One way to ignite your creativity is to work in a different medium or format. This is how energizers and retreats enliven groups, because a different medium has new challenges and possibilities which invite unexpected thinking. As an individual, you can spark your creativity through bringing in a different medium.

For example, I worked with a union staffer member who regularly had mental blocks that made it difficult for her to think creatively at her job. The union would give her many urgent tasks, but none sparked her creative thinking. Her mental blocks eventually increased and she found it hard to think about her team and the curriculums they would design together.

So I asked her, what part of her felt less present as she did her job. “At my core, I’m a dancer.” So inviting her to leave her computer and dance more often was a key that opened up her thinking.

We integrated dance-movement prompts into our sessions, which sparked her creativity. She then integrated movement prompts into her daily workflow. Quickly her mental blocks started to dissipate and she got clear about how to take action inside the union.

When you bring an artistic medium into a process that felt devoid of one beforehand, you activate new parts of your brain. That is the spark of creative thinking.

In this moment, where many people are adapting to teaching online, integrate a creative medium into your planning process to increase your creative thinking.

On Saturday, April 11, join me for Cut Paper - a design lab for online courses. I’ll introduce you to an artistic method I use for creating course agendas, alongside a mix of self-care activities. In Cut Paper you will work on your classes, get feedback, and renewed through nurturing activities.

Whether or not you’re able to join, take a dance break today and add a bit more art to your workflow.