If life generally feels a little bit meh, or you only really feel alive when you’re doing something new and exciting, this is a chance to explore how you can bring that feeling back, even in the most simple and unexpected areas of your life.

Often just removing a lot of the stimulation we experience is the first step here, as things get slower you will naturally feel more connected, and likely to notice beauty around you.

By exploring activities like mindful walking in nature, and asking insightful questions, you can gently shift your mind back to a place of presence and curiosity.

Creating is a way to figure out who you are, and feel clearer about every facet of your being, from how you feel, to what you value and believe. If you suffer from imposter syndrome, or always feel like you should be doing what others are, getting back in touch with yourself is key.

We often listen to too many voices telling us who to be, and what to do. By creating, we are tapping in to our unique perspective, and expressing ourselves from there. We can feel more authentic, and less affected by what others think.

Trying to get things absolutely right is the death of creativity. Many great artists have to go through many ‘failures’ before they find their style, and the most unique ideas are often found when you least expect them.

Perfectionism is a very modern issue, with online profiles that show only the best of everything, we don’t always get to see what goes wrong. In some areas of life, of course we need to aim to get things right, being creative is not one of them. The simple act of saying ‘it doesn’t matter’ is really powerful, and it’s the first step in being truly creative.

We were taught from a young age that learning had to happen in a certain way. Partly this comes from education systems, and the need to have some way to measure success (i.e. exams). Unfortunately some people are just not great at exams, but this doesn’t mean they cannot learn.

If you think back to being a young child, there were many things you learnt very instinctively before you had to think about passing exams. Many people have a great sense of what will look, feel or sound beautiful, without there being any good reason behind it. By starting to learn new skills as you did when you were younger, just by trying and playing, you can find your own way of learning that feels right for you.

Take plenty of time to do absolutely nothing.

Just as our muscles need rest days between workouts to grow stronger, our minds need periods of idleness to process. We do so at night while dreaming; during the day, our minds tend to process through daydreaming.

In a series of studies, researchers found that subjects who were asked to do mundane, boredom-inducing tasks were more creative afterward. Boredom is a “variety-driving emotion,” meaning that it primes us to seek out new and different — therefore creative — experiences and solutions. Boredom naturally fosters the foundational facet of wonder, openness. A ready openness to new experiences and to one’s environment leads to more potential creative insight.