For creative people like us, a sure way to greater happiness is to allow ourselves to become as creative as we can be. But that’s often easier said than done.

Here are 7 practical and usable ways to increase your creativity and make yourself happy, starting today:

1. Create what you enjoy creating. Too many of us get caught up in creating only the projects we think we SHOULD be creating, those ones that have most credibility or that we think our peers/partner/parents/teachers expect us to create. This only leads to resentment and a compromise in what you’re really capable of. Be true to your own creativity, create what you enjoy creating and see your happiness rise.

2. Start and finish creative projects. What proportion of the creative projects you start do you actually see through to completion? Firstly, its okay not to finish every single project! Secondly, it’s likely you’re expecting too much from each one and overwhelming yourself. Choose one small project that you can create in less than an hour, and enjoy it from initial idea to completion. Once you learn again how to enjoy each stage, you can build up from there.

3. Create a little each day. Creativity is all about flow. Getting a daily creativity habit is the key to hopping aboard your own creative flow and becoming unstoppable. Set aside just 15 minutes each to create. 15 minutes is just over 1% of the 1440 minutes available each day. You’ll find that a daily creativity habit leads to a boost in your creativity, as well as your overall energy, motivation and happiness.

4. Support others in creating. When we’re feeling uncreative, we tend to try to withdraw from others, seeking to save every ounce of energy to keep ourselves afloat. The irony is, when you reach out and support and encourage others in being more creative it naturally increases your own creativity and well being. Think of it as creative karma. What 3 things could you do support someone else’s creativity today?

5. Get back in touch with your senses. All creativity begins from experiencing something through one or more of our senses, then relaying this through art to connect with others. Think of the art you enjoy most. It’s the art that most excites or soothes your senses and leaves a lasting impression. Visit somewhere stimulating and focus on each of your senses in turn. Write down what you experience, and repeat in different places. Reconnect with the sensory world around you, feel more alive, more creative and more happy.

6. Experiment in new media. Trying to create in the same medium, in the same style and the same topics will stifle anyone’s creativity. All artists need to evolve and grow. Branch out and experiment in different areas. What medium have you always wanted to try? Start a small project in it today, with the sole aim of exploring new materials, styles and techniques. It’s a worthwhile investment in your creativity, and ultimately your happiness.

7. Capture your creative ideas. Without an idea, there’s nothing to create from, no raw clay to mould. No ideas = no creativity = one unhappy artist. Carry a small notebook around with you and jot down ideas as soon as they come to you. This extension to your memory (which always seems to forget the best creative ideas!) will mean you encourage more and more creative ideas to arrive. More ideas = greater creativity = a happy artist!

Pick one of these 7 tips and give your creativity a boost today.

Remember how fundamental a part of your life creating is. Becoming more creative will always be one of the best ways to make yourself happy…

Take a step towards making yourself more happy and more creative today by downloading your free copy of the practical and powerful Explode Your Creativity! Action Workbook. Get it now at http://www.CoachCreative.com. From Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Goodwin

I recently had the opportunity to visit with a prolific and talented artist where I noticed all but one series of her canvasses were on the floor tucked away in corner. During our discussion, the painter said she had learned from her art teacher, to put away previous work that could clutter her creative process and block her growth as an artist.

Having a blank canvass and being free of distraction is critical is strategic and creative thinking–the ability to let go of accepted paradigms and beliefs to make way for creativity and innovation This type of focused reflection is a principle of the leadership strategy sessions and personal growth retreats that we host at Retreats Costa Rica, as participants leave behind the crisis of the day to day to focus on “the big picture” whether that picture is the direction of their business or their personal lives.

Strategic and Creative Thinkers are portrait painters. Look at Bill Gates who credits his success at Microsoft to his ability to look beyond the daily “noise” and focus on long-term corporate vision.

Here are 5 quick ways to improve the quality of your thinking and create your next masterpiece:

1.) Clutter creates confusion–Get organized and work with a fresh canvas. Yup, on average we spend about 45 minutes a day looking for things amidst the mess. Where are my keys? Keep only the current project you are working on in front of you.

2.) Dedicate 1 Hour of Focus Time to your Most Important Task: Multi-tasking is highly over-rated and causes a loss of up to 40% efficiency. Give yourself 1 hour of focused seclusion to work on your most import task. Note: some of my clients are scheduling in addition to an employee lunch hour, 1 hour of focus time in a designated quiet rooms, free of e.mail and phone interruptions. The result: both productivity, creativity and morale have zoomed!

3.) Stir up your visual senses and creative talents with exposure to the arts. Go to a gallery, pick up an art book or spend time with nature.

4.) Learn how to Mind-Map! This is a best practice that allows you to visualize and map your projects, strategies and to do’s. It’s also a life saving memory device that will help you remember more and organize your thinking.

5.) Finally, on the hour—stop thinking. Did you now that when you’ve been working on something for more than an hour, you start losing concentration and focus. So, stop, get up and walk around and then go back to your work of art.

Rosemary Rein, PhD is an International Speaker and Training Consultant. She is the Author of Go Wild! Survival Skills for Business and Life and hosts “Strategic Thinking Camps” and “Personal Growth Retreats” amidst the rainforest of Costa Rica. For more information on her 2007 retreats in Costa Rica visit http://www.retreatscostarica.com