Your Most Creative Year Yet

Your Most Creative Year Yet

This is the time of year when many people express their goals and desires for the year.  Some want to lose weight, some want a new relationship, some want more money and some want to travel more. Whatever your goals for this new year are, consider adding one more. Commit to making this your most creative year yet.

We are all creatures of comfort and creatures of habit. Most New Year’s resolutions fail because change is hard and we quickly and predictably revert to what is safe and comfortable. Because creativity is like a muscle that needs to be worked, you simply need to begin choosing to be creative on a regular basis to make this goal a reality.

But what is the best way to accomplish this? You will certainly find your own path to creativity this year, but here are some concrete suggestions to embrace and incorporate a creative lifestyle:

Make Time For Creativity

Any goal requires some discipline to attain. We need to be intentional if we want creativity to power us this year. A creativity schedule can be a useful tool. In other words, set aside dedicated time (each day if you can) to allow creativity to grow and blossom in your life. Read something inspiring. Go for a hike. Cook a new dish. Listen to interesting music. Write something. Sketch something. Shoot some interesting photos or videos. Make something. The possibilities of what you could do are endless, and as you make this a habit, your actual activities will become secondary to the intentionality of participating in these activities. When you make this creative time for yourself regularly, you will enter into your creative flow faster and more easily.

Limit Barriers to Your Creativity

Think of all the things in your life that keep you from being your most creative. Netflix. Twitter. The kids. Email. Chores. Stress. Many barriers seem to appear out of nowhere when we want to or are trying to be creative.  In his amazing book The War of Art, author Steven Pressfield calls these barriers “the Resistance.”  Anything that stops or interrupts your creative flow needs to be identified and dealt with so that you can be free to create. Making dedicated space for creativity can be an effective way to shut off regular distractions and allow you to focus. But always keep in mind that some barriers are mental.

You need to come to your creative activities with an open mind and an open heart. There are no wrong answers. When you create, follow your impulses, your curiosities and your inspirations. Don’t allow comfort, safety, convention or practicality to interrupt your flow. Turn off the critical voices in your head and your heart and, as a result, your creativity will witness a renaissance.

Embrace Change

If this year is to be a year of creative breakthroughs for you, you have got to be ready and open to experience and embrace change. This will be the year of new adventures. The creative mind sees the world not as it is, but as it could be. Often this means trying things that make you uncomfortable or even scare you. Get ready.

Your creative courage will be greatly rewarded as you try new things that you will come to love. New books, new places, new art, new voices, new relationships, new music, new experiences. As you try all these new things, you will find the status quo you’re leaving behind falls embarrassingly short. Comfort and safety are vastly overrated. If you’re not growing, you’re dying.

Surround Yourself with Fellow Creatives

Support and inspiration are key to having your most creative year yet. Who is someone in your life that encourages and inspires your creativity? Who is someone who lives and breathes creativity? Who is a total weirdo in your life? Who loves and accepts you no matter what? If you’re  thinking of faces to match those descriptions, you need to be spending more time with those people this year. They will foster and nurture your creativity without any judgement.

If you can’t think of people in your life to fit these descriptions, it may be time to get outside your comfort zone and meet some new friends. How might you best do that? Go to places where free-thinking creatives might be- local music shows, craft or maker fairs, creative Facebook groups, festivals, poetry slams, etc. Finding places where creatives might congregate is an exercise in creativity in its own right! So… you should show up at these places or events and start talking to people. Again- this is about getting out of your comfort zone. Put yourself out there- you probably have some new best friends waiting to meet you. Just remember as you start these new relationships- Kindness is Magic. Be authentic and kind. You’ll be amazed how well a relationship blooms when a little kindness is sprinkled onto it!

Document Your Creative Journey

As you intentionally make time and space for more creativity this year, be sure to document and record your adventures. Take photos, videos and write down important creative breakthroughs. This reflection will inspire you to continue on your journey, and will also be a treasured legacy as you look back on it in years to come. Because creativity is a process and not a destination, taking time to enjoy the sights along the way only enhances the experience.

So where will this creative year lead you? What will you discover about yourself this year? Please keep us posted on your progress and check back in with us in the comments or on social media throughout the year. Above all, know that we are your biggest cheerleaders- be as weird and unique as you can imagine. Remember- there is only one you!

Ben Beresh is a designer, filmmaker and co-founder of MossyBrain. Originally from Niagara Falls, ON, he now happily calls Broken Arrow OK home, along with his wife Jessica, four kids and dog Charlie. Ben likes to have a good time, all the time (Enneagram 7), as well as eating all types of sandwiches.

Connect with him on Facebook or ben@mossybrain.com.

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Free PDF – Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Creativity Flowing

Free PDF – Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Creativity Flowing

Creativity is life-giving. We all need inspiration to keep creativity flowing after a long day when all you want to do is binge Netflix with a tub of ice cream.

MossyBrain has come to your rescue!!!

We want you give you everything you need to turn on the creativity tap on demand. We’ve compiled a great starter list of ideas and activities to jump-start your creative juices just when they’re ready to shut down. It’s all included in a PDF called Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Creativity Flowing. If your creativity is a muscle that needs exercising, following the items on this PDF list is like bench pressing 450lbs. Your brain  WILL get CREATIVE. Fast.

Just sign up below and we’ll send you this PDF.

For free.

MossyBrain loves you and wants you to live your most creative life. By signing up below, you’ll not only get the Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Creativity Flowing; we’ll also sign you up to receive the MossyBrain Newsletter. It will deliver creativity inspiration, hacks, news and fun directly to you inbox.

Don’t wait- sign up and get creative today. And when it all starts happening, let us know how it goes on Facebook, Twitter, in the comments or by emailing creation@mossybrain.com.

Ben Beresh is a designer, filmmaker and co-founder of MossyBrain. Originally from Niagara Falls, ON, he now happily calls Broken Arrow OK home, along with his wife Jessica, four kids and dog Charlie. Ben likes to have a good time, all the time (Enneagram 7), as well as eating all types of sandwiches.

Connect with him on Facebook or ben@mossybrain.com.

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Creativity is for Anyone

Creativity is for Anyone

In case this was unclear, we at MossyBrain LOVE creativity. We see it as the strongest weapon in the war against conformity. Creativity is the spice which makes a boring life into an adventure.

Our society is confused about the nature of creativity. Several myths exist regarding creativity that need to be addressed and dispelled.

Myth 1: One Needs Talent to be Creative

We’ve been told that you can’t be creative unless you are oozing with prodigy-level talent. Just think about our most famous creatives- Steve Jobs, Maya Angelou, Jackson Pollock, Prince, Meryl Streep or Steven Spielberg. These creatives are held up as shining examples of human potential. Legends. Do they all have ridiculous talent? Of course they do. But so what? In our instant gratification society, we so often think “…if I can’t win, I won’t play.” Don’t let a lack of talent in a certain area ever discourage you from being creative. Creativity is a way of thinking, not a measurable, limited commodity. Everyone can do SOMETHING creative TODAY.

Myth 2: I Am Not the “Creative Type”

So many of us have been tricked into believing that we are not and cannot be creative. That creativity is only reserved for free-spirited artists and musicians who keep erratic hours and live in hippy communes. Hogwash. Creativity exists in every home, office, school and community, it just doesn’t always look how you think it would. Make a conscious choice to do something differently and create something new. You might surprise yourself with your ingenuity…

Myth 3: Creativity is Not Practical

Authority figures (teachers, parents, managers etc.) love to quash creativity in favor of order and predictability. They will tell you to follow the instructions to get predictable results for whatever the task is (watch The LEGO Movie). But no innovation ever came from doing what has been done before. In order to grow and innovate, creativity is actually the most practical way forward.

These myths masquerade as conventional wisdom, but they are patently false. Here some truths about creativity and how it can affect our lives:

Creativity is an open path, not an exclusive club.

All children are born with creative impulses.  If you ask a room of kindergartners to raise their hands if they are creative, every little hand shoots up.  Ask the same question of a group of college seniors and only a small fraction of the hands will go up. Somewhere between kindergarten and the end of college, creativity gets sucked away from most people. Much of that has to do with flaws in modern educational systems, but other societal pressures and influences exist.

What needs to be understood is that we all have the innate potential to create and to be creative.  It may seem that only a small group of society is creative while most are not, but this is a misconception.  Anyone (and everyone) has access to creativity and an open invitation to live a creative life. Also recognize that creativity should have a place in your life regardless of your career, interests or personality.

Creativity is choice one should make daily.

Creativity is not as a skill that only a select few are appointed with, but is more like a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly to be maximized. Embrace and exercise your creativity and be amazed by the new worlds that open up to you.

Let us know if the comments or by emailing us how you are incorporating creativity into your lifestyle on a daily basis!

Ben Beresh is a designer, filmmaker and co-founder of MossyBrain. Originally from Niagara Falls, ON, he now happily calls Broken Arrow OK home, along with his wife Jessica, four kids and dog Charlie. Ben likes to have a good time, all the time (Enneagram 7), as well as eating all types of sandwiches.

Connect with him on Facebook or ben@mossybrain.com.

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Welcome to MossyBrain

Welcome to MossyBrain

Hey! Welcome to MossyBrain– we’re glad you’re here.

We’ve got good news and we’ve got bad news.

The bad news is: the world is full of critics and haters. All of us are plagued at one time or another by insecurities, self-doubt, and unworthiness because we allow negative voices to overpower our own inner voice. Also, media and routine can numb our senses and lull us into complacency. We find ourselves floating in a sea of mediocrity and status-quo. We’re afraid to put ourselves out there and risk criticism and, ultimately, rejection. But, don’t despair! Remember, we said we’ve also got good news.

The good news is: creativity is the catalyst that will transform your life. MossyBrain is a space where creativity is discovered, illuminated, and celebrated.

“I have never felt so fertile. I’m mossy, Jerry. My brain is mossy!” -Cosmo Kramer

Here at MossyBrain, we believe ANYONE can be creative.

Are you breathing? Creative potential lives inside you. We want you to join our tribe and embrace the role of creativity in your life. The boundaries that society places around the idea of who “Creatives” are need to be smashed. Together, let’s bust out of our own internally defined chains that limit our creative confidence and therefore, our potential. We also believe that creativity can shine in EVERYTHING we do. The power of creativity can affect every aspect of our lives – our home, our profession, our passions, our parenting, our health, and our personal fulfillment. Creativity is a state of mind and a state of being.

This site exists to encourage our tribe to inhabit a creative lifestyle and outlook- transforming the status quo around us in the process. Our hope is MossyBrain will be a community of support, encouragement, and a challenge for growth on the journey to living your most creative life. Creativity can and should be infused with fun, joy, and levity. A “mossy brain” is a fertile brain – ripe for creativity. Hence, creativity is the path to the solution, whatever the problem.

“Your time is limited. So don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” -Steve Jobs


 

If you’re wondering who is responsible for all this, allow us to introduce ourselves.  We are Jessica and Ben Beresh of Broken Arrow OK.

MossyBrain came from our mossy brains. Ben is a musician, filmmaker, photographer and designer.  I am a writer and I love to paint. We are raising four kiddos to celebrate and value creativity in our home and in our lives.  We want to be your biggest cheerleaders in all your creative pursuits and endeavors.

Ben Beresh is a designer, filmmaker and co-founder of MossyBrain. Originally from Niagara Falls, ON, he now happily calls Broken Arrow OK home, along with his wife Jessica, four kids and dog Charlie. Ben likes to have a good time, all the time (Enneagram 7), as well as eating all types of sandwiches.

Connect with him on Facebook or ben@mossybrain.com.

You might also like…

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