You Can Start Living Creatively With These 5 Important Lessons

Every single moment gives you a chance to be a creative.

You don't have to write a sentence. There is no need to play a tune. Or, put color on a canvas. Creativity can spring from doing common things more consciously. It could just come from trying something new.

It turns out that creativity isn't some rare gift to be enjoyed by the lucky few — it's a natural part of human thinking and behavior.

Tom Kelley goes on to argue in his book Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us that creativity can be unblocked in all of us. And that can crack open unseen opportunities for you and the organization your work for. Like all the good things in life, it takes a bit of learning and lots of practice.

So are you ready to cast away old beliefs and overcome the fears that have blocked your creativity in the past? These five Udemy classes will help to structure the creative process while building the right-brain muscles.

1. Acumen Presents: Elizabeth Gilbert's Creativity Workshop

Discover: The tips and techniques to jumpstart your creative journey.

Fear gags creativity. The one common fear that dogs us is that we aren't good enough to be creative. As a writer, I feed the writer's block every day with my mental jitters. I am sure you face your own self-doubts. If creativity scares you, then this is the first Udemy course you should take.

Give yourself permission to challenge your "imposter syndrome" and find your talent with a tiny step. Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of Big Magic and she says that creatives aren't just writers and artists -- they are everyone. You are among the everyone.

I first came across Elizabeth Gilbert on her TED Talk where she gave a moving talk on how to be your own genius. Yes, there is her bestselling book on the same ideas. And now there is the self-paced help where she coaches you through creative living without fear.

The three case studies of struggling creatives are the best part of this one-hour course. Trigger your elusive creativity with the creativity notebooks & practical exercises after each lesson.

2. Creative Thinking Genius Vol. 1: Unleash Your Creativity

Discover: How to find creative solutions to problems quickly.

If fear is the fuse, then we are our own saboteurs. The lack of faith in our own creative sparks pushes our brain into a negative state. Procrastination does its own bit. The fault as always lies in our brain and that is where we should double down in our efforts. The brain can be greased with the right tools and techniques. For example, you can look at design thinking to solve problems in your work and life.

Interested in taking care of the mental roadblocks? The lectures in this course will give you the buzz to find simple solutions and opportunities everywhere. Approach theM with an open mind because there are many unorthodox approaches you will be coached on.

For instance, the "Random Cocktail Method" is just one powerful method to help you get into a more creative frame of mind.

3. 21 Days to Creativity: How to Develop a Creative Practice (no longer available)

Discover: Make creativity a habit in 21 days.

The science behind habit formation says that there is no time limit attached. But consistency over a period is the sure shot trick to new habits. What about creativity as a habit? James Altucher has the simplest advice. Exercise your creative muscles by coming up with 10 ideas every day. Even bizarre but new ideas will help turn the gears.

If you can do this simple exercise, you are ready to turn creativity into a habit with the 21-day course by Lauren Lapointe. Think of it as a micro habit for personal change.

This course will teach you about setting creative goals. Goals will push you towards a disciplined creative practice. And all you need are short creative bursts. Give 20 minutes a day over 21 days to this Udemy course. On the 22nd day you just might find yourself unstuck from any creative rut.

4. How to Start a Mastermind Group to Create the Work You Love

Discover: How to build your own team of hand-picked advisors and mentors.

No, you cannot fast track your creative success all on your own. Why should you? In the age of the internet, it is so easy to find mentors and peers who can help you replicate their success. Even when you are a solo artist. This is what the idea of a mastermind group is all about. It is not at all about finding water cooler buddies who share your passion but attracting mentors and accountability partners who keep you honest.

A mastermind group can also beat back loneliness when you are tired of working alone. This is a quick course that just takes an hour of your time. But the suggestions will help you start your own mastermind group in shorter time.

Learn the history behind mastermind groups and collect insights on how to start and sustain such a group. If you want to get a taste of Dan Miller as an instructor, go over to the stream of his podcasts.

5. Intro to Storytelling: Wow Your Crowd

Discover: How to become an exceptional communicator.

Creatives need to be communicators. Take your art and turn into a storyteller. Just like a mastermind group, storytelling can help you add another skill to your creative toolkit. As a creative in the making, you have sell your "ideas" to the world.

Maybe you want to be a digital cartoonist or a traditional painter. Or just an entrepreneur who wants to start a Kickstarter campaign. Grab attention. Sell memories instead of facts. Tell the right story through your art and dam up the information glut that's around us today.

Storytelling may look simple but there are a lot of rules involved. This program teaches you the guidelines for using your own experiences for stories. The goal is to capture interest and emotion through oral foreplay. The case studies and examples at the end of the course demonstrate the impact of this old oral tradition on the modern audience.

Make a Resolution for Creativity

Think of the last imaginative thing you did. Maybe you cooked something unexpected. Or traveled to a new place. Wouldn't you say that creativity made you feel just a bit better. We are born as creatives, so let's not forget it along the way. Tom Kelley says that your creative abilities will grow and strengthen with practice. Like a muscle.

So, forget the mildewed resolutions and bring out creativity as a goal to strive for. Learn something new. Pick one of these Udemy classes and make the days ahead fulfilling.

Try any one of these five courses. Remember, every paid course on Udemy comes with: