To begin, let us state unequivocally that you are a creative individual. Humanity’s ruling force is creativity, which is an innate mental activity. It is, at its most basic level, your outer manifestation of an internal thought or emotion.

This indicates that you can be limited in your creativity by two factors: an internal barrier that limits your imagination and inspiration, and an external barrier that limits your creativity’s manifestation or presentation.

You can use basic but extremely effective ways to get your imagination flowing in either of these creative expression activities.

Follow Your Curiosity

How often do you take a chance on something new that could be thrilling, eye-opening, or simply enjoyable? If you’re still confused about what you want to do with your life, now is the time to attempt things that pique your curiosity, even if it’s only a little. Inspiration might strike at any time, and you might discover a passion for something you’ve never tried or considered before.

Challenge Your Fears

You can challenge the assumptions that are fueling your anxieties by remembering that fear comes from the portion of your brain that wants to keep you safe. What are the thoughts that are running through your head? Do you worry that your book may be turned down? Are you concerned that others may think your passion project is a “waste of time”? Do you worry about being judged or not being “good enough”?

Understand, name, and ideally write down the worst-case scenario that is running through your head. Then you might question this assumption by asking, “How likely is it to happen?” It’s unusual for the worst to happen in real life. We are extraordinarily robust as humans, and we deal with crises far better than we expect. What would you do if the worst happened?

It’s just as possible that you’ll have a terrific outcome in an uncertain circumstance. Spend time picturing the best-case situation instead of the worst-case scenario. What beautiful things are you likely to gain if you pursue your passion project? Why is this project so important to you?

Would you be disappointed if you never finished your project, if you thought about it in the future? Do you believe that if you didn’t develop what you’re working on, others would miss out? It’s enough to keep telling yourself how great the end could be, why it matters to you, and how your work might assist others to keep you moving forward with confidence.

Find Your Muse

The key to unlocking your creativity is to find your source of inspiration (or “muse”). This may appear to be an obvious element, but it is commonly seen that just a few people can tell explicitly what inspires them.

Nature, people, music, a memory, or a certain event can all help you find your muse. When you locate it, you won’t have to wait for inspiration to strike; you’ll be able to tap into your creativity whenever you choose.

Look for anything that makes you say, “I want to do that!” and write it down. “What if?” or “I’ve had a thought!”

What’s your source of inspiration?

Use Creativity to Improve Creativity

You won’t be able to increase your creativity if you don’t use it. Try something new and different, put yourself in situations that require originality, and keep practising your art.

This is the place where creativity lives or dies. When you initially start out, your end outcome is almost never what you want. This is very natural and acceptable. There are a dozen drawings, rough draughts, and rejected concepts for every magnificent painting you see in an art gallery.

From Da Vinci to Edison, every single one of history’s most creative heroes began with a failed attempt. What distinguishes them is that they toiled till their final output matched their mental image.

Do Not Think About the End Result

Maintain an open mind to suggestions and improvements from individuals who have your best interests at heart, but refuse to give a cruel remark any mental space.

Ignore the naysayers, or better yet, capitalise on their criticism. Critics have said that every great creative figure is insufficient, but history does not remember the evaluations; it remembers innovation, inspiration, imagination, and creativity.

When you’re worried, terrified, or anxious, your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, along with all the stress chemicals that send your heart racing, stomach churning, and mind racing with the worst-case scenario. By taking a few deep breaths, you can flip the switch and activate your parasympathetic nervous system when you detect this happening. Breathing more deeply calms your mind and allows you to stay in the present moment rather than “fusing” with all of your anxieties and fears.

Keep Moving Through Imperfections

Do you believe that before taking action, you must first feel confident, certain, driven, and even “qualified”? The opposite is true: action is where you find your clarity, confidence, motivation, and voice.

Action builds momentum, which keeps you in a solution mindset and away from the perils of fear-driven perfectionism. So many of us believe in perfection, which wrecks everything else since perfection is the enemy of not only the excellent, but also the realistic, the possible, and the enjoyable.