Creativity is the life-blood of bloggers. Without a flow of ideas for blog posts, our work as bloggers can turn into a grind.

Luckily we can learn to be creative!

In order to prime the brain for creativity, there are some great mind tools. All mind tools have something in common: they mirror and enhance the way the brain creates new ideas.

What happens in the brain when we are creative?
When two bits of information intersect, an idea is formed. The idea then triggers radiant thinking. This means that the brain makes countless associations, radiating in all directions.

How to be inspired by everyday life

The most important thing is to carry a small notebook around with you wherever you go. This simple action primes your creative well.

The next thing is to hold the idea of writing a blog post in your mind while you go through your day. When you connect two thoughts that are unrelated – such as your experience of the moment, and writing for your blog – new ideas emerge.

Let’s imagine you’re back at your desk with no idea of what to write about. You desperately need fresh ideas for the next blog post. What to do?

First thing: get up from your desk and grab a notebook in order to record even the wackiest ideas! Then let your mind go into free-flow and allow your next actions to trigger ideas.

Here’s a list of what you might do next and the post themes this could trigger.

• I make myself a cup of coffee

“Too Hot to Handle: Wake up Your Readers!” or “Too Hot to Handle: Wake up Your Creativity”

“10 Mistakes that Make Readers go to Sleep” or “10 Mistakes that Make Your Immune System go to Sleep”

“How to Drip-Feed Information” or “Peaceful Communication: How to Drip-Feed Your Truth”

• I go to the window and stretch

“How to Relax and Write Better” or “How to Relax in the Middle of a Busy Day”

“Give Your Readers a New Perspective” or “How to Gain a New Perspective”

“Write from Your Point of View” or “How to Change Your Point of View”

“Find Your Voice and Grow Your Blog” or “How to Find Your Voice”

• I have a shower

“Clean Up Your Website” or “How to Clean Out Your Love Life”

“Write Like Water” or “Peaceful Communication: How to Flow Like Water”

These examples are focused upon writing and self-development. But you can just as easily find post ideas for your blog niche, using the same process.

Mindmaps – how they boost creativity

Hand-drawn maps

Here is a run-down of how to create a free-hand mind map:

• Turn a page on its side
• Start in the center
• Create a central image with the main idea
• Connect branches to the central image
• Add second- and third-level branches
• Make the branches organic and free-flowing
• Write words along each branch
• Use color
• Use images

There is a trick to kick-starting your creativity by mind-mapping. Take time to doodle! Decorating your map allows your brain to go into free-flow mode. Then it can come up with unexpected connections.

Online mindmaps

By far the best among online mindmapping programs is Mindmeister. This is a program I use every single week to plan projects, to brainstorm posts or ebooks, and so on.

I even use it to conduct online meetings, because participants can change the map in real-time, and you can record the content of the meeting in the mindmap.

Keep a journal to loosen the ligaments

British writer Virginia Woolf said:

The habit of writing for my eye only is good practice. It loosens the ligaments– Virginia Woolf.-

As Cheryl Craigie says in How to Journal, a journal is a repository for all the things that interest and inspire you. It also provides a safe environment to experiment and grow creatively. Here is what to include in your journal:

• Reactions to personal situations and world events
• Goals you’re working toward
• Inspiring quotes
• Poetry that moves you
• Pictures from magazines or photos you love
• Books to read
• Music you’ve heard that you may want to purchase (or reference in a story)
• Websites to explore
• Grocery lists
• To do lists

In other words, include whatever is important or interesting to you.

How mindfulness helps your ideas to flow

Mindfulness is the state of complete presence.

The truth is that we’re hardly ever present. The scattered mind reaches behind into the past to rummage around in memories, or projects hopes, dreams, and fears onto the future. The mind flits around. One moment you’re thinking about a new blog post, the next you’re adding an item to your grocery list, or remembering the bill you should have paid yesterday.

Being preoccupied kills creativity.

If you want to be creative, you need to let your mind rest in the present moment. There is an exercise which will lead you to presence:

• Close your eyes
• Feel the soles of your feet on the ground
• Listen to ambient sounds
• Take a deep breath and follow its complete cycle, in and out.

If you do this, your mind will become calm, free of preoccupation, and ready for inspiration. Being present makes inspiration flow freely.

Conclusion

Boosting creativity doesn’t only make us better bloggers. It can also transform our life in a new and fulfilling way.

Author: Mary Jaksch

Image credit: Emilie Ogez