How To Be Creative – 7 Steps To Awakening Your Imagination

There is no problem a creative solution can’t solve. ~ Nick Kowalski (Tweet this)

You read it correctly; I have my own quote—one I feel worthy of sharing here today. This is wisdom I found throughout my personal life journey. Today, I write this article on how to be creative from the depths of my truest purpose on how to be creative; life alchemy.

I find looking back at the story of my life that there was a consistent factor in how I met every obstacle: creativity. For me at least, creativity is the magic that makes alchemy possible. That is because creativity and imagination go hand-in-hand.

Most problems look worse than they appear. We also have a bad habit of using our imagination to make things unnecessarily painful. When we get creative; however, our imaginations start to serve us. With a healthy imagination, problems become opportunities.

Abundance is your birthright

Creativity does not exclude anyone; each of us is inexhaustibly creative. We were born out of creativity. Giving life to a child is perhaps one of the only wholesome creative acts in today’s world. Think about it, you weren’t made. No one built you like a wood shed with his or her hands. You were created out of love.

When we were innocent adolescents, we still had the use of our imaginations. We happily used created beautiful worlds. We used plastic toys to “play house” and the stories we told where nothing short of wonderful.

Then things went a bit sour. We became adults and lost our willingness to use our spiritual powers to transform and transcend. Perhaps the natural suppressors of life—society, bad media, money troubles, and sickness—all devolved our brains.

Many, many—adults especially—do not think they are capable of being creative or imaginative. However, our own lives show otherwise. Though it seems we have lost our creative ability, the truth is, we are still creating today. For example, I am creating this article. With the help of my imagination, my views of life and my personal experiences, I can put together words in ways that have never been spoken before.

You may not be creating magical art and symphonies today. however, we are all still co-creating a reality through a thought-world at some level. Thoughts, intentions, words and emotions all become actions that shape our world.

What most of us call “the world” is really just our perception of it. There is the world, which is the mind and existence, and we perceive it as being “out there,” somewhere. Yet we are all creating this unlimited creative world with our own being-ness.

Our true potential is purely creative because our truest self is that of pure awareness. Beyond the mind is an awareness of awareness—that is who we really are.

We can learn to reawaken our creativity. By doing so we summon up the natural passion, liveliness, and astonishment of youth.

What is creativity and how to be creative

The secret of immortality is infinite flexibility and creativity. ~ The Ancient Vedic sages of India (Tweet this)

It’s natural to wonder what creativity is. Many of our troubles boil down to misunderstandings about (or simply not at all understanding) the context of a situation. For the case of living the good life, it’s important we become literate. Let’s get clear about what creativity truly is.

Literally, creativity means having the quality of creating or imagination. More practically, it is the process of transmutation. That is, using raw-data and material to create something that has yet to exist. For example, being inspired by the song of a bird to create a brand new orchestral piece—creativity inspires creativity.

Imagination is the spark, that ignites the fire of creativity. ~ Richard L. Peterson (Tweet this)

There’s no discrimination of action when it comes to creativity—all is creative because all we do stems from creation itself. Whether we create a business, a song, or a meal, creativity calls for a jump in consciousness. When we create, we often go from one level of thinking to a significantly higher level of thinking, without incremental steps. This is why so many people “wait” for inspiration, it seems to mysteriously pop up out of no where.

Consider a moment of creativity, one second the idea doesn’t exist, and in the next, it becomes a part of our conscious world. What about the spaces in between? They’re not there. That’s because creativity doesn’t exist, it’s not out here in the physical world. Creativity dwells in the imaginative world,which is the cause to every creation that exists.

Reawaken the imagination

Though creativity seems selective, it is only because we live in a world that doesn’t advocate creativity but instead, to do mundane work just to survive. And although it may seem the entire world is thwarting your creative efforts, the truth is, it is the one thing no one can take from you. They may try, but they simply cannot take what lies deep within you.

To help you stay creative in a generally un-creative modern world, I have laid out the following steps that have helped keep my own creativity alive. I hope they can do the same for you.

You can use this process to heal just about any area of your life—any challenge in life is so much easier to face with lightness of heart and imagination.

1. Have clear intentions

Before you can create anything, we first have to acquire a well-defined vision of our desired outcome. This isn’t always easy as we have many conflicting intentions and ideas around our desires.

The best way is to tap into our intuition and heart, getting out of our heads. I like to write out the first thing that comes to mind when I ask myself “what is an intended outcome I’d like to have?” See what comes up, if it feels right, don’t question it. Just go with your heart.

Write them in positive language that makes you feel good when you read them and examine them often—ideally before bed, in the morning or any other state of “no mind.”

Remember, it’s important to have a sense of lightness in regards to the outcome. Be clear with your intentions but open to the unlimited possibilities in it’s coming to fruition.

2. Get good data

One only fails to understand a subject to that which he fails to know the terminology. Gathering correct data, and as much useful data as you can, is absolutely essential to create. How could you build a proper house if you knew absolutely nothing about wood, nails and architecture?

Once you have your intended outcome for the creative process, you will want to learn everything you possibly can about that subject—seeking out the most honest sources you can find.

Be a connoisseur of that field of interest in which you want to create. It is also helpful to know we learn best not just by reading, and thinking but also by experiencing and tasting.

Keep an open mind as you explore the many types of ideas and opinions but do not become rigid in a belief. In fact, don’t believe anything—find out.  Become incredibly curious and interested in the topic.

While you collect data and learn through experiences, pay attention to the methods and means that feel most comfortable and natural and also the ones that seem somehow off. Listen to your intuition.

All our true purposes and goals are those of effortless effort. Creativity is spontaneous and cannot be forced.

3. Information reorganizing

As you collect new data, your mind will sort out the old and new both consciously and unconsciously—arranging it into means that will be of greatest help.

The mind will spontaneously seek out configurations that are most helpful in resolving any issues. You can aid the process with honest reflection. So often we try to solve problems we don’t really have. Therefore, the best solution is to gather pure data and get honest about what you truly need and don’t need.

4. Clear your mind

Once you have clear intentions and have acquired and recognized the most helpful information, the next step is allowing room for unlimited possibilities. If we hold onto a desired outcome or goal too tightly it tends to run away from us.

Therefore, we must not think too much of outcome—detachment, as the sages say. The mind is a great organizer; however, from that place it is too rigid in it’s ways to allow for spontaneity. Welcome the idea of endless possibilities in which the creative process will manifest a result.

If you can get out of your head and let go of how it must be we can enter the realm of non-local intelligence—the source. Our true self is part of the source, where we experience thoughts, intuition, and brilliance.

Getting out of the head and into spirit is the task of humanity. We strive for this freedom constantly by creating art, making love or even doing drugs; we are constantly attempting to get out of the confinements of space, time and matter.

Many recommended meditation. I recommend things that make you become extroverted, like dancing, making art, exploring nature or moving the body.

5. Understanding

Understanding or insight is essential to creativity.We understand when we’ve opened ourselves to receiving understanding.  This takes humility and admitting we might not know how things will exactly happen.

Once we gain new understanding we have a breakthrough in perception. It is as if we can see clearly again. It is old perceptions, dis-serving memories from the past, which pull us back and out of the present were we must be in order to be creative.

In these moments, stale ideas are cleared and we gain new inner vision of what it is that will help the creative process. It is the “ah-ha” moment of creative thinking and it is the spirit of the creativity. Like a computer though, old data must be cleared out so we can create new solutions. Otherwise, the old data will interpose with new problems and they won’t match up.

You can’t solve a new problem with old solutions. In the same way, the mind must be cleared of old solutions so we can fully see the present condition clearly.

By following the previous steps, insight should come in due time as long as we have let go of rigid thinking.

6. Inspiration

To be inspired is to feel invincible and it comes effortlessly with new understanding. We break free from rigid thinking and feel renewed. When we see life anew, we become full of life. We experience new drive, ignited passion, ecstasy, and zest for life.

Spirit knows that insight is true, creating a signal you feel in your body confirming the insight is right.

7. Execution, Combination, and Manifestation

Last of all in the creative process is the production—turning ideas into something substantial—to execute the new idea. If you have come this far into the creative process, you must be courageous enough to act spontaneously.

One of the great killers of creativity is inaction. If you have an incredible idea, then cultivate it with doing. If you’ve followed the previous steps then you have hopefully bypassed the “paralysis of analysis” and already begun to work. After all, what is creativity without creation?

Creativity and imagination are the cure to many things that ail us. So often we feel trapped, stuck in a rut or bored with life, leading to many destructive behaviors. However, an imaginative person can see magic in everyday life. Challenges become opportunity for creativeness. In the end, you will no longer see life as a set of tests and challenges but a playground for creation.

Know that the source of creativity resides within yourself. You can capture it in the beauty of the present. The more extroverted you can become—by escaping the mind and focusing on the present—the more aware you become, giving you more ability to create.

Creativity is the highest solution to any issue in life and can lead to a sovereign life. The word sovereign use to be soberon—literally as in, sober on. Are you sober on now? With creativity you can be, experiencing the greatest joys of life, as they have been here, now, all along.