Building a creative mindset is like unlocking a secret door to endless possibilities in both your personal and professional life. It’s about seeing beyond the ordinary, embracing innovation, and transforming challenges into opportunities. However, nurturing this mindset isn’t always straightforward, especially when faced with the daily grind that can dull our creative spark.

Here are 6 strategies you can use to build and nurture your creative mindset:

1. Boost Your Confidence to Unleash Creativity

The first step in building your creative mindset is believing in your own ideas and having the courage to share them with the world. I know it’s hard to put yourself out there because I struggle with it too.

Building a creative business means we have to get used to the idea and learn to overcome the fear of judgement, and even rejection. Building self-confidence is a huge part of this too, because having the confidence to share your ideas, take the feedback you get, and build on that is where the seeds of a successful creative business are sown.

Yes, it’s about creating what makes our heart and soul happy, but it’s also about making money. And if no one wants what you’re selling, it really is hard to make a living by your creativity. 

2. Protect Your Creative Time Fiercely

My friend Angela Wills, who runs LivingLifestyleFreedom.com* is always saying “protect your time fiercely.” For her, she’s usually talking about time with her family. For creative soulpreneurs like us, there has to be some fierce protection of your creative time too.

It’s hard to maintain a creative mindset when you’re always doing everything but being creative. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be doing the other things, like marketing your business and taking care of the admin side or things or spending time with family and friends. Those are important too and can even contribute to your creativity.

But you have to carve out some time to do nothing but let your mind wander where it will. There is scientific evidence that you can build a more creative mindset when you allow yourself that space to “increase serotonin production, improve your mood, and spark creativity…” (source)

And it doesn’t really matter what you do in that creative time. Meditate, doodle, color, daydream or go for a walk. Any of these actions give your mind a chance to relax and your creativity a chance to flow.

3. Embrace the Art of Brainstorming

Brainstorming is one of my favorite tools in building and maintaining my own creative mindset. I like to think of it as a playground for the mind, where no idea is to big or too small, and it doesn’t matter how realistic or doable it is. It’s like putting every idea you’ve ever had into a melting pot, and seeing what comes up.

I actually was in a course one time where we did a niche brainstorming exercise. You had to write down every niche idea you had and put them all into a pile. Then you pulled out two and put them together. The brainstorming came when you were tasked with coming up with some way to put those two niches together to create content.

One of the cool things I love about brainstorming is that it’s not just about coming up with the ideas. As the example above shows, it’s about embracing those ideas even if they seem crazy at the time. It’s like a workout for your creativity because it encourages you to stretch and reach for ideas you would normally just write off.

4. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

I know the whole “step outside your comfort zone” thing is kind of cliché these days, but here’s the thing: a creative mindset thrives on new experiences and challenges. If you’re only feeding it the same material day after day, you’re only going to get the same output. And that’s really not very creative at all.

When you move beyond your comfort zone, you not only expose yourself to new ideas, but you often also allow new opportunities to find you. New doors open, and that can have a whole cascading effect on your creative mindset and your creativity in general.

It doesn’t have to be a big thing, either. I know people say travel, try new foods, etc. and those are all great ideas. But moving outside your comfort zone can be something as simple as changing the medium you work in, or trying a new brainstorming exercise that you think will never work.

5. Find Inspiration in the Outdoors

It’s a pretty well-known fact that being out in nature works wonders for your creative mindset.

You don’t even have to get deep into the woods to find your creative spark starting to work. I’ve felt it happen when I first step outside, take a deep breath, and feel the first touch of the sun on my skin. For me, sometimes all it takes is to sit on a bench in the park near my home to feel the creative energy bubbling and percolating.

And it can spark ideas from so many different sources: the intricate pattern of leaves, the way shadows play on a mountain face, the colors of a sunset, or the sound of birds singing, or waves crashing on the shore. (You knew I was going to get the beach in there somewhere, didn’t you?)

But it’s not just about soaking up the scenery. Being in nature pulls you out of your everyday routine and gives your brain a break from the noise of screens and schedules. It’s in these quiet moments, surrounded by the simplicity and complexity of nature, that your mind can wander freely. You start making connections you never thought of before, like how the growth patterns of trees can inspire a new design project or the way water flows can spark an idea for solving a problem. Nature’s randomness and order can teach us a lot about creativity if we’re just willing to listen.

6. Keep a Creativity Journal

Keeping a creativity journal is a great way to not only chart your progress in building your creative mindset, it’s also a place where you can explore and experiment with your creativity. Not only does it give you a safe space to keep a tangible record of your thoughts, ideas, and inspirations, it is also a space where you can reflect, doodle, and dream without boundaries.

The act of journaling not only helps in organizing your thoughts but also in recognizing patterns and connections that might not be apparent at first glance. As you journal over time, notice that you’re drawn to certain themes, colors, or subjects. Maybe every time you’re by the ocean, you come up with amazing ideas, or perhaps doodling spirals somehow leads to your best problem-solving. This isn’t coincidence; it’s your creative brain waving at you, pointing out what fuels it. By reviewing your journal, you can start to connect the dots and understand your creative process better, making it easier to tap into that flow state when you need it.

And just as you’ll see what you’re drawn to and what moves you forward, keeping a creativity journal will also point out your blocks to you. You’ll be able to see where you’re having trouble, and then be able to work through those blocks so that you can keep moving forward and strengthening your creative mindset.

Final Thoughts

Building a creative mindset is a journey that involves continuous learning, experimentation, and self-discovery. By embracing these six strategies, you’re not just enhancing your ability to think creatively: you’re setting the stage for a more fulfilling and innovative life.

And always keep in mind that creativity is not a destination but a way of life. Doing so lets you transform your experiences, challenges, and dreams into an amazing life that you create for yourself.

*Note: This post includes affiliate links, for which I will receive a small commission should you make a purchase.