Have you ever looked at someone else’s brilliant idea or beautiful artwork and thought, “I could never do that”? I used to think that, too.
Shoutout to @doodlewithrachel on Instagram, I am so inspired by her work! I have shamelessly scrolled her feed, watching so many of her doodle videos. Her techniques, the colors, all her doodles! They are great! I have found myself trying a lot of the techniques she shows on her feed. And while I’m nowhere near her level yet, getting there is part of the process and helping me to practice more… and helping to rewire my brain!
I’ve learned that creativity is like a muscle. Just as in sports, you have to practice to get better at something. Same goes for becoming more creative, you have to practice, you have to build the muscle!
I think about the time I was training for a half marathon. I started my training after a holiday, where I hadn’t run in a couple of weeks. I was really pumped to start training, so I went for a 10k run the first day back. Terrible idea, my knees were hurting for days! Instead, I should have followed my running plan and built up my endurance. Same goes for enhancing your creativity – small, consistent practice adds up to powerful long-term growth. Consistency is key!
Science backs this up in a big way. There’s something super cool that your brain does when you practice – it rewires itself. Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to adapt, change, and form new connections throughout your life. Every time you try something new, even if it’s just doodling, your brain strengthens its creative circuits.
It’s not one big ‘ah-ha’ moment that happens and you become some kind of creative genius. You have to practice. Building small, daily creative exercises into your routine can really help to improve your overall creative ability.
Do you have 5 minutes?
Join me in trying a doodle challenge for 5 minutes a day. Trade 5 minutes of scrolling for a pen and paper, and let’s get doodling! You can click here for the template. If you don’t have a printer, no problem! This temple is very easy to create, just 7 squares!
Doodling, you know, kinda like brushing your teeth…a small daily act, big long-term results.
Previously…
