Most of us are looking for ways to be more creative. Sometimes though, we’re so busy looking forward with our eyes fixed on the horizon, that we overlook what’s right there in front of us. We miss the many ways we already are being very creative, simply because we’re so familiar with them, and take them for granted.

When you focus on what is working well for you in your creative life it helps you be more creative in two main ways:

1. You realise how creative you already are. Instead of constantly longing to be more creative and always striving for some state of creativity that always seems a couple of steps out of reach, you see what’s real, what’s here and now. Instead of focusing on what always seems just beyond your outstretched arms, you realise what’s already right here in your hands.

This then makes you feel more confident in your creative abilities, as well more thankful. This is a great recipe for going on to become more creative.

2. You realise you already know how to be more creative. You don’t have to keep searching for some magic solution or secret that will unlock your creativity and help you gush forth creatively in an instant. You’ll see that you already have at your disposal techniques and habits that work. Then you can simply turn them up, tweak them a little.

You can very quickly increase your creativity by focusing on what works and doing more of it, and experimenting with slightly different methods, based on those tried and tested ones you’ve been using already.

So you can see the benefits are obvious. But how do you focus on what’s working? What’s the best approach?

Here are 3 great questions you can ask to get you started:

1. What do I do that allows me to create without resistance or distraction? Focus on the times when you’ve been creating and lost track of time and all around you. What were the key details that made these creative periods so effective for you?

2. What creative talents and strengths am I most proud of? What particular things can you do that other people can’t? How and what can you create almost effortlessly in a way that others can only dream about?

3. What frequency and intensity of creating works best for me? Do you create more in short periods of 30 minutes or find it easier getting stuck into a long 4 or 5 hour session at a time? Or maybe you find a combination of the two most effective?

Focusing on what’s already working well for you in your creative life, instead of counting up the things that aren’t, is a great way to instantly boost your creativity.

I encourage you to use the tips above to help you be more creative today.