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How’s Your Creative Karma?

10 Ways You Can Increase Creativity by Giving Before Receiving

By Dan Goodwin

When we’re feeling creatively stuck and struggling to get the creative juices flowing freely, often the last thought in our mind is of offering support to someone else.

We can become very inwardly focused, wanting to use and protect every ounce of spare creative energy for ourselves to feed our own creativity.

Any suggestion of taking a break to be supportive to someone else we see as an unnecessary distraction, a way that can only lead us to becoming further adrift from that creative flow we’re already losing.

It’s as if all our creativity is being held in a reservoir behind a huge dam, and if we take our eye off protecting our creative reservoir even for a moment, the dam will start to crack and the creativity resources we do have left will gush away in seconds.

Sometimes it’s better to be more like a river than a reservoir.

A river flows freely. At any point on the river, water flows to it and away from it, passing in a few seconds. As soon as the river gives water and flow in a downstream direction, it receives fresh water and flow from upstream.

It gives, then what’s given away is replaced.

Here are 10 ways you can increase YOUR creativity by giving before you receive. Imagine it as a form of Creative Karma:

1. Offer your time at a local creative class or event. People are often delighted to receive help in organising and setting up creativity events. Find out what’s going on in your area and offer an hour or two of your time.
   
   
2. Donate books on art and creativity to a good cause. Whether it’s to a charity shop, a hospital ward, a doctor’s reception area or somewhere else, your donation will be gratefully received, and may spark off a stranger’s sleeping creativity.
   
   
3. Let people know when you enjoy their work. Whether it’s an author who’s book you’ve just finished, or a painter who’s work has particularly inspired you, most artists have contact details readily available, so let them know how their art enhanced your life.
   
   
4. Form a group for creative friends. Offer to set up and host a reading, writing or craft group for some creative friends. You can support each other in your own creative work or start collaborating on a new creative project together.
   
   
5. Offer to volunteer at a local school. Many schools will welcome help in hearing children read, or in art and craft classes. Get involved and support existing classes, or you could even set up a new after school art or craft group yourself.
   
   
6. Give your services to a community building or project. Maybe it’s a new park or garden where help is needed in designing their landscaping or a community hall that needs the interior freshening up and modernising. Offer your creative abilities and feel part of the community.
   
   
7. Post comments on blogs and websites. If you read a post on someone’s blog you enjoy, let them know and post a comment. It’s a great of way of supporting those who’s work positively touches your life. You can even remain anonymous if you wish.
   
   
8. Design posters and leaflets for a local voluntary organisation. If you’re good at graphic design, or simple know how to produce eye catching and colourful posters and flyers, offer your talents to a local voluntary organisation to help them promote their events and services.
   
   
9. Help a friend decorate or redesign their home. Many people simply don’t have the design eye for creating a home they both love to be in and are creatively inspired by. Offer your help in designing, painting, making curtains, covers, furniture, or wherever else you’re able to offer your creative talents.
   
   
10. Get involved in a theatre group. Even if you’re not an aspiring actor, most small theatre groups welcome help with set design, lighting, sound and so on. Use your skills to support them however you can.

Getting involved in any one of these activities will be much appreciated by those you’re helping. And as a bonus, you’ll get the chance to be creative maybe in different areas that you’re normally exposed to, as well as the unique feeling that by giving your time, ideas and talents, you’re positively affecting the lives of others.

So enhance your Creative Karma and make contact with someone you can help today!

:: Share Your Experience ::

How have you improved your own Creative Karma by supporting others creatively recently? And how are you going to offer your support and creativity over the next few months?

Share your experiences and comments about this article and see what others are saying at Dan's blog: A Leap Across A Chasm. •

© Copyright 2007 Dan Goodwin

About the Author | More by Dan Goodwin
Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin is the author of “Create Create!”, a FREE twice monthly ezine for people who want simple and powerful articles, tips and exercises to help them unleash their creative talents. Sign up right now and get your FREE “Explode Your Creativity!” Action Workbook, at www.CoachCreative.com.

03/16/07