10 Ways to Boost Creativity by HR Sinclair
We all have times when creativity eludes us. We stare at the canvas or paper, unsure where to start. The good news is that we can give our brains a creative push. Below, I’ve listed easy tips and techniques to ignite your imagination and break free from creative blocks.
1. Take something ordinary and ask, “What if something was different?” What if flowers gossiped? What if chocolate turned you invisible?
2. Make a quick doodle, then turn that doodle into something. I usually go with monsters.
3. Use a random word or phrase generator or pick a word from the dictionary, then write for 10 minutes about that word or phrase. Make it outlandish.
4. Try out different arts and crafts such as dance, sculpture, building a mosaic stepping stone, or decoupaging something.
5. Embrace daydreaming. Relax, kick back, and let your mind wander.
6. Read a book in a different genre or an article on an unusual topic.
7. Engage your senses—taste new foods, listen to different music, smell an assortment of perfumes, or look at surreal art.
8. Learn about a different culture, their traditions, myths, or history.
9. Keep a creativity journal and jot down random thoughts, spontaneous ideas, and dreams.
10. Alter your routine in small ways, like drinking your morning coffee on the porch or rearranging your desk.
Author: H. R.
Sinclair
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Lost Witch, Book One
Date of Publication: September 22, 2024
ISBN:
9798329367645
ASIN: B0CTHQJJTF
Number of pages: 290
Word Count: 76k
Available in paperback and eBook
Tagline: Family secrets hold the key to buried magic. Her legacy awaits.
Book Blurb:
Katelyn Grey is a
gardener in Southern California. She’s content with pruning shrubs and looking
after her step-mom, the only family she has left. That is, until a lawyer shows
up and tells her that her long-lost aunt died, leaving her the family home on
the other side of the country.
Though Katelyn hates to travel, a weird clause in her aunt’s will forces her to
visit a quaint New England seaside town. Her world changes when she discovers
she’s inherited a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that
someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.
Now, she must learn how to use magic, find the key, and figure out what it’s
for before she ends up like her long-lost aunt. Dead.
Excerpt:
Small colored
flecks danced in the sunlight. They darted back and forth. They rushed me,
encircling me, round and round, faster and faster, creating a whirlwind of
color that made me woozy. I began swaying before the flecks scattered. They swooped
and gathered in front of me, coalescing into the shape of a small, translucent
woman. She hovered several feet off the ground, sparkling like multicolored
glitter and moving like an ethereal ballerina.
When she spoke, it
echoed a thousand voices speaking in harmony. “Fáilte. Welcome. We are the
Breena. You are of Andraste.”
“I’m Katie.”
Wariness crept into my voice. The family books read Andraste. “Yeah, I think
I’m Andraste.”
“Yes. You wear the
Taith, a gift of the Breena.” She gestured to the traveling boots. “We are
pleased to see them in this form. It has been long since the clan Andraste has
visited. Tell us, what has become of sweet Clara and her quest?”
She—they—knew
Clara? “I’m sorry, she died.”
“That is
unfortunate. We liked Clara. You are taking up the quest?”
My stomach
dropped. They may have said it as a question, but it sounded like a statement.
“I ... I didn’t know my Aunt Clara, and I don’t know anything about a quest.
I’m not the right person to talk to.”
“Yes, she was
given the quest. As she is no longer, the task falls to the next in line.”
“Is this an
optional type of quest?”
“It is your
charge.”
“Well, I’m not the
next in line. That’s probably my uncle. I’ll put him in touch with you.”
The Breena moved
closer to me. One of the little flecks zipped from one side of her face to the
other. “You are next in line. You wear the blessing. You are of Andraste,
Keepers of Secrets, Guardians of Mamwlada. You are the Legacy. Protector of the
Light. You will take up the quest. Find the Oubusch. Find the Others before the
gates open. Stop the disciples of Morus.”
“Find what now?”
“Find the Oubusch.
Find the Others before the gates open. Stop the disciples of Morus before they
break the lock.” The Breena’s voice reverberated off my skin.
I swallowed. “Who’s
Morus? What gate? What others? What’s an Oubusch, and how do I find it?”
“The Oubusch will
lead you to the Others. Find the Stone, find the Others.”
“But how?”
“Open the box. Use
the sundial.” The words rhythmic like a song. Her essence oscillated, and her
form began to melt away.
“Wait, what box?”
“What is there is
here, what is here is not there. You must hurry, time is ending.” With that,
the flecks disbursed, and she was gone.
“Wait, please, I
don’t understand.” No one answered.
Short Social
Blurb:
BLOODSTONE: A
gardener inherits a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that
someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.
#bloodstonewitch #lostwitch #urbanfantasy
Buy Links:
Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0CTHQJJTF
Apple: books.apple.com/us/book/bloodstone/id6587574545
Kobo: kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bloodstone-42
B&N: barnesandnoble.com/w/bloodstone-h-r-sinclair/1146070561
Books2Read: books2read.com/lostwitch
H. R. Sinclair
author • artist •
dreamer
H. R. Sinclair is a left-handed hermit prepping for the squirrel apocalypse. She was born and raised in Southern California, but now lives and works in New England. She writes fantastical stories and visits cemeteries for inspiration.
Website: iamhrsinclair.com
Socials
- iamhrsinclair.com/blog
- x.com/SouthpawPOV
- instagram.com/hrsinclair
- goodreads.com/author/show/21680467.H_R_Sinclair
I would draw monsters as well.
ReplyDeleteThere are a ton of odd stories and articles out there one could read for inspiration.
Monsters for the win!
DeleteThank you for hosting me today!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! I look forward to reading it!
DeleteCongrats on your book release, H.R.! And for your great tips. I especially like #1. Asking yourself what if questions is a good way to get inspired.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteCongrats, HR!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteFabulous tips! I've found having a creative journal to be especially useful to me. I take it everywhere I go and all of my messiest ideas are in there, but it's also home to a few gems amongst the pebbles. Many congratulations on the book, H. R. -- it looks and sounds incredible!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteSome great suggestions there. Anything to get the creative juices flowing!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new release H. R.
ReplyDeleteI love those tips. I daydream sentences, so I've taken to lying around the house with a notebook and pen in my hand. It looks lazy, but it actually helps.