{"id":4225,"date":"2022-03-23T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/?p=4225"},"modified":"2023-05-10T18:55:15","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T22:55:15","slug":"creativity-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Super Effective Exercises Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s a wild misconception that creativity is something that some super lucky people have in abundance. Not only is that wildly untrue, but it may be holding you back. And even if you find yourself experiencing short bursts of creativity and having that well run dry when you need it most, know that creativity can <\/em>be grown and honed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n
\n
\"Influence<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
\n

The War of Art<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

by Steven Pressfield<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u23f1 14 minutes reading time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfa7 Audio version available<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
Get the key ideas on Snapreads<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Buy on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Use Prompts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t find your inspiration just now, who says you can\u2019t use a little push to prompt <\/em>you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, there are lots of different types of prompts out there. Really, it depends on which type of creativity you\u2019re aiming for. If you\u2019re, let\u2019s say a writer, a painter, a graphic designer, et cetera, something like a six-word story prompt may help you form ideas. If none of those professions are yours, stay tuned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ernest Hemingway famously popularised this method when he wrote a devastating story using only six words. His story read, \u201cFor sale: baby shoes, never worn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, find a topic and narrow it down to six meaningful words. You\u2019ll get those creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing prompts aren\u2019t just aimed at authors and artists. So even if your creativity isn\u2019t tied to writing, exercises like these can help jump-start the make-believe side of your brain and encourage you to act more creatively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of writing about something using just six words, how about writing a few words about one of your favorite things. Put 10 minutes on the clock and get writing. Why do you love this thing? Be as specific as you can. What\u2019s the feeling this thing invokes in you? Who do you associate with this positive experience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What this does is evoke emotions, and when it comes to emotions, creativity is inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draw the Same Thing Every Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How can routinely doing the same exercise every day promote creativity? Well, it\u2019s simple. Kind of like how habitually going to the gym is the only thing that gets you consistent results, doing the same exercise\u2013 whether that\u2019s push ups or a creativity exercise\u2013 can hone those muscles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may not think the same applies here, but you would be surprised. So, every day, set some time aside to draw the same thing, but here\u2019s the catch! You can\u2019t draw it the same way<\/em>. The object you\u2019re designing\u2013 this could be your pet, an animated character, a logo, et cetera\u2026the creativity is in finding new, different, and fun ways to bring it to life. The more fun you have with it, the more inspiration you\u2019ll find in other areas of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go Out Into the World!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What if the answer has been there all along? That the super effective exercise everyone <\/em>can do to boost their creativity is actually just that\u2026exercise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, not everyone can or has the time to go to a gym. The most important thing here is to get out of your office, away from your desk, and break out of your stifling routine and step out to greet the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a walk. Take a run<\/em>. Breathe the fresh air. Get your heart pumping!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019d never know how hard standing still could push back inspiration\u2013until you find the refreshing alternative. When feeling uninspired, strap on some sneakers and head out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To motivate you a little, did you know that some of the world\u2019s greatest, most creative works were the result of someone feeling uninspired and deciding to explore the world? Walt Disney Studios animators and designers regularly visit the Los Angeles Zoo or San Diego Zoo to observe the animals. The L.A. Zoo, being only three miles away from Walt Disney Studios, allowed animators, such as Aaron Berchild, to go on weekly trips to draw the animals, resulting in animations such as Zootopia coming vividly to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freewrite<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even if you\u2019re not a writer, that doesn\u2019t mean writing can\u2019t help you develop creativity in efficient ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developed by author Peter Elbow in 1973, freewrite is as simple and effective as they come. Sit down with a pen and paper, start a timer, and write<\/em>. Don\u2019t think. Just write, totally unfiltered. Transfer all the thoughts from your brain to paper until the timer goes off. If all you can think of is \u201cI can\u2019t think of what to write next,\u201d then write that down! What matters is keeping your pen moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will do one of two things: it will either help you filter out all those unnecessary thoughts that are blocking your creativity\u2013 or it will help you create the vision you\u2019ve been trying to bring to life. If nothing else, you\u2019ll get a clear glimpse of what is going on in your cluttered mind. Who knows, you may even be surprised with what you come up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sketchnoting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sketchnoting is an out of the box visual thinking method that works wonders. If taking notes isn\u2019t your thing, you\u2019ll love this exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like it sounds, sketchnoting is taking notes, not in the form of words, but in images and sketches!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to draw a cartoonish sketch of your plan, go for it! If all you can come up with are diagrams, then do whatever you\u2019re comfortable with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sketchnoting is on a different level than doodling; simply because it\u2019s deliberate. Doodling, which is actually also <\/em>an exercise to prompt creativity, doesn\u2019t require that much brainpower. You\u2019ll do it mainly to distract yourself from something boring or to pass the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sketchnoting, on the other hand, captures <\/em>images. Your sketches find ways to represent the creative ideas that you can\u2019t put into words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draw 30 Circles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Are you stuck on something or struggling with a mental block? Here\u2019s how the pros do it. Draw a total of 30 circles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can print out templates with 30 empty circles on a piece of paper or you can draw them yourself on a blank piece of paper. What you do with those 30 circles is what matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put three minutes on a timer and start the clock. Now, your job is to fill as many of those circles with recognizable drawings as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, these drawings can be anything you want. They can directly relate to the idea you\u2019re trying to create or it can be anything from coloring in a clock to sketching a pizza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens is that the more circles you fill, the more your brain is challenged to come up with a more creative idea in the next. When the three minutes are up, take a minute to reflect on what you made. Can you glean a gem from these ideas? Do you feel powered up to creatively apply yourself to the next activity? You never know when that light bulb is going to light up in your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Alternative Uses Test<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Developed in the late 1960s by psychologist JP Guilford, the Alternative Uses Test is an innovative creativity exercise. Its purpose is to get those creative muscles moving. Guilford wanted to measure people\u2019s divergent thinking instead of convergent thinking. So, instead of it being a traditional test, which focuses on your ability to reach the one correct solution to an issue, the test encourages your mind to generate a cloud of ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Alternative Uses Test is finding something that\u2019s familiar to you and looking at it through a new lens and then finding an alternative use for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be anything from a brick to a paper clip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The test\u2019s results are measured on the number of alternative uses, their originality and how unusual they are, their range across different categories, and their level of detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draw a Blind Portrait<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Art teachers use this exercise to not only hone an artist\u2019s creativity and abilities, but to also develop the communication between a person\u2019s brain, eyes, and hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A blind portrait doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you have to draw a person. Draw whatever you like, as long as you don\u2019t look at the paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result isn\u2019t actually the objective of this exercise. The objective is thinking about your surroundings, noticing details that you didn\u2019t before, getting your mind active, and practicing your hand-eye-brain coordination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aliens Have Landed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aliens have landed! And they have landed right here in your office. They have no understanding whatsoever of your language or culture. Your task is to present your idea in whatever tools you can. Draw it, build it, sketch maps, timelines, icons, et cetera\u2013 the most important thing is expressing yourself using visual language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to take things up a notch, limit your explanation to just five pictures or symbols and set a timer for five minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can get your point across to aliens, then consider your creativity effectively developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n

What Is Snapreads?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/center>\n\n\n\n

With the Snapreads app, you get the key insights from the best nonfiction books in minutes, not hours or days. Our experts transform these books into quick, memorable, easy-to-understand insights you can read when you have the time or listen to them on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start Your Free Trial<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a wild misconception that creativity is something that some super lucky people have in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[343],"class_list":{"post-4225":"post-4225","post":"post","type-post":"type-post","status-publish":"status-publish","format-standard":"format-standard","has-post-thumbnail":"has-post-thumbnail","hentry":"hentry","category-work-success":"category-work-success","tag-creativity-exercises":"tag-creativity-exercises"},"yoast_head":"\n9 Super Effective Exercises Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Unleash your creative potential with these exercises! Whether you're feeling blocked or just want to learn new ways to tap into your creative juices, these exercise will help boost your creativity in no time.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"9 Super Effective Exercise Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Unleash your creative potential with these exercises! Whether you're feeling blocked or just want to learn new ways to tap into your creative juices, these exercise will help boost your creativity in no time.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Snapreads Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/snapreadsapp\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-23T13:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-10T22:55:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Snapreads\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"9 Super Effective Exercise Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@snapreads\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@snapreads\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Snapreads\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/\",\"name\":\"9 Super Effective Exercises Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-23T13:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-10T22:55:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/07f313c5af278337ebd66fe9d166dc8c\"},\"description\":\"Unleash your creative potential with these exercises! Whether you're feeling blocked or just want to learn new ways to tap into your creative juices, these exercise will help boost your creativity in no time.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":628,\"caption\":\"creativity-exercises\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"9 Super Effective Exercises Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/\",\"name\":\"Snapreads Magazine\",\"description\":\"Helping You Succeed Through Personal Growth\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/07f313c5af278337ebd66fe9d166dc8c\",\"name\":\"Snapreads\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d75174f05c6c905968ed354d0e88911e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d75174f05c6c905968ed354d0e88911e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Snapreads\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"9 Super Effective Exercises Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity","description":"Unleash your creative potential with these exercises! Whether you're feeling blocked or just want to learn new ways to tap into your creative juices, these exercise will help boost your creativity in no time.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"9 Super Effective Exercise Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity","og_description":"Unleash your creative potential with these exercises! Whether you're feeling blocked or just want to learn new ways to tap into your creative juices, these exercise will help boost your creativity in no time.","og_url":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/","og_site_name":"Snapreads Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/snapreadsapp","article_published_time":"2022-03-23T13:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-10T22:55:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":628,"url":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Snapreads","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"9 Super Effective Exercise Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity","twitter_creator":"@snapreads","twitter_site":"@snapreads","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Snapreads","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/","url":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/","name":"9 Super Effective Exercises Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png","datePublished":"2022-03-23T13:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-10T22:55:15+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/07f313c5af278337ebd66fe9d166dc8c"},"description":"Unleash your creative potential with these exercises! Whether you're feeling blocked or just want to learn new ways to tap into your creative juices, these exercise will help boost your creativity in no time.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png","width":1200,"height":628,"caption":"creativity-exercises"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/creativity-exercises\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"9 Super Effective Exercises Everyone Can Do to Develop Creativity"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#website","url":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/","name":"Snapreads Magazine","description":"Helping You Succeed Through Personal Growth","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/07f313c5af278337ebd66fe9d166dc8c","name":"Snapreads","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d75174f05c6c905968ed354d0e88911e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d75174f05c6c905968ed354d0e88911e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Snapreads"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/creativity-exercises.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4225"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}