Five Helpful Creativity Exercises & Tips - How To Develop Creativity

"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort." --Franklin D. Roosevelt

Creativity comes from within our minds and like any skill we have learned including reading, counting and others, being creative can be learned as well.

The English novelist E. M. Forster once said, "Think before you speak is criticism's motto; speak before you think creation's."

Here are five tips that will help to bring out the creative you.

1. Clear your mind

Before you start to open your mind and explore the creative world, you need to clear your mind from all the clutter that has been there for a long time.

Examine your past mistakes and seek counsel on how to best deal with the past, whether it be from a professional therapist or a spiritual advisor.

Until you unblock yourself it will be hard to let your intuitive nature come to the fore and be inspired with creative thoughts.

2. Give yourself a chance to be happy

A study conducted by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found out that when a person is happy it frees the mind and later on your creativity abilities will soon increase.

"Having a positive mood affects your attention -- it can broaden your visual field, literally," said Dr. Adam Anderson, assistant professor of psychology at University of Toronto and senior author of the study in an ABC News article.

3. Always carry a notebook

It may sound awkward, but it is best to bring a notebook where you can write your thoughts or newly developed ideas right then and there, whether you are riding a train, climbing stairs or just eating your lunch in a restaurant.

The truth is you never know when a brilliant idea or thought will pop out.

4. Moving around

Being in one place for a long time can let your mind become stagnant and not work as well as it could be. Changing your environment can do wonders for your mind to unleash its creative side.

You might opt to going to a park, mall, listening to some music or simply watching some beautiful scenery.

5. Reading constantly

It really helps when you do read a lot, this lets your mind engage with new ideas, learn new vocabularies or even travel to a place where only the mind can see.

This is the beauty of reading whether it be a magazine, book, novel or newspaper. Whatever it is what is important is you are giving fresh input to your brain.