How to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing Again

As little kids, we're most probably at the peak of creativity. But as we get older, that natural creativity is often dampened.

It doesn't have to be that way though.

There's a number of ways to regain (or reopen) that "lost" creativity when you need it. Here are six to start you off:

1. Let Your Dreams Do the Work for You-The night before you need to do something creative, say to yourself, "I will dream about how I want this project to look" or "I will dream about what steps I need to take for a work idea." Chances are, your subconscious will do the work for you and you'll wake up knowing what to do.

2. Stop Trying to Have a Great Idea-Ideas are born in the creative right side of the brain. When you tell yourself to come up with ideas, you're actually using the logical, left side.

So the next time you need a great idea, take a break from thinking about anything. Just go for a long drive, putter around cleaning or just relax with a cup of coffee, watch TV or read a book for awhile.

Your creative right side will "kick in" very soon.

3. Take A Short Walk- Did you know that moderate exercise will improve creativity by 25%? That's because moderate exercise boosts blood flow to the brain; this helps rev up the brain synapses that help you to be creative.

Any type of exercise will do, so you can also swim, dance, etc.

4. Take A Nap-The contact with the subconscious you get when you sleep makes a creative receptacle for new ideas to hatch and take hold.

5. Do Something That's Fun-Why will this help you? Because when you're having a good (or great!) time, your brain releases a chemical called dopamine, which releases creativity.

6. Change Your Routine-When you're stuck in a day-to-day rut, your thoughts tend to get stuck in a rut, too.

But by altering your routine in even a small way-like taking a different way home, serving a new meal, working on (and getting the bugs out of) new electronic equipment, or even learning one new thing every day for a year (or two), your brain and thought processes will become reenergized.