You are here: Home > Diet & Health

Crank up your creativity

Pamela Allardice
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Getty Images
Crank up your creativity
Remember that feeling from childhood of being completely absorbed in something, like building a sandcastle or practising handstands?
 
Pamela Allardice
When you’re juggling a hectic schedule and never-ending to-do lists, it’s easy to get bogged down. If you could do with a booster shot of creative juice, try these ideas:

  • 1. Write a soap opera
    When life is not going according to plan, it’s satisfying to enter a world where you can control what your characters do and say. Keep a notebook or open file on your computer, kick off with the first idea that comes into your mind – then see where it takes you. For example, George Georgeson might have been the boss at work, but he wasn’t at home. Only last week, the rest of the Georgeson clan … or Laura yawned and looked out of her window, across to the abandoned lot next door. A movement in the grass caught her eye …

  • 2. Meditate – with a twist
    According to traditional Chinese medicine, if your body’s flow of qi, or energy, is blocked or stagnant, different organs, including the brain, will not function optimally. This harmonising meditation sequence helps rebalance your female (yin) and male (yang) energies. Sit quietly, with your eyes closed. Inhale and imagine that the power of the earth is flowing up through the soles of your feet, like water from an underground spring. This is yin, or feminine energy. Continue to visualise yourself inhaling this cooling, steadying force for 1-2 minutes. Next, visualise the sun overhead and feel its warm rays falling on the top of your head. This is yang, or masculine energy. Imagine the yang energy beaming all the way down your spine, in parallel to the cool yin energy flowing upwards. Hold this image in your mind, continuing to rhythmically breathe in yin and exhale yang for 5 minutes.

  • 3. Peace, by piece
    Remember that feeling from childhood of being completely absorbed in something, like building a sandcastle or practising handstands? Many personal growth and life-coaching techniques are based on this idea of focusing attention on one thing, and so allowing yourself to become lost in the present moment, instead of being distracted by some past or future event. The reason that jigsaws are so conducive to finding inspirational solutions to problems is that your conscious mind is completely absorbed in the task of finding the next right-shaped piece. This allows your subconscious mind to range freely on a much deeper level – you will be surprised by the left-field thoughts and ideas that suddenly pop into your head.

  • 4. Bash something
    Sign up for a class in an activity that will give you a physical jolt, such as self-defence, kung fu, kick-boxing, wood-chopping or mosaic-making. However flat and jaded you are feeling mentally, there’s something about letting fly physically, whether it’s with a hammer, an axe or your fists, that is intensely liberating – which in turn opens you up to thinking of a different take on any problem.

  • 5. Knit one, pearl (of wisdom) two
    Knitting’s calming effects come from the repetitive rhythms of needles, yarn and hands: these all induce the classic ‘relaxation response’ of lowered heart rate and blood pressure, which increase mental alertness and relaxation and help you get in touch with your creative side. If you’re a novice, visit your local craft shop to find out about beginner’s classes or knitting groups. Perhaps most importantly, such groups weave together people from all backgrounds, providing support, ideas and friendship: check out www.ravelry.com.

    Your Say: How do you get your creative juices flowing? Tell us below...


User comments

Write a comment
Email: *
Your email will not be shared with any third parties or published with your comment.
Nickname: *
Location: *

Subject:
*
Comment:
*
Maximum characters 1000

Comment guidelines
Avoid using:
  • Personal attacks
  • Irrelevant comments
  • HTML tags
  • Personal information
  • Offensive language
  • Text in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
See full comment guidelines
Comment guidelines X
Thank you for sharing your opinions with other users of NineMSN. People will find your comments more helpful if you include relevant information and avoid some common pitfalls.
Please note: All reviews and comments submitted are subject to moderation, NineMSN reserves the right to alter and / or remove any content that does not comply with usage guidelines.
What to include in your comment:
  • A title that briefly summarizes the opinion expressed in the comment.
  • Additional comments adding more detail.
  • Comparisons to other similar products, if this is relevant.
  • To create a new paragraph, press the Enter key twice.
What not to include:
  • Information that will quickly go out of date.
  • Comments on other comments or commenters.
  • Language that other users may find offensive.
  • comments of one sentence or less. Provide information to support your opinion.
  • Personal information like your email address or telephone number.
  • HTML coding. Tags like <b> or <i> will not be recognized.

Also in this section

Recipe Search

Tip: Try "lamb & potato" or "Low GI"
advertisement
Features
Pictures
Video
Say good riddance to fat: Manage the IN vs OUTMagazines feature new fad diets every week. Low fat, no carbs, South Beach Diet, cabbage soup diet, high fat, Atkins … are you confused? Fed up with all the hype and the fact you are still trying to lose weight? Read on. Robin Hood for divorced womenYou hear the same old story trumped out a lot, the woman who was happily married to a well off man in a wealthy suburb, has three young children then all of a sudden, he moves out. The no-diet weight loss strategy that actually worksThe no-diet weight loss strategy that actually works. Strength training for women; the secret to an amazing body at any ageStrength training does not make you 'big'. To get big muscles you need to train a lot, very hard and with very heavy weights and you also need testosterone. This is hard enough for men and extremely difficult for women... Overcoming the weight loss plateauHere’s something you won’t read about all that often: weight loss is not a linear process. In other words, you’re unlikely to lose a predictable 1 or 2 kilograms per week until you get down to where you want to be.
ww |

inspire me

Barbecued soy and ginger lamb with...

Barbecued soy and ginger lamb with coriander potatoesThe barbecue is the perfect way to cook a butterflied leg of lamb. Have your...More >

Char-grilled t-bones with potato pancakes

Char-grilled t-bones with potato pancakesLet the crisp potato pancakes soak up some of the zesty chilli and ginger...More >

Recipes in your inbox

Recipes in your inboxWe send you the latest recipes from the weekly straight to your inbox.
Sign up now >
ww |

topics

Handy hints(740)/ Expert advice(533)/ natural health(427)/ diet(265)/ Gardening(190)/ Books(179)/ Craft(165)/ Cleaning tips(149)/ Kids(121)/ Health(101)/ Beauty(95)