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      As I embrace my creativity, I expand my imagination.

The more I center my attention on my creative practice, the more my imagination opens, widening, deepening, becoming a space I trust. I allow myself to move beyond limits I didn’t create or consent to. I release beliefs I inherited or absorbed through osmosis. Those pesky whispered nuances dropped into my spirit, making me question my brilliance and my capacity to be creative.

Beloveds, I stay curious and question everything! To my family and friends, I can be annoying as hell. My 91 year old aunt just told me yesterday she can’t believe I still be asking all them durn questions! So I’m not new to the deep dive, I’m true to it! You can’t just tell me something and walk away. I’m going to inquire and analyze, because I’m not just seeking answers, but looking to sharpen how I see, feel, and move through this world.

Critical thinking, for me, is not just mental; it’s spiritual. It stretches my creative self, taking me outside the boundaries of the ordinary. Creativity and critical thinking go hand in hand. This pair helps me unearth meaning, beauty, contradiction, and possibility, all on my terms, from the depths of my being. Creativity and critical thinking give tone to my voice, ensuring that I am being authentically me.

Trust, my mind is not rigid. It’s shape-shifting, multilingual, and expansive. I see patterns between things that seem unrelated. I know how to remix and reimagine. My conscious and subconscious often work in rhythm and rhyme. Even in my sleep, I dream and create, giving birth to new ideas, projects, and sometimes movements. As exhausting as that sounds, I have also dreamed of getaways and playdates and have been blessed with the blueprint to make those things manifest. Three of those vacation dreams have come to fruition this year in the form of mini vacations. Two daylong mommy playdates at the beach while my friends’ children were at school, day drinking, talking sex, and eating sweets and seafood. And an overnight stay at an Embassy Suites resort overlooking the pool, which also overlooked the ocean. All were free for me and came at a time when I dreamed of sun, fun, and total rest.

Make a note: Don’t sleep on your dreams.

Ideas come to me naturally and frequently. I don’t force them, I listen for them. I make space for inspiration to visit. And when it does, I take it seriously, making notes and jotting down ways to expand and manifest.

I communicate my ideas to the Universe clearly and with care. I know how to break complexity down to its essence without losing its power. That clarity and simplicity invite others to connect, reflect, and build with me.

I don’t wait around for perfect timing. When something new calls, I move. I respond. I experiment. My creativity is not just dreamy. It is disciplined and sometimes whimsical. Sometimes it seems blocked and far away. At those times when my creativity seems dormant, I seek inspiration from others. I attend workshops and art sessions that may not be my usual artistic method of operation. When my creative self needs a break, I give her one, but I don’t let her rest too long. I miss her when she isn’t close. She is my fraternal twin, my sister bestie, and I love having her around. Life with her is never boring, and I cherish our relationship.

Because my mind is fertile ground, I see how one idea can root another. I know how to compost what’s no longer working and let it feed the next thing. My approach to challenges is not frantic; it is intentional. I study the structure. I map it. I reimagine it. I am always connecting the dots. Not just to solve problems, but to design new ways forward. My creativity is a practice of freedom.

Today, as I show up to my creative self, I encourage you to do the same. When you feel yourself slipping into patterns that feel too familiar or too tight, I challenge you to pause and evaluate. I ask that you pivot from your routine and try something different. Trust that creativity is always available to you if you make room for it. Make your creativity your best friend, and she will always keep life filled with magic and adventure.

Now, go forward and create. Ase!

Challenge: Do a 5-minute free write describing your creativity. What surprised you? What beliefs about your creativity do you feel you need to let go of?

Journal Prompts:

1. What shifts when I treat creativity as a practice, not a performance?

2. Where in my life does imagination feel most alive, and how can I nurture that?

3. What place in my home, yard, office, or other area can I designate as my sacred, creative space? What can I add to make it inviting and inspiring? (Hint: it doesn’t have to be an entire room. A small corner to start can do nicely!)

8 Ways to Awaken and Boost Your Creativity

What is Creativity? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica “creativity is the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form.

Do you consider yourself a creative person? Can you easily come up with crafty ideas to enhance the appeal of your environment, presentations, or work? I know people who can walk in a space or see a project and immediately come up with a way to improve it. I also know folks who hear the word creativity and shut down or say things like:

I love reading poetry, but I could never write a poem.

I don’t know how to draw.

I don’t ever make anything because I’m not a creative person.

Guess what? All of us have a creative spark! It is linked to our ability to be critical thinkers and to think outside the box. Being an artist or considering yourself a creative person is tied to so much more than painting, writing, music, or dance. Do you consider hair stylists or chef artists? I do. Hairdressers, braiders, and barbers create beautiful hair styles or alter traditional styles to match the current trends. Chefs create new recipes or improve on old ones all the time. These jobs (like most jobs) require creativity and innovation which in my view is equal to artistic skill.

If you have a career that requires creativity or you’ve ever needed a creative solution to a problem, you’re aware of how challenging it can be to be creative on demand. Creativity seems to come and go with little rhyme or reason. Have you ever wished you could proactively boost your creativity? Keep reading for eight tips that do just that!

Like any other skill, the ability to increase your creativity gets better with practice and experience. Get started today, and try these strategies to help your creativity blossom:

Work in a new environment. It’s amazing how much a change of scenery can help! Try working in the library or a coffee shop. Rearrange your office and change the view. When you do the same things in the same place, you’ll tend to think the same thoughts. Turn off your autopilot and expose your senses to new stimuli.

Pretend you’re helping someone else find solutions. Many people find that they have more creative ideas when helping others solve their challenges. Pretend you’re helping a friend and let the ideas flow. Depersonalizing the issue seems to free up a part of the mind that’s otherwise stifle

Brainstorm with a friend. Sometimes, a little help from a friend is just what we need. Call a friend or associate and ask what they think about the situation. Perhaps their recommendation is just the thing you need to help you move forward on your project. Side note: Have you ever noticed that you and a friend or coworker find more creative ideas between the two of you rather than when brainstorming in a group? Sometimes when a large group brainstorms, most of the group members lack a sense of accountability. It’s too easy to be passive. For brainstorming sessions, it may be more beneficial to stay away from large group sessions and pair up with just one other person. If you find yourself in a large group looking for solutions to a problem, take a chance and suggest pairing off and reporting back.

Try being creative at a different time of the day. If you normally create at a specific time of the day but find yourself stuck on a project, shift your creative time. For example, I usually write late at night. When I run into the dreaded writer’s block, I shift my writing time to in the evening or early morning. If you are running into creative stagnation, try staying up late or getting up extra early for a change. If you’ve been feeling stuck at 9 AM for a while, it’s time to try a different hour of the day. Set your alarm clock for 3 AM and force yourself to work for 20 minutes. The time change may be just what you need to move through your block.

Try some music.Few things can change your mood and get those creative juices flowing faster than a great song. It’s important to note if your favorites are affecting your focus, branch out and listen to something new. Don’t be afraid to move out of your musical comfort zone. I am a neo soul aficionado. Sometimes when I access my neo playlist, I find myself singing and reminiscing more than writing. When that happens, I listen to a little old-school R and B or Jazz, and it puts me in a different zone. I like the new genre but don’t know the music intimately, so I can still work without distraction and still bop a little.

Meditate. Meditation is a useful tool for giving your mind a well-needed break. You’ll find your thoughts start to become re-energized. Simple and elegant solutions often reveal themselves after a brief period of meditation. Meditation requires a little practice, but it’s easier to learn than you may think. Meditate on your challenges and be open to the thoughts that arise. Meditation is not just for new-age thinkers! It is considered a useful tool in the corporate world. Mindfulness works to enhance creativity and innovation. According to a 2017 article in the Harvard Business Review, “Many executives have taken up meditation because they find it helps them switch gears when stress piles up.” A quick Google or YouTube search can help you access some guided meditations. You can also reach out to meditation experts in your area

Stay hydrated. Get a drink of water! Your body is mostly water. Even a small degree of dehydration causes all sorts of biological processes to go haywire. If you’re feeling stuck, take a minute to drink a large glass of water. Remember to drink throughout the day and the evening. Another way I use a glass of water in my creative process is by speaking my goals for my creative session into my glass of water and then drinking it. Although it is an unconventional use for water, it is a great intention setter and helps you get into a creative mindset.

Go outside. Try going outside for a little exercise. Going for a quick 10–15-minute walk is a fantastic way to get those creative juices flowing. You may lack a plan, but you can still get outside and do something stimulating!

Here is a bonus! Try Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping. Tapping on certain meridian or energy points on your body can help release the blocks or stagnation that is causing your creative process to stall. You can contact us to purchase a creative tapping guide or set up a session. Email us at info@terribaileychats.com for more information.

Remember, creativity doesn’t always automatically happen. There are times when creativity is needed, but it’s nowhere to be found. Add these tips to your creativity toolbox to help the next time you’re feeling uninspired or stuck. If one strategy does not yield the results you desire, try another. With practice, you can learn to unleash your creativity on demand.