we go on further to learn where ideas come from, I would like to diverge on a personal tangent for a minute to define some terms.

When we refer to an epiphany, we think of the ultimate, life changing ’ah ha’ moment which neatly provides the all encompassing solution to our problem (as happens at the end of every detective television show, right?). It’s followed by a snap of the fingers, a squeal of excitement and/or a dash down the streets of the city in your birthday suit screaming ‘I have found it!’

Ideas, on the other hand, come in many shapes and forms. While you could describe all epiphanies as ideas, not all ideas are epiphanies. Many of them are simple, small and may only fix part of a problem. However, you’re guaranteed to have far more small ideas than epiphanies in your lifetime.

Berkun makes a good point under the heading ‘Ideas never stand alone’ when he says:

Any seemingly grand idea can be divided into an infinite series of smaller, previously known ideas.

Where do these ideas come from? And how does an epiphany come about?

So, Where Do Ideas Come From?

Drawing from my own experience, and from consideration of Berkun’s first chapter, here is my summary of how ideas (and occasional epiphanies) actually come about.

Step 1: Understand Your Subject (also known as Hard Work)

First of all you need to immerse yourself in your subject. Learn everything you can about it. See what other people have tried (their successes and failures). Learn about their ‘previously known’ ideas.

To truly provide a useful ‘innovation’ (defined by Berkun as ‘significant positive change’) you have to first understand what needs to be changed.

Step 2: Get Creative With Your Subject

Conduct experiments to learn more, specifically in areas other people may not have branched into before.

Look for connections, especially the unusual ones. See how what you are now learning links with what you already know. Find similarities between what you’re working on and other unrelated subjects – art, farming, biology, metal smelting etc.

These are all your puzzle pieces. The more you fit together, the closer you get to your last piece.

Step 3: Walk Away From Your Workspace

At some point you need to take a break. Walk away from your workbench, or notebook, or computer. Take a shower. Make a cup of coffee. Go for a walk. Switch off for the weekend. Leave on a holiday. Relax and think about something completely different.

Often the last piece of the puzzle will fall into place once you’ve stopped forcing it – thus the eureka moment in an unexpected place.

What happens next may not be what you call an ‘epiphany’. Maybe it’s a realisation of a connection or a possibility that will send you off in a new direction or drive you forward with new enthusiasm – a humble idea. These moments are just as good as, if not better than, an ‘epiphany’.

Why?

Epiphanies Are Not Essential

As Berkun points out:

Nearly every major innovation of the 20th century took place without claims of epiphany.

Everyone wants a ‘eureka’ moment, but those aren’t what actually matter in the long run. After all, an idea alone is seldom useful. It needs application, further hard work, before it can have it’s true impact on the world.

Berkun says:

To focus on the magic moments is to miss the point. The goal isn’t the magic moment: it’s the end result of a useful innovation.

Epiphany is not essential. Most things are created without them.

For example, Peter Drucker, in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, says:

Successful entrepreneurs do not wait until ”the Muse kisses them” and gives them a “bright idea”: they go to work.

The moral here is, don’t wait for an epiphany to find you. You cannot control when, how or even if an epiphany will strike.

Instead, start working. Find a subject you have a passion for. Learn it well. Experiment. Look for those moments when you find connections and are filled with new enthusiasm. Value those humble ideas and continue fitting them into your bigger jigsaw.

The world is not divided into those who have epiphanies and those who don’t. It’s divided into those who do the hard work and those who don’t. If you’re doing the work, you’re a success – with or without the epiphany.

Have you read the first chapter of The Myths of Innovation? Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you haven’t read it yet, let us know your thoughts on this post.

P.S. This post barely even scratches the surface of the insightful information in Berkun’s first chapter. I highly recommend you get your own copy and start reading.

The following is an excerpt from my e-book Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity – 15 Tips for Bringing Yourself Back from the Brink. Download your own free copy when you sign up for the Creativity’s Workshop Newsletter.

Laughter really is the best medicine. It eases tension, increases our intake of oxygen and releases feel-good chemicals in the brain.

When you’re contemplating insanity, you’re least likely to feel like laughing, so you need to actively search for funny situations.

Watch a Funny Movie

• If you like sci-fi, try Galaxy Quest or Men in Black.
• More of a historical romance buff? Watch The Princess Bride or Kate and Leopold.
• Got to please the kiddies? Pixar movies are just as entertaining for adults.

Read Funny Quotes or Books

Our suggestions are:

• Alan Coren
• Odgen Nash
• P.G. Wodehouse
• Douglas Adams

But that’s just the beginning. There are plenty more where they came from!

A Note from Creativity: Don’t Stop There!

Why not keep a record of all your family’s classic moments in a journal or scrapbook so you can look back over them together and laugh?

If you enjoyed this excerpt, sign up for the newsletter and get your own copy of the e-book.

P.S. My next post will be about the first chapter of The Myths of Innovation. Read the chapter for yourself and then share in the discussion!

P.P.S. Have a look at these earlier posts: Declare Your Novel, NaNo WriMo Highlights 1, NaNo WriMo Highlights 2 and NaNo WriMo Highlights 4. There’s recently been some great writing added in the comments.

The day is finally here! Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity is now available for download!

All you have to do is follow this link, sign up for our newsletter and you can download it for yourself!

First, I’ll tell you about the e-book, then I’ll explain more about what you can expect in our upcoming newsletters.

Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity

If you have ever felt like screaming the words, ‘Stop the world, I want to get off!’ then this e-book is for you.

It covers 15 helpful tips on how to bring yourself back from the brink of insanity. Each tip is practical and easy to try, with humour and fun thrown in for good measure.

For those of you who received prerelease copies, we have some updates. Thanks to your wonderful feedback, I’ve added two extra tips and lots of new information. I also made some layout changes so the book looks less formal.

To download your copy of Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity, click here and sign up for our newsletter.

But what’s in this newsletter?

The Creativity’s Workshop Newsletter

Our newsletter comes out every two weeks and contains:

• Announcements of upcoming events and special offers.
• Exclusive articles on creativity.
• Inspiring and fun quotes to get you thinking.
• Creative writing prompts.
• A summary of recent posts on Creativity’s Workshop.
• Handy links to other sites and posts you may find interesting.

Doesn’t that sound like something you’d like in your inbox twice a month? Sign up now.

If you have any questions or any problems during the sign up process, please just e-mail me at jessica@jessicabaverstock.com

Next week we start on the first chapter of The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun. I’ll be posting my thoughts on the first chapter. I’d love to hear yours!

But finally on Monday it occurred to me. I should make a list of the things I’ve learned from the act of posting 100 times.

So here I share with you the things I’ve learned from blogging.

How to Harvest Ideas

When I first started blogging, everything was new. I was excited. I had a brain full of ideas on what to do.

A couple of months down the track, I began to panic. How would I keep posting twice a week? What would I write about? Was this my well running dry?

100 blog posts have taught me how to harvest ideas so I always have something to write about.

Here is what I’ve discovered:

• Always have a place to record your post ideas as they come to you - a notebook, Evernote, a spot on your phone. You never know when the ideas will strike but you can be guaranteed of forgetting them if you don’t record them quick smart.
• Read widely. Read books, follow other people’s blogs, set up Google Alerts for your keywords. Always be in search of great information. As you read, you’ll find connections and things to write about.
• Ensure you’re passionate about your subject. Your enthusiasm comes through in your words and dedication to what you’re writing. If you love your subject, your words will come. If you don’t love your subject, find another subject.
• If all else fails, be random. If you’re really stuck for ideas then listen to an interview (I love Desert Island Disks), take a suggestion from Ghostwriter Dad, read your favourite newspaper or hit the Random Article button on Wikipedia.

The Convenience of  Scheduling

Most blogs have a feature where you can schedule posts. In other words you write the post, get it all ready, tell your blog what day and time you want it to appear, then head off to do other things while your blog sits nervously watching the clock until the specified time.

This takes a lot of the stress out of blogging, because you can set up your week’s events and then get busy with other things without having to worry about scrambling around at the last minute.

Of course, for this to work, you need to have posts prepared in advance.

Notice above where I mentioned recording ideas when they come to you? I often start writing out my posts in the same area, perhaps even weeks ahead. That way I can add to them as ideas come to me and let them percolate through the grey matter until they form into something presentable.

There will always be those posts which are prepared the night before, or on the day (eek!), but that’s okay because blogging is supposed to be spontaneous (just don’t forget to proofread!).

Readers are Lovely People

I am blessed with really lovely people who comment on my blog and even e-mail me from time to time. (Thank you all!)

However, not everyone we come across in blogland will leave us feeling warm and fuzzy.

The internet provides us great connections to other people, but on a limited basis. We often only have words and a photograph to go by. No tone of voice, no expression. Sometimes those words can come across as curt or hurtful – leaving you affronted by what was said.

But in most of these cases it’s just a difference of opinion or a difficulty with the medium (words can be read many different ways).

If you assume these readers are nice people and treat them accordingly, even if they’re disagreeing with you (perhaps forcefully), then often times they’ll rise to the occasion and become nice in return.

Treat with respect and you will most likely receive respect. And even if you don’t receive it from that person, you will receive it from the rest of your readers…because they are lovely people.

Remember, each reader is someone who has spent their precious time running their eyes over your words. Whatever the outcome, you should be grateful for their time.

You Can Never Quite Predict Which Posts Will Take Off

The posts you’re hopelessly in love with, and positive other people will love too, often fall flat. That’s the way it is. On the other hand, posts you just dashed off and didn’t think would make that much impact spark conversations and retweets.

Maybe there’s a pattern. Maybe there isn’t. Roll with it.

Don’t get down about the posts that didn’t get a warm reception. It’s all content and, if nothing else, it can be re-purposed and sent out again in another format.

A lack of response isn’t a failure.

It’s More Important to be Read than to Have Page Views

When tallying stats, remember that if someone has subscribed to your blog, they’re likely reading your words in their inbox or their blog reader. You won’t see those stats as page views, but that doesn’t mean they’re not reading your work…

…unless you only send them a preview.

Some of you may have noticed that a couple of months ago I changed the settings on my blog to only send through previews. While this increased my page views, it also increased the hoops my readers had to jump through in order to read my content.

Great for me, because it boosted my stats (making me feel better) but annoying for my readers.

Once I realised this, I switched back to sending through the whole post. I figured what mattered most to me was that my content was being read. Even if the person never came to my blog, never posted a comment, they were still reading my content.

So I mentally added the number of subscribers to my page view stats and then ignored all the results.

Happy readers are what matters…because readers are lovely people.

You Don’t Have to do Everything at Once

There are heaps of posts out there about how to improve your blog. Each has great advice but the long to do lists are overwhelming. The good news is you can do each task at your own pace. There is no rule which says you have to finish the list in question by Sunday, or even at all.

Work on one aspect of your blog at a time. Be methodical and patient. You’re growing something here. It takes time and gentle watering.

I hope these points have been helpful. I’ve enjoyed learning them.

And once again, a special thank you to all you lovely people.

P.S. If you had trouble getting through to jessicabaverstock.com the other day then please try again. The problems with WordPress are all sorted now.

Hi everyone. I have some exciting news!

Creativity’s Workshop has it’s own domain! You can now access the site by typing in www.creativitysworkshop.com, although all your current links, bookmarks and RSS feeds should work just as they always have.

Also, I have my own website: www.jessicabaverstock.com. Toddle over and take a look. It’s pretty basic at the moment. (Note: At the moment the site is unavailable. I’ve contacted WordPress and hope to have it all sorted soon!)

I intend to use the blog there to announce projects I’m working on and other stuff like that, but I’ll still be treating Creativity’s Workshop as my main blog. So don’t worry, if you’re subscribed here, you won’t be missing out on anything.

This week is going to be full on. This is my 99th post, so my next one is the big 100! After that I’ll be releasing my e-book, and with it my newsletter!

So stick around. It’s going to be a great week.

P.S. While we’re on the subject of changes, I have a new e-mail address! You can now contact me on jessica@jessicabaverstock.com, but my old e-mail address will still work too.

Image Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Hi, I’m Jessica’s Creativity and I’m here to talk to you about music!

There are many different opinions on whether music is helpful or harmful to the creative process. To a certain extent, it depends on what you and your Creativity feel comfortable with.

In my experience, whether music helps or harms your process depends on the day, the weather, the project, your socks and what’s in the oven at the time.

We’ve previously discussed how instrumental music can help your Creativity. Now allow me to wander through some ways I have found song lyrics to be inspiring.

The Influence of Cadence

Whether you are writing lyrics, poetry or prose, cadence plays a big part in the composition and structure of your sentences. Words have a music all their own, created by syllables and word stress. Great prose lilts to a melody in your mind as your read. (We’ll talk more about the details of this in another post.)

Listening to lyrics can inspire you to experiment with different and creative combinations of words to form unique cadence.

For example, Poisoning Pigeon in the Park by Tom Lehrer (a comedic song not at all to be taken literally) has these gems:

When they see us coming, the birdies all try an’ hide,

But they still go for peanuts when coated with cyanide.

…..

My pulse will be quickenin’

With each drop of strychnine

We feed to a pigeon.

It just takes a smidgen!

To poison a pigeon in the park.

The jaunty tightness to these words is further enhanced by the brilliance of rhyming ‘try an’ hide’ with ‘cyanide’ and many others. Just listening to this makes one want to rush headlong into a piece of paper and follow suit!

Other Songs With Addictive Cadence

• Private Investigations – Dire Straits
• Taylor (On and On album, track 4) - Jack Johnson

Exposure to New Words

While we are often exposed to new words in books, there’s something special about coming across a new word in a song.

The first advantage is that you immediately know how to pronounce it. Anyone who has first stumbled across a word in written form, and had to decipher dictionary squiggles in order to sound intelligent when using it, will appreciate this.

Another plus is that music lends new words magic - the swelling strings or gentle piano behind them become like a soundtrack to your very own discovery.

My favourite example of this is Tim Finn’s Winter Light which led to my discovery of the word Fantasmagoria. Listen to the song and see if you don’t fall in love with the word too!

Of course, the ultimate plus is that songs help you remember your new words, which is essential if these words are going to do your creative work any good. Usually you can hum it back into your memory or at least remember what it rhymes with.

Other Songs With Interesting Words or Phrases

• Gossip Calypso - Bernard Cribbins (you have to love a song that can work in ‘oxy-acetylene welder’)
• The Tip of the Iceberg (track 10) - Owl City (there’s something about the phrase ‘sub-zero tundra’ which transports me every time)

Playing With Connections

Often we come across song writers who are fantastic at using analogies or creating connections between everyday things.

A perfect example of this is Owl City. Among my favourites is this verse from Dental Care (track 6):

Golf and alcohol don’t mix

And that’s why I don’t drink and drive

Because good grief, I’d knock out my teeth

And have to kiss my smile goodbye

Start listening more closely to your favourite songs. You’re bound to find amusing and inspiring connections hidden (or not so hidden) in the lyrics.

Then start making clever connections of your own.

Other Songs with Interesting Connections

• If You Were a Sailboat - Katie Melua

Envisioning a Story

Music elicits emotion, which makes it a brilliant storytelling device. The storytelling becomes even more incredible when your get a lyricist like Billy Joel on the job. The Downeaster Alexa (about a fisherman who is struggling to make ends meet) is one of my all-time favourite songs, because of lyrics like these:

And I go where the ocean is deep

There are giants out there in the canyons

And a good captain can’t fall asleep

….

So if you see my Downeaster “Alexa”

And if you work with the rod and the reel

Tell my wife I am trawling Atlantis

And I still have my hands on the wheel

Just listening to that song conjures up clear images of the sea, the boat, the birds, the waves. Take that picture and write about it.

Look for the stories other songs conjure up and let them grow inside your imagination. Perhaps your next novel is waiting between the lines of a song.

Other Stories in Song

• Sailing to Philadelphia – Mark Knopfler
• The Best Day - Taylor Swift

What song lyrics do you find inspiring? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

A practical note from Jessica: You may notice that not all the songs mentioned here have links. For the older songs we linked to the YouTube versions (as there may not be too many easy ways to find that music anymore), but with the newer songs we’ve either tried to direct you to the performer’s own website or to an official music video. Where that hasn’t been possible, we leave you to find your own way to the music rather than send you through to a copied version.

The first is about my e-book ‘Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity.’

After the e-book giveaway in December, some of my readers came back with suggestions on how I could make the e-book better. With those in mind I spent a couple more weeks reworking it. I’m very happy with the results and I can’t wait to share then with you!

My plan is to release the book next week. If you would be interested in participating in the release, please let me know either by e-mail or in the comments below.

I’m already working on my next e-book which will be a guide to becoming a guilt- and stress-free writer. Exciting stuff!

Now, for my second announcement.

I’ve started reading The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun. It is a brilliant book. There are so many great points in it that a book review in a single post just wouldn’t do it justice. So I’m proposing a project we can all do together.

I plan to post my thoughts on the book every week, dealing with a chapter at a time. I encourage you to get yourself a copy and read along. I’d love to discuss it with you in the comments!

The book is only $8.99 for the Kindle version and $12.23 for the paperback on Amazon (non-affiliate links).

I plan to start not next week but the week after. It’s going to be great fun, so come along for the ride!

Earlier this week we looked back on Jessica’s favourite posts. Now here are mine!

I take my job of blogger very seriously (I remove my Groucho Marx glasses every time I settle down to write to you). A lot of these posts are not just crazy, random humour, but were written to help you understand your Creativity better. Several of those listed below  cover essential secrets to keeping your Creativity happy and healthy. Please take a look. You might learn something helpful.

• Why ‘Childish’ is the Greatest Complement You Can Pay Your Creativity - I get the giggles every time I see the photo for this post. (Ahem! There’s seriously helpful stuff in there too…somewhere…such cute glasses!)
  
• Ride Your Creative Wave - Any post that mentions bellybutton fluff has to be good, right? (And helpful! It’s helpful bellybutton fluff.)
  
• What are You Exchanging Your Life For? - This one gives me goose pimples (actually they look like turkey pimples, but that was more than you needed to know) every time I read it, because we Creativities are completely at your mercy when it comes to how time is spent.
  
• Save Your Creativity from the Deadline Stupor - I can personally vouch for the usefulness of every point in this post.
  
• Keeping Your Creativity Entertained - This is important! If you don’t treat your Creativity right (as outlined in this post) he/she may not be there when you need ideas.
  
• Prove Yourself Trustworthy - How you treat your Creativity’s ideas may be the difference between being inundated with more wonders of the Imagination, or facing an inspiration wilderness. (See? Serious and helpful stuff.)
  
• Immunizing Your Creativity Against Criticism - Sooner or later you’re gonna come up against other people’s opinions. Do your Creativity a favour and prepare for the inevitable by reading this post.
  
• Cheesy Advice…The Good Kind - The world is full of writing advice. Instead of going stark raving mad, why not view it all as a cheese sampler?
  

And my favourite post so far is…cinamon roll please…

• Building Trust in Your Creativity - I take you on your very own jungle adventure with the action hero of your choice! (It gets helpful somewhere towards the end.)

Well, there. Doesn’t that list make it look like I’ve been working hard? I’m off to reward myself with some unabashed saxophone playing and a long drink of chocolate mud cake.

Image Credit: Microsoft Image

Most bloggers have been looking back over their favourite posts of last year. Because of my blogging hiatus this year, Creativity’s Workshop doesn’t have a full year of posts to look back on.

So we’ve decided to make a list of favourite posts from before the hiatus. If you’re relatively new to Creativity’s Workshop, you may not have come across these posts.

Yes, I did say we. Because Creativity writes in her own voice here, I decided we needed two lists – one from each blogger’s voice. Seeing as our lists got quite long quite quickly, Creativity started her own post which you can read later in the week.

So, without further ado, here are my favourite posts.

• Teaching Your Creativity to Eat Vegetables – I know Creativity wouldn’t choose this post as one of her favourites, but I’ve found the tips very practical. (Hint: It’s actually about working on creative projects, not real vegetables.)
• The Unique Power of Ideas – Sparked by a George Bernard Shaw quote, this post captures my wonder at the concept of ‘ideas’.
• The Good, The Bad and The Critical – A guest post on Charlotte Rains Dixon’s blog, and still one of my favourite pieces of writing.
• Turning Over an Old Leaf – Some examples of how you can discover new things in the familiar and ordinary.
• A Creative View of Others - I often think back on this post, especially the descriptions of depression and language barriers, when I’m interacting with friends and family.
• When Procrastination Isn’t Procrastination – This post made me feel much better about my habits, and helped me learn more about the term Thoughtful Creativeness.
• Viewing Life Through Creativity-Coloured Glasses – A positive spin on a painful point in my life. Reading back over this, I’m pleased and surprised by how well this post came across.

What was your favourite post of the year? It doesn’t have to be from Creativity’s Workshop. You can choose from your own blog or from someone else’s. Share your favourite post in the comments.

Oh, and by the way, while we’re talking about wrapping up a year, I’d like to thank Cecilia G, Charlotte Rains Dixon and Nancy Sima for being the most frequent commenters on this blog. Special thanks for your support and feedback.

P.S. Christina Katz is organising a flash class on January 10th. All you need to do is purchase a copy of her new book The Writer’s Workout and send through the receipt. It looks like it’s going to be great fun!

Image Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Hi, I’m Jessica’s Creativity and I’m back again to give you more tips about how your holiday can actually be a great time to boost your Creativity, if you use it right.

Okay! So we’ve spent this week looking at how stepping back from work, spending time with people and slurping up creative fodder can benefit both you and your Creativity.

Now it’s time for my last tip!

Fourth Tip: Create Something Random

Yes, you were told previously to step away from your work. This is not work. This is unadulterated play.

Take time (an hour or an afternoon if you have it) and work on a project – something that has no bearing on anything else. Something unrelated to stress. Something that’s not attached to you making money. Something that doesn’t have to wow an audience. Just something you and your Creativity want to play with.

Perhaps it’s something you’ve been wanting to try for a while now, but haven’t had the chance or the time to give it a go.

Perhaps it’s something you’ve never done before because you were worried you’d mess it up.

Throw out the worry and pressure. Just create!

What sort of things could you try?

Painting

The set up for this may take a little bit of outlay, but if you know a friend who has some paints stored away you might be able to ask for a lend. Oil painting is messy, intriguing and sometimes even addictive. Painting with watercolours leaves Jessica in a state of dreamy calm (especially after she discovered the easiest way to do clouds was wash the canvas with blue and then dab the clouds in with tissue). Face paints are also ridiculously fun and require volunteers (who won’t know what you’ve painted until afterwards). 

Compose a Song

If you have an instrument lying around the house, why not tinker with a tune and create a song of your own? Try writing some lyrics (steal a melody from another songwriter if you have to…temporarily of course…you’ll give it back later). 

Invent a New Recipe

Have you always wondered what adding paprika to your chicken would taste like? Or maybe you’ve been tempted to pour smarties into your muffin mixture? Now’s your chance!

Keep on the lookout for places and times when you could create something random. Involve the people around you. Smile, laugh and enjoy yourself. 

If it doesn’t turn out as you expected, smile wider and laugh harder. This is fun! This is play! 

This is good for both you and your Creativity.

Okay, now it’s your turn. How was your week? Have you had a chance to use any of the tips? Do you have tips of your own?

P.S. If you’re looking for ways to improve your creative endeavours in the new year, take a look at these great questions on the Go Creative! blog.