When was the last time you did something creative that excited you? That rush of excitement feels great and keeps your brain active and adaptable.

Creativity is the fuel that encourages exploration and growth, allowing you to see the world with fresh eyes. Is it a joyful way to live? 

Let’s explore 10 simple ways to bring more creativity into your life.

1. Surround Yourself with Curious People
2. Ask, “How?”
3. Embrace a Beginner Mindset
4. View Mistakes as Part of Your Learning Process
5. Add Variety to Your Routine
6. View Mistakes as Part of Your Learning Process
7. Add Variety to Your Routine
8. Practice Mindfulness and Focused Observation
9. View Mistakes as Part of Your Learning Process
10. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone.

On the surface, these points seem simplistic, and in a way, they are!

As you journal reflections and ideas from each point, ask how you can use creativity to live life on your terms and the terms of those near and dear to you. The options are endless. For instance, where you want to live, what type of work you can create for yourself, and what kind of relationship you desire—these all require creative approaches to solve.

While those are bigger-picture creations, consider smaller ideas that have a significant impact, such as crafting a new writing style or voice or reconfiguring your home environment to create the ideal oasis that inspires.

Creativity is your ability to bring something original into existence, such as a unique solution to a problem or a new way of doing things.

Get out your journal and start logging as many ideas as you can. Get those creative juices flowing. Write an entry related to each of the ten points listed here.

Surround Yourself with Curious People

Ibrahim and I share an energy that makes us want to learn and explore with abundant curiosity. We seek the same energy from our friends.    

Build connections and opportunities.

Surround yourself with curious, enthusiastic people who will motivate you to be more creative, live, love, and learn abundantly. 

These connections open doors to new ideas and collaborations, providing the support and inspiration you need for your creative journey.

“The most important thing about interacting with creative people is that they inspire you to think outside the box and look at things differently.”

Our dear friends encourage us to try new things and love seeing our childlike creativity in play. I particularly love sharing impromptu videos of our latest endeavours.

This friend, Steve, constantly probes our ideas and asks thought-provoking questions. He makes the ordinary seem exciting, whether collecting seashells along a beach, gifting us fridge magnets from Europe, or taking a spontaneous boat ride around Toronto Island. 

“Being around creative people will challenge your thinking, spark your imagination, and help you reach the next level in your business, profession, or hobby.”

Ask, “How?”

One of the quickest ways to reignite creativity is to ask “How can I?” about everyday things. It sounds simple—maybe even a little silly—but it works.

When did you last wonder how to change your morning routine or arrange your furniture to make your place more inspiring? These questions aren’t groundbreaking but can help you see things differently.

Asking creatively ‘how’ things could be more interesting sounds radical, but it’s incredible how asking about random things can spark interesting conversations and even lead to unexpected results.

For instance, I want to learn to speak Bengali because, in a few years, Ibrahim and I hope to build a hobby farm and live in Bangladesh during Canada’s cold winter months.  

I asked myself how I could find a fun, creative way to learn the Bengali language, and we devised an innovative solution.

We chalk-painted our inner bathroom door and external kitchen cupboards. Then, Ibrahim translated and chalked a series of conversational words for me to learn. I’m learning a new language while sitting on the potty (who knew?), and when I cook, I look up and focus on a food-related word. Our home looks and feels like a creative learning lab—and it’s fun!

Embrace a Beginner Mindset.

One of the biggest obstacles to creativity is the belief that we’re supposed to have all the answers to our questions or act like we do. But the truth is, none of us have it all figured out, and that’s perfectly okay.

Try new things, even if they seem silly and you don’t have all the answers.

Dive into it instead of feeling awkward about not knowing how to create something. When someone mentions a new problem, tell yourself, “I don’t know much about that, but I’ll search for a solution.”

People often enjoy sharing their expertise, and you’ll learn something new without the pressure to be an expert. Embracing a “beginner’s mindset” can make your creative learning path fun again. Let yourself go with the flow.

Years ago, I hired a retired tradesman and fellow boat owner to teach me how to enhance the woodwork on my 30-foot sailboat at Toronto Island on Lake Ontario. As you can imagine, boats have many offset angles, and fixing anything requires creativity and patience. But Ross and I did it!

Years later, as I reflect on the carpentry skills I developed, I’m proud of what he and I created. That experience spawned a newfound passion for shaping reclaimed wood into art pieces. I garnered bragging rights to the most interesting vessel interior on the dock.

Embracing a confident beginner’s mindset gave me the courage to take on a bold new challenge, learn new skills, and create something magnificent that I would enjoy with others for years.

View Mistakes as Part of Your Learning Process

Creativity and mistakes go hand in hand. We tend to avoid experimenting with new things when we fear getting something wrong. But when we see mistakes as a valuable part of learning, making changes becomes more effortless.

Take risks because you’re not afraid to fail.

When I first learned how to sail, it took many foiled attempts. Capsizes in high winds (it was a 15′ Albacore, so no harm done), endless tacks and jibes (turns), and gut-wrenching toe stubble were frustrating. As I made a mistake, I learned something new. I gradually improved, and each little success kept me curious and eager to improve.

Embracing mistakes lets you keep exploring and creating experiences without fearing perfection the first time. And always remember, the key to success is not just improvement but continuous improvement of your skills.

Add Variety to Your Routine

It’s so easy to get stuck in a dull routine: the same food, exercise plan, and even predictable sexual positions (you know what I’m talking about, brother).

Why not change things up consciously and often for the sake of it? You’ll open up new experiences and perspectives that will pleasantly surprise you.

Tomorrow, put together a radically different clothing look, dye your hair, shop at a different market, try a new recipe, listen to other music—the options are endless.

Ibrahim and I love taking random walks and bike rides to explore new neighbourhoods. We spontaneously capture unique angles and compositions on our iPhone cameras, which we later craft into media clips to share with others. We’ll pretend we’re on a creative photo shoot for a client.

Discovering new architecture, waterfronts, and food markets locally or globally keeps life interesting. It reminds us that endless opportunities exist to be inspired and create new perspectives.