Want a creativity boost? Change your environment.
You’re a creative human, you know you’ve got bangin’ ideas, but you’re struggling to switch on ‘creative mode’ to make them happen. If you’re getting stuck on problems or starting to doubt your capacity to be creative, it’s time to shake things up—one quick way to do this, is to change your environment. Here are four science-backed ideas that will elevate your creativity.
Overhaul your office
2-minute tidy
Taming an unruly desk can do wonders for your energy and creativity. Take 2-mins to tidy up that pile of receipts, notepads, or printouts *you know the ones*. A simple rule to follow is if you don’t need it now, get it out of sight. It’s a quick and easy way to physically make space for creativity. And according to feng shui, “the energy that is created by clutter is blocking the feng shui energy flow, thus draining energy from you,” and we don’t need that now do we!
Freshen up
Take it a step further and paint a wall a fresh colour to spark creativity (yellow is known to do just that), remove tired old posters or artwork that don’t inspire you anymore and create a new visual mood board with images you love. If you want a little woo, I always have a Citrine crystal closeby; it helps you connect creatively with the world (it also brings joy and abundance). These visual and energetic cues will act as reminders that you are a powerful creator.
Be amongst humans
Sound advantages
If your home office isn’t working for you *let’s be real; the same corner of the home can cramp your creativity*, pack up the laptop and pull up a chair at a beautiful bustling cafe or coworking space. One study observed four groups of participants engaging in creative tasks at varying levels of sound, and those who were most productive at their task worked at around the 70-decibel level (a noise level similar to background chatter in a coffee shop) significantly outperformed the other groups.
High spaces
Researchers found that subjects occupying a room with ten-foot ceilings scored higher on creativity assessment tests than subjects who performed the same exercises under eight-foot ceilings. Why? High ceilings instill a sense of freedom, encourage exploration, and promote abstract thinking. So when you need to get creative, choose a cafe or coworking space with a high ceiling and lots of space.
Engage in conversation
Spending time with like-minded creatives in coworking spaces, either physical or virtual, is a fast-track to fuel creativity. Be bold and strike up a conversation with a stranger, stay curious, and if you’re feeling brave, ask for their perspective on something you’re stuck on or want to create. New conversations spark imagination and can trigger a fresh response, then boom, you’re back in your creative flow.
Photography by Alicia Taylor (source)
“Creativity is a relational practice – between people, places, and things – so actively collide with the world to get energy and new ideas faster.”
Retreat yourself
Getting away from normal everyday life and surrounding yourself in the unfamiliar is a great way to get the creative mojo flowing. Writers and artists do it on a regular basis to remove themselves from everyday distractions and find that all elusive flow-state.
Why do retreats work? Creativity thrives on curiosity. By removing familiar cues found in everyday surroundings and replacing them with new and novel stimuli, we encourage a new way of cognitive processing. Creativity Coach Dr Marion Piper says, "Removing the distractions by vacating your life and allow a rush of new creative energy to flood in – this is a great way to drop into that juicy creative flow."
Business retreats, in particular, provide space for your mind to daydream, explore, work and play. Attending a retreat gives you time to listen to the creative voice within and makes space for you to ask new questions, dig for answers, and ignite your creative side. You spend time engaging with a small group of like-minded people which opens the door to collaboration, conversation, and fresh perspectives.
“When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower”
Get amongst nature
A number of studies have shown that being in nature, whether a deep immersion or simply 25minutes spent in a green space, can boost creativity. Why? Because nature captures our attention without requiring us to focus on it—it’s easy to be in nature. It also sparks “awe” which opens up our imagination. So the next time you hit a creative wall, plan a hike or at the very least, get outside and take a walk to your nearest park to soak up mother Nature’s creativity medicine.
In conclusion
There we have it, the science stacks up, if you’re struggling to access your inner creativity it could be a simple as changing your environment.
Psst…if a retreat sounds right up your alley, check out Cool Wow Collective’s retreat ‘Make It Happen ‘ from 2nd-5th September 2021. You’ll spend three nights in a beautiful hinterland home (complete with high ceilings to spark creativity), get to hike amongst nature, and enjoy the company (and brilliant minds) of 10 other entrepreneurial women who care about creativity as much as you do. Learn more here.
Over to you
What environment helps you get your creativity flowing?