Inspiring creativity can be a challenge – you need to be able to perceive everything in new ways and make connections between unrelated concepts to generate a solution.

Have you ever tried to come up with a creative idea but you weren’t able to? You may have tried visiting inspiring websites like dribbble and reddit or started sketching and mind mapping without any luck. Luckily, we’ve got your back with these 4 unusual hacks to help ignite your creativity.

Step away from the computer and step into reality

What? You want me to go outside? Yes, there’s a whole world out there full of inspiration and all you need to do is drop the smart phone and step away from your computer. I promise, you can do it!

Did you know that being in nature can significantly decrease our cortisol (stress indicators) levels in just 20 minutes? Nature restores us and helps us think more clearly, opening up our minds to more creative ideas and thoughts.

Be one with Salvador Dali and use your hypnagogic sleep state

In the world between sleeping and wakefulness lies your hypnagogic sleep state. This state of consciousness has been used for centuries to tap into some of the best ideas formed by Salvador Dali, Thomas Edison, Aristotle and many others. So how exactly can you tap into this consciousness?

As Dali would say: “You must resolve the problem of ‘sleeping without sleeping,’ which is the essence of the dialectics of the dream, since it is a repose which walks in equilibrium on the taut and invisible wire which separates sleeping from waking,” Dali wrote in the book 50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship.

OK, so that may be a bit of a mouthful. But it really works! Try these 4 steps.

Inhale your creativity with essential oils

Essential oils are one of the greatest untapped resources in the world because they can help you overcome mind block by stimulating your brain and enhancing relaxation. Here are a 4 essential oils that can help improve your creativity:

Eucalyptus – helps alleviate sluggishness and rejuvenates the mind
Frankincense – fuels your creative process by reducing stress and anxiety
Grapefruit – stimulates the brain by making it more alert
Cypress – induces a calming and relaxing effect on your mind

Get moving!

Not only does exercising put you in a positive mood, but it’s also proven to boost creative thinking. But how exactly does this happen? “Physical activity gets your mind into the bodily experience, so that subconscious connections can pop up,” says Keith Sawyer, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Education of Washington University in St. Louis. “If you take breaks—what I call ‘idle time, ideally spent in solitary activities, such as walking, running, or biking—your mind frees up to cross-fertilize so that when you return to intellectual pursuits, you’re far better at connecting ideas that at first glance don’t seem to be obvious or even related.”

So break out that bottle of frankincense, go for a run or start thinking like Dali – you never know what might happen.

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