I am writing from what I am starting to call my creative corner. A few weeks ago I made some decisions about what direction I wanted take my writing, and I set about making an environment that reflected those intentions.
Always having loved stones and crystals as well as owning a growing collection of the same, I took a small bowl that I had once made in a pottery class and filled it with stones and crystals that are said to have aspects of enhancing or stimulating creativity and releasing creative blocks. I had also just finished a couple of books on feng shui and purchased a beautiful string of red crystals that ended in a large, tear-drop shaped orange crystal (orange being a color that is supposed to enhance creativity).
Now, before you write off all of this as some “New-Age hooey,” consider the intention aspect of changing your environment to enhance creativity. I an convinced that all of our beliefs are learned and that we can choose to believe whatever we want in order to support our goals. So while there may be no innate creativity-boosting qualities in the stones and the colors I’ve added to my creative corner, if I believe that surrounding myself with creative things and my creations themselves (my pottery, for one) will stimulate my creativity, it’s likely that it will.
Since making these changes and making room for creativity, my creative mind has been activated. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I don’t have the answer; I only know that what I’m doing is working. I have an endless flow of creative ideas that I didn’t have a few months ago. Some have said creativity is enhanced with use, so it makes sense that all of these efforts combined are making my right-brain (creativity center) more active. If it works, I don’t question it. I just continue what works.
Tips for Creating Your Own Creative Corner
1. Add color. Close your eyes and imagine what color represents creativity for you. Add touches of this to your creative corner. If, rather than using your intuition and preferences, you want science behind color and creativity to help you choose your color(s), take a look at books on color theory.
2. Add stones and crystals. Choose your own, or select some from these creativity-stimulating stones from The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall: aventurine, lapis lazuli, bloodstone, celestite, blue chalcedony, rhodochrosite.
3. Use scent. This could be from a candle or from incense or oils. Try peppermint or lavender in a diffuser.
4. Play music. By now you’ve probably heard about the studies reporting that Mozart’s music enhances creativity. But don’t limit yourself to Mozart, especially if you’re not a fan. Any music that makes you feel relaxed, whimsical, or comfortable in expressing yourself is good. I highly recommend any of Steven Halpern’s CDs (most of which can be downloaded from iTunes as well). He has one entitled Enhancing Creativity. Other CDs geared toward stimulating theta brainwaves may possibly enhance your creativity as well.
5. Surround yourself with artwork. This can be your own artwork or that of others—or a combination. The key is not to judge your art, but to enjoy it. Judging is a creativity-killer! Having your beautiful creations around you are a constant reminder that are capable of creation and that you’re in a place primed for your creative output.
6. Reserve your corner for creativity. If at all possible, reserve your creative corner as the place that you go to do your creative work. Living in a small home, I do not have that luxury of a space reserved only for creativity. I find that whenever I sit in my creative corner, the creative ideas flow because that’s what I’ve designed this space to do. I have had to take other actions to be able to focus without creative thought, such as in meditation in this corner I set an intention that I will rest my mind for this period of time, to resume its joyous creation after the meditation.
These are inexpensive, fun things you can do to build a creativity corner. Honor this space. Keep it clean and orderly. And don’t forget to add to it regularly! There will be little more rewarding that seeing one of your newest paintings or your published articles framed nearby.
Photo credit: Kevindooley
