How to Be Creative

1- Don’t be afraid to criticize yourself. Actually, be harder on yourself than everyone else is. Always ask yourself, “How could I have done this better?” or “What would I have done differently in a perfect world?” Accept that you are not perfect, and that you’re striving to be as good as possible is the fruit of self-expression. If you can’t find fault with your own work, you’re probably not trying hard enough.

2– Don’t be a perfectionist. Your natural output, drained of concern for creating something that’s exactly right, will always produce creative results. There are limitless paths to achieving creative success. Imperfection is human, and sometimes the most creative artists leave mistakes unfixed on purpose. Nature itself is beautifully imperfect. Don’t try to be so perfect that you end up destroying the very thing that made your work unique.

3- Put yourself into situations where you know you will fail. This one seems a bit counter-intuitive, but it’s important. Lots of perfectionists are afraid of failing, and therefore only do the things they know they are good at.
So let go of your ego, be prepared to fail (but don’t expect it), and jump into new and challenging situations. You’re never going to be creative if you never take a leap.

4 – Don’t get influenced by trends. Though being aware of trends can help you have your finger on the pulse of the culture, you shouldn’t try to do what everyone else is doing just because you think it’ll be more trendy. Instead, follow your own path and do the thing that inspires you the most.

5- Don’t be obsessed with popular culture. Don’t watch too much TV, don’t listen to the radio, and don’t let popular culture take over your life. Though none of these things are bad for you in moderation, being too obsessed with popular culture can make it harder for you to come up with your own original thoughts. Instead of watching TV, get original ideas from hanging out with friends; instead of listening to what’s popular on the radio, go to a record store and discover your own musical tastes.