krēāˈtivədē/ noun noun:
creativity the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. synonyms:inventiveness, imagination, innovation, innovativeness, originality, individuality; artistry, inspiration, vision; enterprise, initiative, resourcefulness "her agency is a hotbed of youthful creativity"The Second Chakra is sometimes called the Sacral Chakra. It is located along your spine about 2 inches below your belly button. It deals with issues of self-worth, creativity, relationships, pleasure and sexuality and it is blocked and weakened by self-criticism and guilt.
Okay, if you believe in Chakras or not awakening your creativity for some may be a daunting task. So what do we do? How do we achieve this sometimes intimidating endeavor? Well let's break it down. What is creativity?
For some it is seen as only accomplished through the creation of something - i.e.: creating a piece of art, writing a poem, or writing a book. But does creativity have to always be so large? Of course not, we can be creative in our daily living. For instance, we will start with waking up. Sure there are ways of being creative first thing in the morning. Look at Pee Wee Herman. Okay bad example, but we can use our alarm clocks in a creative way.
What if your snooze button were connected to your bank account? OMG say what? Would you go broke? What if you are donating to a charity of your choice when you hit snooze? That is where The SnūzNLūz comes in. The concept is simple whenever you hit the snooze button The SnūzNLūz will take a portion of your hard earned cash and send it to a charity. Hhmmm, sounds like that would make you happy to be sleeping more and giving more? Well that is where the creativity comes in. You select a non profit that you hate.
Common Usage Suggestions:
- Are you a butcher? Set your SnūzNLūz to donate to PETA
- Are you a republican? Set your SnūzNLūz to donate to the ACLU!
- Are you a land developer? Set your SnūzNLūz to donate to the Wilderness Society!
- Enjoy your freedom? (Blue state version) Set your SnūzNLūz to donate to the GOP. or
- Enjoy your freedom? (Red state version) Set your SnūzNLūz to donate to MoveOn.Org
- Are you a hippie? Set your SnūzNLūz to donate to the American Coal Foundation.
- Are you a Ninja? Set your SnūzNLūz to donate to, yrrra, we can't find a Pirate Charity at the moment. But there must be one...somewhere...anyways, the point is it's easy to setup once you identify your enemy!
Right on, now that you are awake how to continue on this path of being creative? In a study published in the journal Thinking and Reasoning last year, researchers Mareike Wieth and Rose Zacks reported that imaginative insights are most likely to come to us when we’re groggy and unfocused. The mental processes that inhibit distracting or irrelevant thoughts are at their weakest in these moments, allowing unexpected and sometimes inspired connections to be made. When Sleepy People’s “more diffuse attention focus,” daydreaming, leads them to “widen their search through their knowledge network. This widening leads to an increase in creative problem solving.” When you intentionally give yourself time NOT to tune in - to your meandering mind, you give yourself the surprising solutions it may offer in creative problem solving - a daydream believer - yep (nods).
Well at least I got you out of bed. If even it was to stir at the walls. Alright lets get moving. Is it coffee? Or are you 'oh no' tea is for me? However you look at it morning does require means of replenishing your body's resources. Want to be creative? Dandelion Root Coffee already.
Dandelion greens are finally getting farmer’s market attention for their natural detoxing properties. (Kale can kinda hog the spotlight.) But don’t let the root go to waste. Healthy food gurus like Elana Amsterdam say they’ve got a solid track record in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine as a liver cleanser to blood-sugar balancer. And unlike coffee which can give you the shakes, this tea will help you keep your cool.
Oh now that is more cool then creative, moving on. No matter how you regenerate you can add creativity into the mix. Creative Fuel is focused on using the creative process itself as you would any tool—with practice—so you can experience the art of producing your best, self-expanding ideas.
We can look to James Webb Young's theory of 5 Simple Step.
Young’s Simple, Five-step Process
“This technique of the mind follows five steps. I am sure that you will all recognize them individually. But the important thing is to recognize their relationship, and to grasp the fact that the mind follows these five steps in definite order—that by no possibility can one of them be taken before the preceding one is completed, if an idea is to be produced.” ~ James Webb Young
- Gather Raw Material—Curiosity and the patience to browse are two noticeable characteristics of highly creative people. Use resources on the Internet to collect and keep tabs on your musings.
- Digest the Material—Absorb everything and practice critical thinking. Consider how different elements can inform each other. Link the specific facts to broad human experiences. Try Mental Notes.
- Unconscious Processing—Let your unconscious do the work while getting into something fun! Go for a walk, ride your bike, take in a museum, meet a friend for lunch; turn to whatever stimulates your imagination.
- The A-ha Moment—The connection is made! The idea is formed! It may wake you up out of a dead sleep, so keep your notepad handy.
- Idea Meets Reality—Set your idea free into the wild! Be open to all feedback and learn from the criticism. You might have to adapt and rework, but that’s all part of the process.
Steps 1 and 2 can and should be woven into your everyday. Always be on the look out for inspiration. When it comes time to dream up a creative solution, use the rest of the steps to help turn your gained knowledge into your next big idea.
Ready set GO... now with creativity firmly initiated into to your day you are ready to see the world in new and creative ways. Go get them tiger. Some people say kill them with kindness - let's kill them with creativity.
