by Kaushik Guha

Created on: June 29, 2009   Last Updated: November 26, 2011

How do you overcome writer's block?

Simple.

Make sincere efforts to boost your creativity.

But how to boost creativity?

If you browse through the personal profiles of a lot of freelance writers on the web, you will come across a multitude of methods they suggest to cause your creative juices to flow.

These methods include exploring different cultures, spending time amidst nature, getting a new job etc, having a baby, getting married, honeymooning in Peru and so on.

All these methods are great.

What do these things have in common? How can having a baby help you write better articles? Well, guess what, to get creative, you need to be stirred emotionally. And travelling to distant places or having major transitions in life like becoming a parent produces massive changes in your emotions, don't they?

Today let's talk about a new way of increasing your creative potential, keeping in mind that for the average person, it's not always possible to pack your bags and fly to Peru or have a baby within 2 days.( Though I am sure in the future that would be possible too!)

The method I am going to talk about is going to be a bit extreme and might not feel as pleasant as a vacation in the Pacific.

So let me put it in one single line.

Do things that puts you in the public stage consistently.

This can be anything -joining a toastmasters club, taking up an improv comedy class, taking part in an amateur dance competition and so on

Confused? Let me explain.

To understand this, let's go back and find our reasoning of what produces creativity. That's right-a change in emotions. In short, to be creative, you need to stir up your emotions.

When you put yourself on the public stage ,you get a lot of feedback about your self,don't you?. And surely you would know that for somebody new at something, this feedback always doesn't match up to that person's self- image.

So in the example of public speaking, let's say in your mind you thought you were a super cool guy who could mesmerize a 1000 people audience with your charisma.

You join toastmasters and you find out that you are a pretty nervous man when it comes to taking the stage.

This kind of conflict between your own self image and external feedback will produce a literal emotional volcano inside you. (You may find some difficulty sleeping actually.) And although it's not the most pleasant feeling in the world, it can give form to some pretty powerful creative potential that has been latent within you.

So begin this process of self discovery today. And let us watch in envy as your creativity touches the skies.

Learn more about this author, Kaushik Guha.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.