Whether Pablo Picasso or Chris Thile is your creative muse, you’d probably love to figure out when your creative juices are likely to be flowing most freely.
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After all, being aware of that information could help you avoid creative dry spells or gently force you to recognize that it’s just characteristically difficult to do creative tasks at certain times of the day. Keep reading to get some pointers about how to get to your creative peak.
Tune Into Your Body’s Rhythms
When the alarm clock rings at the crack of dawn, do you sigh groggily, or jump out of bed with eager anticipation? Knowing when you naturally prefer to wake and fall asleep can go a long way in helping you figure out when your most creative times might occur.
Also, maybe you’ve realized some of your best ideas have come to you when you’re trying to calm your mind enough to get some rest, or conversely, arrive when you’re dreaming. If that’s the case, it’s helpful to keep a journal or recording device near your bed so you can capture those ideas before they’re gone.
Time How Long It Takes To Do Creative Things
If you’re not certain whether you’re more creative during the morning, night or afternoon, try doing creative things at each segment of the day, and timing yourself during each instance. For example, if you’re a songwriter and have set a goal to write or perfect one verse of a song that’s in progress, schedule yourself to do that during different intervals, and see when the task feels easiest. Usually, when creativity is at a higher than normal level, you’ll notice ideas come to you more quickly than usual, or you just experience fewer obstacles during the creative process.
Make The Most Of Creative Surges
Like most people, your day is probably made up of things you could do while hardly thinking about them, plus things that require intense concentration and creativity. Once you learn to recognize when your creative abilities are high, start prioritizing the things you do so that the creative-minded necessities get completed when you’re most ready for them. If you reserve the more mundane tasks for times when your creativity is waning, that increases the chances you’ll capitalize on your creativity when it matters most.
Break Out Of The Norm
Some people take longer to reach their creative peaks just because they’re set in their ways, unwilling to mix things up and see if doing so fosters better creativity. Boldly branch out from your usual routine long enough to evaluate whether that makes you better able to participate in things that require the most creativity possible.
Maybe you write for a living, but never scribble so much as a sentence before having a shower and a cup of coffee. Try penning words the first thing in the morning before you do anything else, and see if that’s helpful in making the words flow freely. Alternatively, shifting your routine can also mean doing creative things in different environments. For starters, venture outside when the weather’s nice, or settle in and get work done at a coffee shop that’s just opened to see if you like the vibe there.
In closing, remember that although it’s important to try to adjust things so you’re able to work during the times when you’re most creative, constantly working at your craft and practicing the finer details of it is also essential. When you’ve built a firm foundation in the skills that comprise your creative activity, it becomes easier to excel even if some factors are working against you.
