Creativity can help us improve all areas of our lives. If your creativity is a bit rusty, try one of these creativity exercises to fire up your imagination.

Creativity isn’t just for artists. In fact, we can use creative thinking to improve all areas of our lives from our work to our relationships. Creativity doesn’t have to mean painting a picture or penning a poem, it can be as simple as combing two things to make something new and original. You might want to come up with some creative ideas to bring to work, to reinvigorate your relationship or just to make better use of your space at home. Creativity exercises can get you in the mood to take your creativity further.

However, often we are out of practice at being creative. Many of us haven’t really practised creativity since school, so we may feel a bit rusty. But we do all use creativity every day, from choosing what to wear to planning what to have for dinner or thinking through a difficult conversation we need to have. However, if you are stuck in a rut and your life seems a little flat and uninspiring you might like to give one of these creativity exercises a try to reignite your creativity.

Creativity exercises

1. Wear clothes you have never worn together before
2. Create something with technology – I made a cool quote picture using  photo editing software
3. Do a finger painting or a potato print
4. Take a new route to work
5. Take pictures of ten unusual things you see today
6. Draw a picture of a plant or pet
7. Pick up an old creative hobby you used to enjoy, such as playing an instrument or sewing
8. Do something you haven’t done since you were a child – I chose fruit picking and playing in a paddling pool
9. Write a short poem, limerick or haiku about something that happened to you today
10. Stay up late and watch the stars
11. Ask someone you see today what their favourite book is and why. Then borrow it and read it.
12. Get up early and watch the sunrise
13. Listen to a radio station you’ve never heard before
14. Read a children’s book you once loved or try a completely new one
15. Watch a film in a genre you don’t normally choose
16. Make something with modelling clay – I made a cute incense burner in the shape of a tepee
17. Buy a new perfume, aftershave, essential oil or home scent to awaken your sense of smell
18. Listen to a type of music you don’t normally listen to.
19. Take a bus or train journey somewhere new
20. Spend ten minutes cloud watching
21. Try a new recipe
22. Do something brave, such as stand up comedy or bungee jumping
23. Create something with stuff you already have at home. I used pretty wrapping paper to cover a plain notebook and made a key charm from old buttons
24. Eat ice cream on a freezing day or hot soup when it is boiling outside
25. Go to a restaurant and decide to try the third thing on the menu. Order and eat it whatever it is
26. Rearrange the items on a shelf or mantelpiece
27. Find ten things to give away to people who would really love them
28. Make a collage from scraps of paper, fabric and any other pretty bits and pieces you have around
29. Refinish an item of furniture
30. Ask an older friend or relative about their childhood and young adulthood. Find out what was different then
31. Go on a picnic or eat in the backyard. Wrap up warm if it is snowing!
32. Buy something from a charity shop
33. Make a cocktail
34. Take a bath in the middle of the day
35. Get to know an acquaintance better
36. Send a postcard from your hometown
37. Eat with chopsticks or your fingers
38. Set the table with the best china and glassware for an everyday dinner
39. Sing along to an album you haven’t listened to for years. You know, the one you know every word to, but would never admit it in public!
40. Make something out of an old item of clothing. There are loads of ideas online, it could be anything from a cushion cover to a handbag
41. Eat dessert before dinner
42. Write a letter or notecard to an older relative
43. Go paddling or swimming in a lake, stream or the ocean
44. Take a nap in the middle of the day
45. Walk someone’s dog (with their permission of course ;))
46. Go bird watching
47. Try a yoga pose
48. Look through old letters, photos and certificates and find things about your past that you had forgotten
49. Make up a bag of treats and luxuries for next time you have a lousy day
50. See if you can still do a forward roll or stand on tiptoe or touch your toes

Closing thoughts

I hope you enjoyed reading these creativity exercises and I also hope you have also planned to give one of them, or some other creative idea a try soon. You might be amazed how much the simplest creativity exercises can boost your motivation, imagination and creativity. Even if you don’t end up feeling more creative, though I am sure you will, you will at least have tried something different and had some fun.

This post originally appeared at www.learning mind and is reprinted with permission