How do you develop creativity, and can someone who doesn't feel creative learn it? Read about common misbeliefs, obstacles and small daily steps.
"I'm not a creative person." Most people who say this actually do things every day that require creativity: they make dinner out of the three ingredients left in the fridge, keep a broken cupboard door going with a rubber band and a screw, or make up a story on the spot to persuade their young child. Even so, the word "creativity" is usually associated with painters, writers and musicians; the rest of us feel as if we have been left outside this field. In this article we look for an answer to the question of how to develop creativity by treating it not as a talent unique to artists but as a skill and an attitude that can be nurtured in everyday life. Together we will review common misbeliefs, the obstacles in creativity's way, and small but concrete steps.
What Is Creativity? It Doesn't Belong Only to Artists
Creativity is generally defined as the ability to produce ideas or products that are both new and useful or meaningful. This definition does not limit creativity to paintings, novels and compositions. A teacher explaining a lesson in a different way, a shopkeeper rearranging their shop, or a parent turning a rainy day into a game with their child are creative too.
This perspective matters, because when we equate creativity solely with artistic production, we easily push ourselves outside the field. Yet creativity can be thought of as having several different layers:
- Everyday creativity: The small new ways found in daily life, from cooking to solving a problem.
- Personal expression: Pursuits through which a person expresses themselves, such as drawing, writing, music, crafts and photography.
- Professional creativity: Developing a new method at work, improving a process, proposing a different solution.
In this article we will focus mostly on the first two layers; but most of the suggestions can also contribute to creativity in working life.
How to Develop Creativity: First, Reconsider Some Beliefs
The first step in developing creativity is often to question some common beliefs about it. These beliefs can close the door before you even start trying.
"Either you have it or you don't." Seeing creativity as an innate, fixed talent leads to reading the first failed attempt as a verdict. Yet many of the attitudes that nourish creativity, such as being curious, observing, combining different ideas and experimenting, can grow stronger with practice.
"I should wait for inspiration to come." Moments of inspiration really do exist; but they usually arrive while you are in the middle of an activity, not while you are waiting idly. Trying things out regularly prepares the ground for inspiration to visit.
"Creative people are messy and disorganised." This stereotype can make orderly, well-organised people feel far from creativity. Yet the creative process involves both free experimentation and regular work.
"One side of the brain is creative, the other is logical." This story, common in popular culture, oversimplifies how the brain works. Creative thinking is a process far too complex to be squeezed into a single region; you do not need to put yourself in a "left-brained" category.
"I need a special time and place to be creative." A studio, long holidays or a quiet room are lovely; but creativity can also be nourished on a bus journey, in the kitchen or during a tea break.
Creativity is less something you have than something you do; it grows the more you do it.
The Obstacles in Creativity's Way
In many people who don't consider themselves creative, creativity is not actually missing; there are obstacles blocking its way. Some of these are:
- Tiredness and time pressure: For someone squeezed between long working hours, commuting, housework and caring responsibilities, a creative pursuit can seem like a luxury. The extra hours and worries about making ends meet created by the rising cost of living also narrow mental space.
- Constant stimulation: Filling every spare moment with your phone leaves the mind no opportunity to wander, to get bored and to make new connections.
- Perfectionism: The thought "If it won't be flawless, I won't start at all" is one of the strongest obstacles to trying. We discuss this topic in detail in our article on perfectionism and creativity.
- Fear of criticism: Having been mocked or belittled in the past can make trying something new seem risky.
- The monotony of routine: Always taking the same route, reading the same things and talking about the same topics with the same people makes it harder for new material to enter the mind.
- Emotional burden: Intense anxiety, persistent unhappiness or burnout can reduce the capacity for curiosity and enjoyment. In this case, a decline in creativity may not be a character trait but a reflection of psychological strain.
Your attitude towards yourself
Perhaps the most invisible obstacle to creativity is how you look at your own attempts. If, while trying something new, your inner voice says "This is so silly" or "Everyone else does it better", it becomes harder to keep going. You don't need to silence this voice completely; simply noticing it and giving it a small reply such as "Right now I'm just trying" can widen the space. Try looking at your own attempts the way you would look at a friend's first attempt.
Noticing these obstacles allows you to ask "What is in the way of my creativity right now?" instead of labelling yourself "not creative".
Small Steps in Everyday Life
Creativity is nourished not by big decisions but by small habits. You don't need to try all of the following suggestions at once; you can start with a few that suit you.
Keeping a curiosity notebook
Keep a small notebook with you or a notes page on your phone. Write down things that catch your attention during the day: an interesting word on a street sign, the way a neighbour has arranged their balcony, a sentence you overheard on the bus, a strange question that occurred to you. Over time these notes turn into a store of material for new ideas.
Breaking your routine in small ways
Walking down a different street on your way to work, cooking a dish you have never tried, listening to a type of music you don't normally listen to, or picking a book from a random shelf at the library gives the mind new input. New connections are usually made with new material.
Allowing yourself to get bored
Try pausing for a few minutes without reaching for your phone while waiting in a queue, on the bus or after a meal. Boredom can be uncomfortable; but it also makes room for the mind to wander and for unexpected thoughts to surface.
Making something with your hands
Hands-on pursuits such as drawing, knitting, woodwork, ceramics, gardening or cooking bring abstract thinking together with a concrete experience. The result does not need to be beautiful; the relationship your hands build with the material is valuable in itself. Our article on the benefits of drawing and painting may also give you ideas.
Playing with constraints
Unlimited options can sometimes be paralysing. Setting yourself small constraints can spark creativity: a picture using only three colours, a story of exactly six words, a meal made from five ingredients in the house, black-and-white photographs only.
Generating lots of ideas
Instead of looking for a single "right" answer to a question, try writing down ten different answers without thinking about their quality: "How else could a paper clip be used?" or "Ten ways to spend this weekend differently." The first ideas are usually the most familiar; later ideas can be more surprising. In this exercise it is important to write down even the ideas that seem silly, because sometimes the most useful idea is a slightly modified version of one that seemed silly.
Walking and moving
Many people say that ideas come to them not at their desk but while walking, in the shower or while washing the dishes. Movement and giving the mind free rein can help untangle a stuck thought.
Creating with others
Joining a choir, a craft group or a writing workshop lets you encounter new ideas and turn creating into something shared. Courses at local public education centres (halk eğitim merkezleri), workshops at municipal cultural centres or a small drawing meet-up set up with friends can be accessible starting points for this kind of setting.
How to Develop Creativity: A Four-Week Experiment
For those who want a concrete start, we can suggest a simple, pressure-free experiment. It should be thought of as a game, not a programme.
Week one: Noticing. Write at least one observation in your curiosity notebook every day. Record what you notice without judging it.
Week two: Breaking routine. Make a small change three times a week: a different route, a different meal, different music.
Week three: Making with your hands. Twice a week, make something with your hands for fifteen minutes: drawing, collage, knitting, cooking. Focus on the process, not the result.
Week four: Playing with constraints. Make something while setting yourself a small constraint: a three-colour picture, a six-word story, a five-ingredient meal.
At the end of the four weeks you can ask yourself these questions: Which activity did I enjoy most? When did I lose track of time? Which would I like to keep doing? Let's say a mother of two who works full time realised at the end of this experiment that spending twenty minutes on watercolours one evening a week, after the children were asleep, did her a great deal of good. This small discovery is enough of a start for creativity to come back into her life. In short, the answer to the question of how to develop creativity lies not in a big transformation but in small, sustainable experiments.
Creativity and Mental Health
For many people, creative pursuits are a way of expressing themselves, relaxing and finding meaning. Becoming absorbed in an activity and losing track of time is close to the experience psychology calls "flow". We discuss this experience in more detail in our article what is flow.
Although research on art-based approaches contains promising findings, most of the studies are small and methodologically limited. For this reason, it is more accurate to see creative pursuits not as a treatment for mental health problems but as activities that support wellbeing.
The relationship works both ways: creative pursuits can do your mood good; but persistent unhappiness, intense anxiety or burnout can also reduce creativity. If you no longer get any enjoyment from pursuits you used to love, it may be wiser to see this not as "I've lost my creativity" but as a sign about your mood.
When to Seek Professional Support, and How Is It Approached in Therapy?
A decline in creativity is not always a sign of a problem; busy periods, tiredness and changing interests are among its ordinary causes. However, it may be helpful to speak to a mental health professional in the following situations:
- Unhappiness, lack of motivation or inability to enjoy things lasting for weeks
- Intense and persistent anxiety, sleep problems or a feeling of burnout
- A fear of making mistakes that causes marked difficulties at work, at school or in relationships
- Harsh and constant criticism of yourself
- Marked difficulty carrying out daily tasks
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, do not wait; in an emergency, call 112 (emergency services). These signs do not in themselves amount to a diagnosis; but they deserve to be assessed.
In individual therapy, within research-supported approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), one goal may also be for the person to plan activities that bring enjoyment and meaning back into their life. Thoughts such as "I'm not creative" or "This is pointless" are noticed and examined together with more flexible alternatives. In some processes, creative tools such as drawing, collage or writing can be used to support the person's self-expression.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can creativity be developed in adulthood?
Yes. The attitudes that nourish creativity, such as being curious, observing, experimenting and combining different ideas, can grow stronger with practice at any age. What matters is focusing on the process rather than the result and starting with small steps.
Do you have to do art to be creative?
No. Creativity can show itself in many areas, from cooking to problem-solving at work. Artistic pursuits are a lovely way of nourishing creativity; but they are not the only way.
Does phone use reduce creativity?
A phone is not bad in itself; it can also be used to come across new ideas. However, filling every spare moment with a screen may leave no room for the mind to wander and get bored. Creating a few short screen-free moments during the day can make space for new thoughts.
What can I do to support creativity in children?
Taking a process-focused rather than result-focused approach, providing time and materials for free play, and watching what your child makes with curiosity rather than correcting it can support their creativity. Being a role model through your own creative pursuits also sends your child a powerful message.
Bu yazı genel bilgilendirme amaçlıdır; tanı veya tedavi yerine geçmez. Yaşadığınız güçlükler için bir ruh sağlığı uzmanına başvurmanız önerilir. Acil bir durumda lütfen 112'yi arayın.
Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
Eğitimler
