Relax! 5 Ways to be More Creative

If you feel as though your creativity is waning start doing a whole lot of chilling now!

Being creative sometimes comes naturally to me, however, conversely I often find myself staring into space, uninspired. I never realised that this lack of creative motivation could be connected to my stress levels, yet medical and neuroscience research has shown that stress is the biggest obstacle to creative thinking.

Alpha brain waves fuel creativity and they occur more frequently when your brain is in an idling state, for example, when daydreaming, practicing meditation or carrying out aerobic exercises. Spas, wellness retreats and meditative activities are all proven to expand the imaginative parts of the brain and creative thoughts are generated when the mind is less anxious. Creativity and the arts were strongly connected to the concept of wellness from the late 18th Century through to WWII. Great artists including: Beethoven, Mozart, Nietzsche, Tolstoy and Proust spent long periods of time relaxing in the grand spas of their eras, and composed many famous works there.

So basically, you're more likely to create a masterpiece after a good deal of chilling out!

Here are 5 ways to relax and inspire your next Masterpiece:

1. Take in the Great Outdoors on a long walk

Surrounding yourself with nature can be great inspiration and the fresh air helps to blow away the cobwebs and ignite creativity. Don't forget your camera!

2. Colour!

Adult colouring books are trending for a reason - there's something especially soothing when you put your focus into colouring between the lines. They are also a good way to break the "creative ice" and rejuvenate artistic skills.

3. Add some Aromatherapy oils to your bath

Fill up the bath, light a candle and take a long soak. The combination of warm water, detoxifying salts or oils can lower blood pressure and relieve anxiety, thus freeing up your mind to daydream.

4. Make some Jewellery

The repetitive action of threading beads can induce a relaxed state, just like yoga or meditation. The added bonus here is that you get a beautiful bracelet or necklace when you finish.

5. Delve into a good book

Keep away from the TV screen and grab a good old book to dig into. Reading before bed is a great way to relax but choose something that relates to a passion or something you're curious about.

I'd love to hear about your techniques for inspiring creativity so please feel free to share in the comments below. Let's get more of our creative juices flowing!

K x

All images are my own