It is more important than ever to be able to think creatively. Finding creative and original ways to communicate and create, whether at work or as a personal passion, is frequently critical to our success and personal growth. However, channeling our creativity when we need it the most is often challenging.

And most of us don’t have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. So, the next time you feel stuck in a rut, try one of the following exercises from Leslie Kavanaugh to help awaken your creativity in art—or, better yet, incorporate these exercises into your routine to regularly flex creative muscles.

Tips From Leslie Kavanaugh To Spark Creativity in Your Art

Incomplete Figure Test

The incomplete figure test involves drawing. To create a complete drawing, you start with a small, simple scribble, such as a half-circle or loop. To do this in a group, several people work from the same scribble and then compare their drawings. Seeing how others understand the same small design can broaden your creative thinking and inspire you to develop new ideas.

30 Circles

Thirty circles is a creative exercise in which the goal is quantity rather than quality. A paper sheet with 30 identical circles is handed to you. You have a limited time, usually no more than 10 minutes, to draw something within as many of the 30 circles as possible. When done as a group, the completed circles are compared to see whether there are unifying concepts or designs.

Musical Ideas

A change of scenery, such as listening to music on purpose, can sometimes spark new ideas. Attend a concert or listen to music in your workplace, and write down any thoughts or ideas that arise. Examine those suggestions to see if they can be applied to your current work challenges.

Repurposed Product

Make a new product from the items on your desk, such as staplers, folders, tape, pictures, and paper. It is also an excellent activity for groups. After each individual or team has completed repurposing a product, they can assess its uniqueness, ingenuity, and practicality. This exercise is especially beneficial for honing brainstorming abilities.

Dictionary Story

Choose a random word from the dictionary. Make a short story out of the word you selected, the word above it, and the word below it. Finding a way to weave an interesting, cohesive story out of seemingly unrelated elements can help you improve your capacity to make connections and merge seemingly unrelated ideas.

Compound Collaborative

Take a compound word and replace one word with another. The compound word sunflower, for example, could become a moonflower. Make a story or a drawing with your new compound word. Connecting seemingly unrelated items can help you enhance your critical thinking and process evaluation skills on the job.

The Takeaway

Creativity is a hard nut to crack!

Try performing these exercises suggested by Leslie Kavanaugh to ignite a new spark of creativity in your art.