Seven Wonderful Ways to Boost Your Creativity

Alison Jane Reid -

Seven Wonderful Ways to Boost Your Creativity

 Recognising how challenging it can be to make space for creativity in our fast-paced digital world, natural happiness writer Alan Heeks, founder of the magical Hazel Hill Wood retreat centre near Salisbury, has spent several years exploring how people can find fresh creative juice and inspiration for their life and work.

Grow Your Wellbeing in Nature

“Research shows that the best antidote to screen world is time out in Nature,” says Alan, who leads groups at Hazel Hill Wood helping people grow their wellbeing and creativity, learning from Nature. “It enables us to relax deeply and expand our frame of reference by a process known as fascination which widens our attention and sensory awareness.

“Picture an average day at work or at home,” Alan continues. “How often do you feel on the back foot, or stressed and weary? Now recall a time when you felt happy and on top of things. Did your creativity help with this? If you feel that daily life is getting harder, you’re not alone: many people report that they’re more stressed, in part due to the hours we spend on screens – smartphones, computers, etcetera – which make it harder for us to relax and widen our perspectives.”

Here are Alan’s seven top tips to raise your creativity:

 

  1. Nature immersion: Extended time in a beautiful outdoor setting can help you to unwind, play, reflect and find a fuller version of yourself and your talents. This enables you to bring your full creativity into action.

 

  1. Celebrate: There’s lots of evidence that appreciation and gratitude can raise our energy and confidence levels. Find ways to appreciate who you are, all the blessings of your life, and even the challenges! Often other people appreciate us better than we do.

 

  1. Get moving: Physical movement of many kinds is well proven to shift a sense of stuckness and help us tap into our creative talents. At Hazel Hill, we’ll be offering moving meditations, restorative Chinese exercises, and more.

 

  1. Compost your challenges: Just as gardeners compost waste as fuel for future growth, you can harness apparent blockages as a source of insights.

 

  1. Try something new: If you need fresh solutions, new processes can help you. On Creative Spirit, we’ll be exploring lots of these, including learning from ecosystems and reframing a situation to see it anew.

 

  1. Positive Dreams: A great source of creative juice is connecting with your own vision and inspiration. Daring to dream has real power in fulfilling your hopes.

 

  1. Connect with others: A supportive group is a brilliant source of reflections, encouragement, and fun. When you have a circle of people around a campfire in a wood at midsummer, magic can happen!

 All these tips for raising your creativity will be explored in a Creative Spirit workshop Alan will be co-facilitating at Hazel Hill Wood, Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th June, together with gifted musician and group leader Cordelia Jilani Prescott. The workshop costs £180, including food and accommodation. For more information on this and other programmes with Alan Heeks, see www.naturalhappiness.net.