My Two Greatest Creativity Hacks

One of the most common questions I get asked is, “How do you get into a creative mindset and actually get everything done?” Well the answer I am afraid is rather simple. In this power episode I am going to share with you two things I do that have taken my creativity and productivity to a new level.

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That song you were listening to is my latest single Thank You which came out just last week. I can clearly remember when I wrote this. I was in the kitchen, looking at my piano across the room. I knew it had been a few days since I had sat down, so I had this impulse to just sit and see what comes up. 30 min later, Thak You was born. I had no idea that I was about to forever immortalised my gratitude for my ex-girlfriend in song… but that’s what happened. Creativity is a gift. It’s endowed upon us in so many forms. But it can get get stopped in its tracks very quickly if we are not careful.

If you have not heard my previous episode number 69, Are You Deep Or Shallow? Please go back and listen to that first as it will give you context for todays episode.

One of the most common questions I get asked is… how do I get everything done each day and get my head into a creative space. Well, I would love to give you some elaborate tapestry of hacks and strategies, but I’m afraid when it comes to creativity it’s rather simple.

Before I share with you my two greatest creativity hacks, it’s important that we establish a baseline of understanding about creativity. So many people contact me hoping I can help them bust through their creativity blocks, and I find that the majority of people are just being held back by fear.

If you have been listening to The Nick Broadhurst Show for some time you will know that I had dot overcome my fair share of fear or judgement, and acceptance, to release my music. But do you know what ot me over that hump? Are you ready? I just had to get over myself. Seriously. It’s so easy for the creative types to take themselves so seriously, but really, I hate to break it to you… but no one actually gives a toots hoot what you are up to and your blocks and fears. The rest of the world are working through their own stuff. We all have our own set of blinkers on, focused on what we want to do… no one is really paying that much attention. So here is my advice for any listener who wants to write music, dance, paint, start a new business, improve their health… whatever it is that you want to start in your life… you just have to get over it and start.

As it says in the Tao Te Ching, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

If you want to create something great in your life, you just need to get over it and get going. It’s really that simple. This is my way of giving you a virtual kick up the butt. If you are sitting on something that is burning away inside you, begging to be released into the world… just start.

So, how do we do this? No matter what work you do, or what your creative pursuits, this will work for you.

Creativity Hack #1 – Show Up. What I mean by this, is that you have to be very disciplined. You pick a start time each day, you sit down, not five minutes late, or even one minute later than planned. You show up on time. This simple act of showing up is all that is needed to turn everything around. Why I am talking about this today? Remember, we teach what we most need to learn. And as you would have heard in my previous episode, I had a realisation of how Shallow I have been. The work I have been doing has not been optimised for me to create my best work. So I am making some massive changes… a Grand Gesture, in order to allow me the white space in my mind and in my calendar, to be able to abide by Hack #1 … Show Up. 9am, I start writing music. Simple. How much brain power did it take to know what my next step was? None. Remove obstacles, and show up.

Creativity Hack #2 – put headphones on, and play the same song on repeat. The power of this simple act is simply stunning. You just have to try it before it sinks in. The other night I listened to Never Before which is part of The Greatest Showman soundtrack… for 5 hours. I was on a mission to shake the Shallow out of my life, and so I worked until 1am, with just the one song playing over and over again. And you know what? I think I got about 1 weeks worth of work done. In fact that one night has radically shifted the trajectory of my year… perhaps my life. I love that song because it is musical mastery on so many levels, not exactly the style of music I write, but mastery nonetheless. A reminder to do what it takes to be truly great.

All the shine of a thousand spotlights
All the stars we steal from the nightsky
Will never be enough
Never be enough
Towers of gold are still too little
These hands could hold the world but it’ll
Never be enough
Never be enough

I’m not too sure what it is about these lyrics, but the way they are sung just elevates me into a heightened state of creativity. It’s aspiration plugged straight into my brain via my ears.

What an amazing gift that is, to be able to make someone feel that way. Perhaps that’s it, a reminder of the power of music. The power of art. The power of harnessing your gift and sharing it with the world.

So, now you have two simple but powerful tools that you can use right now. The question is, will you share your gift with the world? I certainly hope so.

I would love to hear from you, so please tag me @IAmNickBroadhurst on social media, and use the hashtag #TheNickBroadhurstShow, or leave me a comment below (I read every single one!). And if you could take a minute to leave me a review (5 stars would be epic, but whatever feels true for you) on iTunes I would be very grateful. Tell me what you want more of! I am at your service.

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