How to Bring More Creativity into Your Everyday Life

There’s been oodles of research done about creativity, imagination and innovation over the years. I’ve read a lot of it. I’ve even written some of it. But more importantly, I’ve lived it.

After more than 30 years working in and around the creative industries and more recently, researching everyday creativity as a positive psychology practitioner here’s what I’ve concluded:

Creativity is not a job title.
It’s not a talent reserved for a special few.
And it’s definitely not limited to art, music or design.

Creativity is a mindset.
A way of seeing.
A way of being.

And yet, despite us all being born with this innate spark many of us don’t realise that have it. According to Adobe’s State of Create report, only 41% of people see themselves as creative. That means nearly 60% have lost touch with something that is deeply, beautifully, human.

So how do we find our way back?

How do we reconnect to that quiet creative voice inside - the one that’s curious, playful, imaginative, sometimes wild, often wise?

Here’s what I’ve learned, both personally and professionally, about how to bring more creativity into everyday life, whether you’re painting, cooking, parenting, planning your next chapter or simply trying to feel more you again.

Be Open and Trust What Comes

Creativity often whispers. It doesn’t always shout.

Sometimes, it’s a sudden urge to try something new. Sometimes it’s a quiet knowing that the way you’ve been living doesn’t quite fit anymore. The spark comes in moments - a question, a feeling, a different way of looking at something you thought you knew.

We’ve been taught to dismiss those nudges. To get on with it. To stay practical. But creativity needs oxygen. And it needs safety.

So next time something unexpected bubbles up - an idea, a feeling, a longing - let it. Stay open. Be curious. Give it space to breathe.

Get Comfortable in the Grey

We’ve grown up in a world that loves certainty. We’re told to have a five-year plan, know what we’re doing, and have it all together. But the creative life doesn’t work like that.

Real creativity lives in the in-between. That fuzzy space where you don’t quite know what’s next - but you’re open to discovering it.

I call this the delicious uncomfortableness.
It’s uncertain, yes. But it’s also full of possibility.

This is the space where new perspectives emerge. Where things shift. Where life starts to feel less like a to-do list and more like an unfolding adventure.

Do It for the Experience — Not the Outcome

Here’s a truth that’s become more and more important to me: Creativity is about the experience, not the end result.

We often get caught up in needing to be good at something before we even start. But what if you didn’t have to be great? What if the joy was in the doing, not the outcome?

When I started learning the drums after the pandemic, it wasn’t to become the next best percussionist or chasing stardom. I did it because I wanted to experience bashing those drums - to connect to something primal and physical and joyful and express myself.

And that experience - that feeling - was the reward.

So whether it’s dancing in your kitchen, scribbling in a sketchbook, or trying something brand new, let yourself play. Not for mastery. Not for praise. Just for the experience of it.

Because often, that’s where the real joy is.

Be Deeply Curious

Curiosity is the key ingredient to creativity.

Ask questions. Challenge assumptions. Let yourself wonder. You don’t need to solve everything. Just notice more. Even small things - like how the light moves in your kitchen in the morning, or what happens when you take a new path on your walk.

Think of curiosity like a creative muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

And the more curious you are, the less pressure there is to “achieve” something. You’re just exploring. Playing. Feeling your way forward.

Pause - Even Just for a Moment

Here’s the part we often skip. We think creativity = doing. But a big part of creativity is not doing.

Pausing. Reflecting. Letting things simmer. This is a key part of everyone’s creative process.

If your days feel full to the brim, creativity can’t squeeze in. You need white space. Silence. Daydream time. It’s not laziness - it’s creative incubation. And it’s where the magic often happens.

Try this: Take a breath. Take a walk. Take a moment of quiet with a cup of tea and no phone. Give yourself a little space. You might be surprised what shows up when you do.

Redefine What Creativity Means

Forget everything you were taught about creativity only belonging to the “arty” types. It’s bollocks.

You are already creative - in the way you solve problems, in the meals you cook, in the jokes you tell, in the way you dress, decorate your space, how you approach a strategic plan or choose what kind of life you want to live.

My research into everyday creativity found that creativity is about meaning, expression, and connection. It’s personal, universal, and collective all at once​.

It’s not about being brilliant. It’s about being you. Authentically, fully, imperfectly you.

Final Thought: You Don’t Need to Earn Your Creativity

It’s not a reward. It’s not a luxury. It’s not frivolous.
It’s essential.

Creativity is how we remember who we are.
How we process what’s going on inside us.
How we find our voice again, especially when life feels off course.

You don’t need permission.
You already are creative.
Express yourself!