Top Ten Ways To Jump-Start Your Creativity

1 - Take A Tour of the Great Outdoors

Consider a hike in the mountains, a stroll beside the river, a run along the beach, a jog through the park or a walk around the city.

2 - Soak Up Your Surroundings like a New Sponge Open your mind to the unknown and grasp the little details often overlooked in every day life.

3 - Read, Read, Read Read anything that interests you... Regardless of whether it´s related to writing or not! Think variety - from trashy romance novels and bad tabloids to The New York Times and Writers Digest. Find something different to read that you are really interested in and then actually take the time to READ it thoroughly.

4 - Escape Reality Temporarily Indulge yourself with rare pleasures - like a hot bubble bath, a professional massage, a visit to the beauty salon, a mini-shopping spree, a big bowl of REAL chocolate ice cream or just a little time ALONE!

5 - Play Like A Child Forget your responsibilities as a mature adult for a few hours! Remember something you loved to do as a kid and re-create the experience now. Or participate in whatever game/activity/adventure your child enjoys more than anything else. Roll up your sleeves, abandon your inhibitions, throw caution to the wind and play - really PLAY like you did when you were 10 or 20 years younger!

6 - Quit Procrastinating Finish that one particular project that you have been putting off for weeks.. Get it done now, so you can really focus all of your energy on new ideas and creative pursuits. If there's one thing that clouds your thinking almost daily, make it go away today!

7 - Just Write Write about anything. Write about the first thing that comes to mind - no matter how silly or irrelevant the subject may seem - put your feelings into words and get them down on paper as much paper as it takes! Keep writing about what you're thinking about until you can't think of any more words.

8 - Share Your Ideas, Opinions or Experiences with Someone Else Whether you have to call our mom or a close friend, talk about what's on our mind with somebody - almost anybody, who you know and trust. Interact with other writers on the web via e-mail discussion lists, open forums or critique groups.

Get your thoughts out there. Bounce your ideas off of somebody else. Share your feelings with others who can relate to your topic. Ask for feedback from people you trust.

9 - Identify Issues that are Important to You Make a list of topics that you think matter in today's world. Jot down at least ten subjects and then explore ways to transform these ideas into articles. Example of Issues: Child Abuse, Internet Technology, Scams Online, World Peace, Prison Reform, Senior Care, Freedom of Speech, School Choices etc....) Look at the headlines in your daily newspaper, think of recent stories broadcast by National news programs like 20/20...

10 - Search The Web Look for articles and other resources related to creativity. Read stories written by other writers and/or try some creative writing exercises.

Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.a sp

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

In this Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007 file photo, Attorney General Michael Mukasey addresses the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law and National Security, at the University Club in Washington.  Mukasey collapsed during a speech Thursday night, Nov. 20, 2008 and was being taken to a hospital. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP - Attorney General Michael Mukasey, the no-nonsense ally in President Bush's war on terror, was hospitalized Thursday after he collapsed during a late-night speech and lost consciousness.



In this Friday, Nov. 14, 2008 file photo, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks at a New York Public Transit Association conference in Albany.   President-elect Barack Obama's transition team says Obama is on track to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state after Thanksgiving.  (AP Photo/Tim Roske)AP - President-elect Barack Obama plans to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state after Thanksgiving, a new milestone for a former first lady and a convergence of two political forces who contested mightily for the presidency.



Passers-by are seen in front of an electronic stock board in downtown Tokyo, Japan, Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. Japan's Nikkei 225 closed up 207.75 points, or 2.70 percent, at 7,910.79. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)AP - Most Asian markets rebounded Friday after days of sharp declines in stocks around the world as investors scooped up battered financial and technology shares.



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., right, accompanied by Senate Majority Harry Reid of Nev. takes part in a news conference on the auto industry bailout, with fellow congressional leaders, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP - The $25 billion rescue plan for the auto industry, desperately sought by Detroit's beleaguered Big Three, collapsed Thursday as Congress drew the line at one more bailout and Democrats said they wouldn't even consider it until the companies produced a convincing plan for rebuilding their once-mighty industry.



AP - China acknowledged Friday for the first time that more than 19,000 schoolchildren were among the dead in the massive earthquake that struck Sichuan province in May.

In this image reviewed by the U.S. Military, a Guantanamo detainee, photographed through a glass window with a U.S military guard seen reflected on it,  sleeps on a mattress on the floor of his cell, at the Camp 5 detention facility, at the U.S. Naval Base, in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008. A federal judge on Thursday, Nov. 20 ordered the release of five Algerians held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the continued detention of a sixth in what is being called a blow to the Bush administration's policy to keep terror suspects locked up without charges. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)AP - A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release of five Algerians held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the continued detention of a sixth in a major blow to the Bush administration's strategy to keep terror suspects locked up without charges.



Joe Wurzelbacher, also known as AP - An agency director improperly used state computers to find personal information on "Joe the Plumber," a government watchdog said in a report released Thursday.



An Aug. 31, 2006 file photo shows Guns N' Roses front man Axl Rose posing backstage at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin, File)AP - Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality.



AP - A man says his cell phone saved his life. A stray .45-caliber bullet hit R.J. Richard's chest while he was mowing the lawn — hitting so hard he thought it was a stone kicked out by his tractor. He pulled out the phone. It fell apart.

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes (10) runs after catching a pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall (29) moves in to make the tackle during the second quarter of a  NFL football game  in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)AP - Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers know exactly how to beat the Cincinnati Bengals — with or without Chad Ocho Cinco.



A trader listens to a colleague on the floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange, which closed down 3.45 percent in today's trading, in Makati City, Manila, November 20, 2008. (Romeo Ranoco/Reuters)Reuters - Signs of distress in the global economy mounted, with shares in U.S. bank Citigroup Inc plunging on fears about its future, oil prices falling and the future of U.S. automakers hanging in the balance.



President-elect Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton attend a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida, October 20, 2008. (Jim Young/Reuters)Reuters - Retired Marine Gen. James Jones emerged as a leading contender for White House national security adviser as President-elect Barack Obama worked on Thursday to assemble his foreign policy team.



Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)(R) and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) hold a news conference to discuss proposed automobile bailout legislation on Capitol Hill in Washington, November 20, 2008. (Jim Young/Reuters)Reuters - Democratic congressional leaders, seeking to salvage a bailout of the Big Three automakers, demanded executives provide a business survival plan in exchange for their support of up to $25 billion in loans.



Protestors chant anti-U.S. slogans during a demonstration in Tikrit, 150 km (95 miles) north of Baghdad, November 19, 2008. (Sabah al-Bazee/Reuters)Reuters - Iraqi forces shut streets in Baghdad and placed snipers on rooftops on Friday before a protest by followers of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr against a pact allowing U.S. troops to remain for three more years.



Pedestrians walk past a Citibank branch in Singapore November 18, 2008. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)Reuters - Citigroup Inc lost more than one-quarter of its market value on growing worries over whether it has enough capital to withstand billions of dollars of potential losses and despite new support from its largest individual investor.



The sign for the Verizon Wireless store is seen in Lakewood, Colorado September 11, 2007. (Rick Wilking/Reuters)Reuters - Verizon Wireless said on Thursday that some employees had gained unauthorized access and viewed a personal cell phone account held by President-elect Barack Obama that is now inactive.



U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey addresses the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, California in this March 27, 2008 file photo. (Robert Galbraith/Files/Reuters)Reuters - U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey was "conscious, conversant and alert" at a local Washington hospital after collapsing while delivering a national security speech at a hotel, the U.S. Justice Department said late on Thursday.



President George W. Bush sits with Thailand's Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont (not in picture) during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit leaders' retreat at the Sydney Opera House September 8, 2007. (Barbara Walton/Pool/Reuters)Reuters - George W. Bush makes his last scheduled trip abroad as U.S. president on Friday, heading to an Asia-Pacific summit where he will seek support for global financial reform and hold talks on ending North Korea's nuclear program.



A United Nations peacekeeper from South Africa rides atop of an armored vehicle in the North Kivu provinicial capital city of Goma. The UN Security Council approved an extra 3,000 peacekeeping troops to help end conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where fresh fighting erupted earlier in the day.(AFP/Roberto Schmidt)AFP - The UN Security Council approved an extra 3,000 peacekeeping troops to help end conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where fresh fighting erupted earlier in the day.



File photo shows the Italian destroyer ITS Durand de la Penne escorting the merchant vessel Victoria, chartered by the World Food Programme to deliver humanitarian assistance to Somalia. A more aggressive military approach is the only answer to an escalation of piracy off Somalia, the world's biggest oil tanker company said Friday.(AFP/NATO/HO/Po Luigi Cotrufo)AFP - A more aggressive military approach is the only answer to an escalation of piracy off Somalia, the world's biggest oil tanker company said Friday.




Unlock Your Creative Secret Weapon

It seems like this week a ton of people have been asking... Read More

Is Your Team Suffering from FWTS?

Who do you know who is feeling stuck, under-performing, or dealing with... Read More

Innovation Through Concept-Combination

There are many creative problem solving techniques used by inventors to come... Read More

My Work Is My Play - The Journey From Survival to Creativity

"For the love a' creation!", my father was fond of expounding, when... Read More

Creativity Management ? Measurement, Benchmarking, and Improvement

Contrary to common perception, creativity can be made tangible, measurable and useable.... Read More

The Power Of Your Intuition

We all have enormous reserves of mental capacity that we habitually fail... Read More

Connect with Your Inner Artist

In the "Roadblocks to Creativity" e-course, we look at the 7 most... Read More

Story and Screenplay Structure

Structure is beneficial to creative output in a number of ways. There... Read More

The Elements of Creativity: What-ifs?

What if there is no toilet paper and I am halfway through... Read More

Rejuvenate & Re-Fuel Your Inner Drive

I believe that as solo-entrepreneurs, business owners, and executives we all need... Read More

How To Get In The Zone And Blast Your Marketing To A Higher Level

This may come as a surprise... but many marketers are so busy,... Read More

The Creativity Creed

I believe that creativity is a natural order of life itself and... Read More

Creativity and Broken Eggs

In 1420, the dignitaries of Florence held a competition.They offered the enormous... Read More

10 Tools for Dealing with Criticism and Rejection

Ouch! Whether it's feedback we've asked for, an unsolicited remark called out... Read More

Go Ahead and Think Outside the Box!

I am trying to create a discipline where I blog daily. This... Read More

Creating Reality ? Discovering the Magician Within

We all create our own reality each and every day, whether we... Read More

Be Creative: 10 Easy Steps To Increase Your Confidence, Creativity and Cash In The Attention Economy

How can you be more creative? How can you turn creative ideas... Read More

Make Yourself Creative: Two Easy Idea-Generating Methods

Here are a couple of exercises to force yourself to come up... Read More

Being Creative is Essential for Online Success

Do you have a strategy that ensures your online business stands out... Read More

Top Five Journal Exercises

Keeping a journal is a form of creative expression that enhances the... Read More

Tapping into Your Super Creative Power

Do you consider yourself creative? How about super creative? Most people may... Read More

Creativity Management ? Don?t Write, Rewrite

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More

Creativity Stereotypes ? Are They Holding You Back?

Here's a quick quiz:1) When I see a see a sunrise, I'm... Read More

Ideas

While the inception of penicillin brought a bit of a stir, and... Read More

Five Steps to Higher Creativity: Engaging the Human Spirit

Unleash Your Creativity! Creativity has often been the misunderstood child of... Read More

Creative Drought

For the past several hours, I've struggled with this week's message, the... Read More

Improve Your Bottom Line, Kens Idea Saved over $100,000

Engaged employees can show us the way to continuously improve. Customers want... Read More

Innovation: Wake Up Your People?s Creative Genius

Successful companies have innovation in their blood. The single most important element... Read More

You Dont Have To Be An Artist To Be Creative

Imagine that a block of ice has been set on your desk.... Read More

Telling It Like It Is (Or Can Be)

When you hear, "tell me a story," does your mind suddenly go... Read More

Five Basic Steps to Benefit from Your Creativity

The ability to exercise your creativity is even more important for you... Read More

Mindfulness and Poetry: Delicious Word Awareness

Everyone's a poet.Of course, everyone's a critic, too! This means that there... Read More

Creativity Management ? Synergy of Craft and Art

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More

Breathing Out Stage Fright

You're stepping onto the stage, amidst opening night flurry and last minute... Read More

How to Make Time for Art

The key to making time for art is the ability to say... Read More

Analysis of The Monkeys Paw by W. W. Jacobs: A Study in Lateral Thinking

I first read The Monkey's Paw as a youngster in Junior High... Read More

Connect With Your Creative Dream

We get so busy in our day-to-day life, with all the doing... Read More

9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity

Time is the great equalizer. Everybody has the exact same number of... Read More

Its Time to Get Out of the Box

"It is never too late to be what you might have been.... Read More

Trying to Create From Distorted Perceptions?

We've all met people who are "negative" ? negative thinkers who consistently... Read More

Finding A Little Adventure

I have had more than my share of exciting times and I'm... Read More

How Do You Paint New Age

About once every year or so, I take a critical look at... Read More

Seeing Problems From Their Creative Side

Did you know that winning actually puts less wear and tear on... Read More

Overcoming Artists Block (part 2)

Once you are ready to start working again you will know it... Read More

How to be More Creative and Enhance Your Creativity

efore thinking about how to be more creative, let me begin point... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Think Creatively

You may have heard of Roger von Oech's book, A Whack on... Read More

Mindfulness and Music: Things That Go Hmmm

Shhh... can you hear it?One of the most powerful forms of mindfulness... Read More