Boost Your Creativity- Tips and tricks

Creativity is important for happiness. It feeds our souls and helps us communicate. It inspires and can even change the world. Creativity relaxes, excites and enables us to tap into our subconscious. Art is now recognised for its therapeutic benefits and is used in many hospitals to aid recovery from serious illness.

Art is a personal taste and can take any form. Even a mathematician can be called an artist of numbers. The important thing is to create what feels right to you and don't compare yourself to others. Find your own style and voice and use that to get your message across.

It's commonly believed that creativity is a gift only a few are lucky to possess. But whilst not everyone will be the next Banksy or Salvador Dali, it is not true to say you have no creative talent. It is more likely that if you struggle with creative subjects you have not found the right medium for you or you are not creatively stimulated enough.

From brainstorming and playing to taking a break and trying something new, there are many easy and fun methods to tap into and boost your creativity!

Brainstorming is a fantastic way to unlock your creative energy. Sit down with a pen and paper (or whichever medium speaks to you) and just create! I did this recently and it led to a whole new series of paintings. Doodle, draw, scribble, write, mould, tear and so on, just as long as you are making something with those materials.

It can take about 10 minutes of trying until you really get into the flow of it, so stick with it and look on it as 'art meditation'. Spend at least 20-30 minutes doing this. It's fascinating what you'll find when you stop and look back over what you just did. You'll find out what's been on your mind and even solutions to challenges you've been facing.

You can find it difficult to come up with anything new when you're always in the same environment. Shake things up a bit and explore your creativity, by trying something new.

To get fresh ideas you can:

• Get out and about. Literally go to a different environment to what is normal for you and take a good look around.
• Try a new medium and be a beginner. Try and go for something you wouldn't normally and give yourself permission to 'fail'.
• Add more to what you would normally do with various textures, colours and shapes. I tried embroidery in one of my paintings to add more depth and many have said it was my best work.

Take a close look at what children say and how they play. You will find that in their eyes nothing is impossible and everything~ no matter how mundane to us~ is a chance for adventure.

Creativity is often discouraged the older you get, as it is seen as 'improper' behaviour. We lose touch with our inner artists and become afraid of getting things wrong, looking silly or believe we should be doing something of more importance.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

― Pablo Picasso

Take a look at the world around you as a child would and you can't help but be creatively inspired. Create something just for you. Don't care about how others will judge it~ they don't even have to see it~ and look at everything you do as a wild adventure. Feel the freedom of breaking the creative rules and know you can't fail, as creativity is personal. Go one step further and buy a child's craft kit, to really tap into your inner child.

Remember in the world of creativity anything is possible, there are no limitations. Giraffes can be pink and green, houses can float in mid-air and water can drip upwards. The only thing in your way is you.

If you are facing a creative block or a piece you are working on isn't going to plan, maybe you need a break from it.

Trying too hard is probably the worst thing you can do because you cannot force art.

Take time out and do something totally unrelated that will relax your mind. Go for a walk, put on some music and sing and dance to it, or play a game online. Then go back to your piece with fresh eyes. You will see things you hadn't noticed before and probably see solutions to challenges that you hadn't considered.

The main things to remember and ask yourself when seeking creative fulfilment are:

• Be kind to yourself. Everyone has a creative voice and style of their own.
• What is creativity to you?
• What message do you want to convey?
• Be open to possibilities.
• Break the rules. Whose to say paintings have to be flat or patchwork can only be done with fabric right?
• Explore. If you haven't found a medium that pushes your buttons, try others or try using them in a different way.