1.) Expose yourself to creativity. That means reading, watching, tasting, experiencing. Go to art shows. Pick up magazines. Listen to radio shows. Immerse yourself.
2.) Write it down. Every stupid and fantastic idea you have, write it down. Keep it somewhere that you can go back to. There is a poet named Janet Frame who would say, "I've been looking through the goose bath..." That was her, literally shuffling through a basin that was once used for her pet geese. It was filled with her discarded poems. Sometimes a person goes back and sees new relevance.
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3.) Allow for mistakes. Nothing is perfect carbon copies of any other thing. It is imperfection that makes something important. Creation is not the time for criticism, it is the time to make mistakes and enjoy them. It is the time to be the Jackson Pollock of one's canvas.
4.) Don't be afraid. Fear only holds us back. Sure, it's great for avoiding lions in the Serengeti...not so much for like strumming out a tune. Those chords aren't going to bite you. You have to play them to find your song.
5.) Schedule play time. I think a part of creativity is allowing oneself to be silly. To explore. To be an over-sized child. In the business of life, a person should really allow themselves the freedom to cultivate that joyful spirit of creativity.
