Fire Up Your Imagination: 5 Creativity Fuels

Some days, especially in the dead of winter, my imagination gets hungry. Just like my physical self, it needs to refuel. Here are five ways I feed my imagination creative ideas and inspiration.

Eye Candy: Pinterest

Images are what my brain craves when it’s sluggish. My imagination especially loves Pinterest, a candy store for visual types like myself.
I often choose to search on something that’s piqued my interest at that moment. I’ve discovered some really interesting ideas this way and never fail to enjoy the journey.

For instance, I recently put together a quilt using a lot of pink – not my usual colour choice. In the Pinterest search bar, I entered “pink” and uncovered gorgeous examples of a colour I’d ignored up until then. It certainly made me re-think pink. In fact, I’m considering a pop of hot pink in the studio so stay tuned on that one!

Brain Food: Books

I love a good book. I especially love a good book that inspires my imagination, whether it’s a riveting story or something in the non-fiction category. The only requirement is that it makes me think.

Right now I’m reading The Story of Stuff.  It’s fascinating as well as a reminder of why the world today needs us to nurture our creativity. As Einstein famously said, we can’t solve problems with the same thinking that made the problem. It takes a new mind set and imagination.

[bctt tweet=”We need imagination. ‘Problems cannot be solved with the same mind set that created them.’ Einstein” username=”AprilleJanes”]

Double Dip: Podcasts

I love my smart devices. I especially love them because they make inspiration available everywhere. I often listen to a podcast while doing something else and when that something else is creative it’s like double dipping!

Going for a walk outdoors is one of my favorite ways to spark my imagination using movement and images. Add in an inspiring podcast and I’m almost guaranteed to return ready to play in my studio.

There are a lot of podcasts to choose from but you won’t go wrong starting with “Dear Handmade Life” .  I also have plans in the works for my own podcast so watch for that.

Sauce for the Imagination

There’s scientific evidence that shows how listening to Mozart or Baroque music helps us think more clearly. One beat per second slows our heart rate while activating both sides of the brain, the right conditions for your imagination to come out and play.

Getting back to Einstein, did you know he was a talented musician as well as a physicist? (He was definitely a Renaissance Soul.)  Apparently, he could have been a concert violinist and once said, “Life without music is inconceivable to me.” He credits music with helping him conceive his ground-breaking theories.

If it worked for Einstein…

Popcorn with that?

As I said, I love a good story so it’s only natural that I also love movies. I’m also a fan of special effects and the creativity behind them, particularly CG effects (a throwback to my tech days).

That’s why I suggest “Avatar” is one of the most visually creative movies I’ve seen (no matter how you may feel about the story). When I’m feeling ‘dull’ the colourful, improbably world of Pandora is enough to fill up my creative well.

Apparently we’ll soon be able to visit Pandora! Yup. You read that right. Can’t wait to see if it lives up to my imagination.

What works for you?

If you’ve got a favorite resource, tool or practice that helps you keep your creative engine running, please share it in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.