I feel like creativity isn’t something that just comes, you really have to challenge yourself sometimes to find it. Some days are harder than others, but the more creative people I surround myself with, the more my brain begins to be geared towards thinking “outside of the box,” so to speak. Especially being in school, I get caught up in the straightforward thinking, or basically just literal translations of the words on paper. However, when I’m in other situations, or around certain people, its easier to alter my train of thought and maybe try a new approach to a theory or problem.

I’ve found a great way to get my creativity flowing when I’m stuck is to just start writing down what comes to my mind. The first few sentences or phrases are usually pretty dull, maybe not that great, but from them I keep thinking of a different way to say what I want. In the end I have a lot of different phrases that say the same thing, but they offer variety and maybe help me develop the piece I’m working on. Sometimes I even come up with information that will be great in a different section of the piece or a great way to tie into a new subject that will come in the next paragraph, page, etc

I just try to keep writing, even if I think it’s not perfect, I come back to it and brainstorm it. When I stop, I lose momentum. You can always find another way to say what you’ve already written, but its a lot harder to remember where you were going when you stop to perfect one sentence.