How to Tap Into Your Creativity

Use these tips to discover your most outside-the-box self.

Blow Up the Box - Whether you need to draft an innovation presentation for work, fashion a plan for helping your little brother graduate on time, or shape an idea about what to cook for dinner, creativity is the key to effective problem solving. Follow these tips to tap into your most outside-the-box self. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Blow Up the Box - Whether you need to draft an innovation presentation for work, fashion a plan for helping your little brother graduate on time, or shape an idea about what to cook for dinner, creativity is the key to effective problem solving. Follow these tips to tap into your most outside-the-box self. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

Establish a Ritual - If you have a creativity-heavy task that you must complete regularly, fashion a ritual to help you get in the mood. So if you have to write stories for a client each day, you could start by grabbing a banana, sitting at your desk, silencing your phone and putting on a specific playlist to get you in the right mindset. (Photo: ballyscanlon/Getty Images)

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Establish a Ritual

Erase Anxiety - They don’t just feel good: Rubdowns have been proven to reduce the levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and bump up levels of serotonin and dopamine, resulting in a calmer, more buoyant you.  (Photo: Flint/Corbis)

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See It

Go Left - Or right. Try this exercise: Write something, anything — a silly story, a list of items you need, people you want to call, a conversation with yourself — with your non-dominant hand. If you’re right-handed, writing with your left hand will tap into your right brain, which is where creativity is said to reign. But don’t despair lefties; forcing yourself to use the more logical part of your brain as controlled by your right hand will unlock inspiration, too.  (Photo: BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images)

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Go Left

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Go Blue

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Self-Worth - You are worthy of all of the elements it takes to establish a meaningful, long lasting and healthy relationship. Holding yourself with high regard, having pride and possessing a strong sense of self-worth means you won’t settle for less.  (Photo: Zave Smith/Getty Images)

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Be Novel

What Are Your Priorities? - First off, different people value different things. So in order for you to know what to make time for and what to ditch, make a list of the people and things that matter in your life. That way you can create a plan to not let your job damage those things that mean a lot to you. (Photo: Stephen Welstead/LWA/Corbis)

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Brainstorm

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Dream Big

Seek Inspiration - Want to write the great American novel? Read a book by a writer you admire. Stuck on your next great art project? Head to a local gallery or museum to push yourself forward.  (Photo: John Lund/Sam Diephuis/Getty Images)

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Seek Inspiration