Creativity: 6 Surprising Ways to Enhance Your Creative Flow

Turns out all those video games were a great idea…

Image via GetStencil

There remains a perpetual stereotype that creativity is reserved for those who are born with it — that mysterious X-factor that allows for an extra level of perception, expression and connection of ideas.

The creative genius who woke up one day and threw up an award-winning novel, or was struck like lightning by the muse and painted for 80 hours in a row. We see these gifted, mysterious people represented in popular culture all the time.

And though those of us who couldn’t string a musical harmony together if our lives depended on it may find this stereotype comforting, science does not agree. Although there are probably genetic components to creativity, as there are with most things connected to our individual personalities, there is a lot of evidence that we can nurture and develop creativity, too.

Here are some ways we can nurture and enhance our creative flow:

1. As I write this, I’m listening to Bach. One study in 2017 found that participants who listened to happy, classical music were more creative in divergent creativity tasks than those who did the job in silence. Even though I wrote about the value of silence in this week’s newsletter, it’s interesting…