Five Daily Micro Creativity Exercises
As a full-time creative working with businesses and organizations, I’m well aware that asking my clients to devote all of their time to creative pursuits is not a realistic approach. However, there are an almost endless variety of small ways to nurture your creativity so that when there is more time - or, more importantly, a genuine need for creative thinking - you’ll be ready. To that end, I’ve put together a list of five micro creativity exercises any - or all - of which you can do whenever you have a moment during the day to keep the pilot light of your creative confidence lit.
1. Read
One of my songwriting mentors told me early on in my career that if I wanted to be a better writer, I needed read more. There is a world full of ideas and beautifully told stories out there. The more you take them on board, the greater the likelihood you’ll be able to combine them in ways that are unique to you. That is the essence of creativity. And, on a practical note, reading five pages a day is infinitely better than no pages a day so start small and it will be easier to maintain the habit.
2. Keep a journal
Writing in a notebook for even 10 minutes a day is a great way to connect with your creative self. Journal entries don’t have to be in-depth treatises on the state of the world or your innermost thoughts. They can simply be the first things that pop into your head when you sit down to write. Observation and its resulting empathy are a big part of the creative and innovative process, and a journal is a wonderful place to observe and reflect. Also, since I use a fountain pen to write in my journal, there’s also the sensory reminder of a nib scratching on paper to make me feel like I’m contributing to the creative world.
3. Use metaphors
By definition a metaphor is “a thing that is representative or symbolic of something else.” The beauty of the metaphor is that it enables you to reframe any idea or challenge in a more accessible and memorable way. Simply finding a metaphor for something you’re thinking about or struggling with will give you a new - and more emotionally relevant - way to think about it. For example, instead of thinking about how difficult it is to get up early, use the metaphor of the sun trying to shine through the clouds. An easy way to start using metaphors might be to try and incorporate them in your journal entries.
4. Write a haiku
This simple form of Japanese poetry is a wonderfully limited way to structure your thoughts and ideas. The genius of haikus is that you only have to write three lines. Line one is five syllables, line two is seven syllables and line three is five syllables again. Making a daily practice of distilling a thought into a small poem is an excellent way to have a little fun with language and remind yourself that you are, in fact, creative. Here’s an example to get you started…
Scared to write your thoughts?
What’s the worst that could happen?
You’re already done
5. Collaborate
Creativity is scary no matter whether you’re new to it or a seasoned creative professional. The best way I know to get over my reluctance to start a creative endeavor is to find a collaborator. Working on any of the above creative exercises either with a collaborator or bringing in a friend or colleague as an accountability partner will make everything easier.
Conclusion
It’s easy to come to the conclusion that you’re not creative because you haven’t explored your own creativity in a long time. I’m here to tell you that you are absolutely creative and it’s simply a matter of making a little room for creativity in your life. These micro exercises are a great way to awaken your creative confidence and remind you how deeply satisfying even the smallest creative endeavor can be.
Bio
Cliff Goldmacher is a GRAMMY-recognized, #1 hit songwriter, music producer and author with recording studios in Nashville, TN and Middle River, MD. Through his studios, Cliff provides songwriters outside of Nashville with virtual, live access to Nashville’s best session musicians and studio vocalists for their songwriting demos. Find out more. You can also download Cliff’s FREE tip sheett “A Dozen Quick Fixes To Instantly Improve Your Songs.”
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