Numerous studies have shown that creativity is good for you. Creating something new not only helps you express yourself and reduce stress, but it also helps you feel more fulfilled and accomplished. However, as adults, we don’t have a lot of opportunities to use our imaginations and stretch our creative muscles. Here are 3 ways for adults to get their creative juices flowing:

Go out and get inspired

Seeing someone else’s creative works often helps shift your perspective to new ideas. Go to a local art museum, concert, or a play. You might be inspired to be more like the artists you see, or you might discover something new that’s completely unrelated. What’s important is to get out of your comfort zone and open your mind to new ideas.

Learn something new

Learning a new skill opens up your mind to possibilities you never thought possible! Start taking guitar lessons or an online class. Check out your local community college for adult continuing education classes, or teach yourself from books from the how-to section of your local library. When you expand your mind, you’ll find new ways of thinking!

Move your Body

When your body is moving, your mind is free to come up with new things. That’s part of the reason why so many people come up with their best ideas while they’re in the shower! Go for a walk or a run. It’s okay to listen to music, but you’ll be at your highest creative potential if you unplug. Exercise will elevate your mood and clear your mind.

Ask questions

Get in the habit of asking questions. Kids are constantly asking questions about everything, and in many ways their creativity and curiosity go hand-in hand. When you don’t have any assumptions of preconceived notions, you are forced to tackle the question from a place of creativity. If you have a question, rather than looking it up online right away, try to come up with your own answers. Come up with what you think the answer probably is, and then come up with the silliest possible answer you can think of. Think of some of the things that you know to be true, and then ask yourself, what if that weren’t the case? Questioning the world around you makes it all brand new!

Play!

Remember when you were a kid and you could just sit down with some crayons and draw? Or how you could just grab your toys and make up a story on the spot? That creativity doesn’t go away as we get older, it just gets stifled by expectations, pressure, and self-consciousness. Reconnect with your inner child and play! Set aside 30 minutes or an hour where you’re by yourself and play around on an instrument, doodle, or write a silly story. You might end up creating something you’ll want to keep, but it’s okay if you don’t. The point is to have fun doing it!