6 Ways to Enhance Your Creativity | Jim Goldstein, Digital Photography School

Blogger Goldstein focuses mostly on photography in this article, but his advice applies to creativity in other endeavors, like writing.

He writes:

No matter what your artistic interests, whether photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, etc., the underlying force behind your work is creativity. ...  While every art form is unique unto its own, harnessing one’s creativity is a universal skill.

He goes on to describe six ways he likes to get his creative mind working. Here's a summary of his ideas:

1. Never Stop Thinking About Photos [or your particular creative interest] ... If your mind is primed for creative thought, creativity will have an easier time striking you.
2. Embrace Your Mistakes & Chance ... Not every mistake is a creative epiphany, but you’ll never have one if you never look.
3. Find inspiration ... [E]mbrace the work of others including Mother Nature to help you see or think in new ways. ...
4. Break the Rules ... Once you know or have mastered the rules its time to break them. Creativity knows no bounds. ...
5. Have No Fear ... Never let norms and the attachment others have to them sway you from your creative exploration of the world before you ....
6. Extract Yourself ... Taking time to be away from the things that normally fill your day is a great way to obtain freedom for your mind to wander. ...

Goldstein's article is featured today, Feb. 8, in my daily online paper, Garbl's Creativity Connections, available at the Creativity tab above and by free email subscription.