Think of all the things in your life that keep you from being your most creative. Netflix. Twitter. The kids. Email. Chores. Stress. Many barriers are persistent, looming on the periphery, while others seem to appear out of nowhere when we plan to create. We need to call out and identify these barriers in order to successfully overcome them.

In his amazing book The War of Art, author Steven Pressfield calls these barriers “The Resistance.” This is not limited to creativity; it could be anything that keeps you from moving upward in your life. Identify and address whatever prohibits your creative flow so that you can be free to create. The War of Art refers to dozens of examples of Resistance we encounter in our creative pursuits.  Some of these barriers are physical and some are psychological. Definitely worth a read for all creative thinkers and doers.

Additionally, in his paper called, “Barriers to Creativity and Creative Attitudes,” published in the Encyclopedia of Creativity, Gary A. Davis contends that “The contrast between creative and uncreative people lies more in barriers and uncreative attitudes than in differences in intelligence or thinking styles.” That is to say, when we adjust unhelpful attitudes and combat the barriers in our lives, we are free to become more creative.

Old Habits Die Hard

Davis identifies five categories of creative barriers; firstly is Learning and Habit. Because we learn early the way things have always been done, it becomes difficult to see new possibilities. We all know how tricky habits can be to break. The status quo is hard to see beyond, and knowing what to expect is comforting. Conversely, the unknown is well, scary. Identify and address habits and beliefs that are preventing your growth. Then, one at a time, replace the unhealthy with more intentional choices. For instance, if your habit is to pick up your phone when you are in social settings, give yourself some practical ways to engage with others around you instead.

Tradition!

The second barrier category is Rules and Traditions. The social group you’re in (academic, spiritual, familial, corporate, etc.) will guide your rules and conduct. He writes, “A person can be inflexibly tied to rules, or can be creativity-conscious – open, receptive, and encouraging of new ideas.” Not all rules and traditions are bad, but rigidity and close-mindedness limit our creative ability.

Moreover, we may be unaware of just how tethered to our rules and traditions we’ve become. If we stop and analyze, we may realize that we don’t agree with many of them. For instance, one organizational barrier is status hierarchy. This means someone of a lower status may be reluctant to suggest ideas to a person of higher status for fear of evaluation or criticism.  We’re led to believe that the higher-ups are the visionaries because of their titles, so why try? Creative thinking is extremely limited by these rules. As a result, everybody loses when we buy into them. Write down and confront those unspoken beliefs and rules, and figure out if you want to adhere to them. If you don’t, make a change to live what you believe.

It’s All In Your Head

The third barrier category is Perceptual Barriers. Perceptual set, or functional fixedness, means when we are used to seeing things a certain way, it becomes hard to see new meanings or ideas. This bias limits our thinking to only seeing the original intended uses. This is in contrast to flexible, innovative thinking.

Davis’ creative recommendation for this is called “Make the Familiar Strange.” It means to see the common in new ways, looking for new ideas, meanings, and connections. For instance, say we’re trying to find a solution to a problem that will involve string. If there is a sign hanging from a string on the wall, we will make the connection and remove it from the sign. Perceptual set means being fixed on the existing function of the string, and overlooking its potential to be anything else. Above all, creative thinking allows us to see the possibilities of what could be, not just what is. Look for the strings around you, and utilize them to creatively solve whatever problem you encounter.

You May Get Some Weird Looks…

Next are Cultural Barriers which include social influence, expectations, conformity, and fear of being different. One example lies in our public school system. Children learn that it is good to be correct and bad to make mistakes. Mistakes and failure are actually a vital part of the creative process, and should be viewed as an important part of learning and growing. In the same vein, conformity, which protects the status quo, is highly valued in classrooms.  Studies show developmental drops in creativity scores as children grow.

Likewise, this trend unfortunately continues into most workplaces. If you are able to get past the fear of scrutiny from your peers and supervisors or the pull of conformity, find ways to experiment and find creative solutions. This intentional creativity will lead to creative breakthroughs that would otherwise be undiscovered.

Silencing Your Inner Critic

The fifth barrier category blocking your creativity is Emotional Barriers, which make us “freeze.” These emotional blocks include anger, fear, and anxiety. More specifically- fear of failure, fear of being different, fear of criticism or ridicule, fear of rejection, fear of supervisors, timidity, and shaky self-esteem. We all relate to feeling some of these at one time or another. If left unchecked, they will certainly hinder our creative potential. Creativity takes courage, which does not mean we are never afraid. It simply means doing things scared. We will all feel fear at one time or another, but we cannot let that impede our goals for living out-of-the-box.

In short, awareness of your personal barriers is half the battle. Come to your creative activities with an open mind and an open heart. There are no wrong answers. When you create, follow your impulses, your curiosities and your inspirations. Don’t allow comfort, safety, convention, or practicality to interrupt your flow. When you are able to turn off the critical voices in your head and your heart, your creativity will witness a renaissance.

Jessica Beresh is a blogger and co-founder of MossyBrain. Along with her husband Ben, their 4 kids and their sweet puppy Charlie she resides in Broken Arrow OK. She is a 9 on the Enneagram, loves Chai (hot or iced) and rainy days.

Connect with her on Facebook or jess@mossybrain.com.

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You’ve decided- this will be your most creative year yet! Awesome- get ready for the ride of your life!

So where to begin? Let’s start with something extremely basic and fundamental. Each day, at a regular time that works with your schedule, you will have Creative Time.

What is Creative Time?

Creative time is a dedicated time and space for you to engage in some kind of creative activity. This really can be anything you want it to be. You could write, sketch, dance, sing, read, paint, play an instrument, build something, craft, code, design, take some photos, nature walk, dream, plan, brainstorm- anything that gets your creative neurons firing and energized. The activity itself does not need to be strategic or cohesive from day to day; the important thing is that you participate in creative activities each day.

When is the Best Time for Creativity?

Ask yourself- what time during the day am I at my best? If you want to make the most of your Creative Time, you will create a hole in your schedule when you can be your most aware and energetic. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Your creative activities will be more productive and more fun if you schedule them when you can bring your A-game. If you are not a morning person, do not schedule creative time early in the morning. If you are totally spent come 9pm, late evening may be a poor choice. Are your eyes drooping and your head nodding around 2pm? Probably not the time for productive creativity.

By scheduling the creative time when you feel good and can function best, you’re giving yourself a huge advantage. Chances are, this creative time will become something you’re eagerly looking forward to each day. Block this time out on your calendar or planner and protect it fiercely. If possible, find a time that you will be uninterrupted and unhindered by other responsibilities. Don’t allow work, kids, chores, friends or any other distractions to intrude on this sacred time. It belongs to you and your creativity.

When You Don’t Feel Creative

The reality is that you will not consistently feel creative when Creative Time starts each day. Any number of things can demotivate you from being creative. But none of these things are excuses to skip your Creative Time. Here at MossyBrain, we espouse an exercise called a FlowJam. Flow is a state of creative being where fresh ideas are percolating and new neural connections are being formed. A FlowJam is an exercise to jumpstart your flow, giving all subsequent creativity a boost.

Examples of FlowJam exercises are writing a haiku, coloring, freestyle rapping, making up your own lyrics to popular songs and recasting your favorite movies with different actors. Any low-stakes spontaneously creative activity will do the trick. We recommend you begin your Creative Time with a FlowJam session to clear out the mental doldrums and to set yourself up for creative success. We have found that a FlowJam session dramatically improves the quality of your creative times and activities. So jam it up.

Value and Protect Your Creative Time

Think of your Creative Time as a precious and priceless gift. This is a personal ritual to develop your creative genius. Without this time, you risk experiencing an un-creative, normal, boring existence.

Schedule this time in your calendar first and plan all other activities around it. Recognize and solidify the importance of Creative Time- don’t allow time-suck activities to rob you of it. The status quo mentality will tell you to do what is easy and comfortable. Turn on Netflix, sleep in, play video games, dive into social media. But resist the temptation to stay comfortable! Just like eating right or exercising, committing to have regular creative time can be painful at the beginning, but hugely rewarding once the habit is in place.

Building Up Your Creativity Muscles

This regularly scheduled Creative Time will deliver major benefits once it is established into your daily routine. Just like a new exercise regimen, you may not see the results immediately. But over time, this habit of intentional creativity will begin to change the way you think and also how you view the world. As this change begins to happen, be sure to take on new creative challenges and experiences as a way to “flex” your developing creativity muscles. You will be amazed at your growth.

This year, decide to give creativity a fighting chance to change your life. Check back with MossyBrain regularly for tips, inspiration and motivation as you progress on your creative journey this year. And remember that you’re not alone- be sure to let us know how you’re doing. Happy creating!

Jessica Beresh is a blogger and co-founder of MossyBrain. Along with her husband Ben, their 4 kids and their sweet puppy Charlie she resides in Broken Arrow OK. She is a 9 on the Enneagram, bringing peace and kindness with her everywhere she goes. She loves Chai (hot or iced) and also rainy days

Connect with her on Facebook or jess@mossybrain.com.

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