Just joining the article series? Part one can be read in Culture’s November 23 lineup.

So, how do you get in touch with your natural creativity?

First, be realistic. If you have been out of touch with or actively denying your creativity for years, don’t expect it to burst forth in full regalia just because you want it to now. Why should it trust you? If you have an over-active censor, perfectionist or judge and jury living in your head, your heart may decide it simply isn’t worth the risk to be held under that kind of scrutiny.

Yes. Your heart. Creativity isn’t a head thing. Your head may try to argue this point. You may say, “I heard you have to pick complementary colors on the color wheel.” Or, “You need something black to ground a room.” Or, “You shouldn’t start a sentence with ‘or’.”

Maybe.

But remember, there is a difference between creativity and creative technique. First you have to get it out. You can always tweak it later.

Commit to spending time alone. Regularly.This is a tough one! The average American is highly over-stimulated and over-committed. Multitasking has become a way of life, as has caffeine consumption and an overflowing media diet. We are inundated with external messages from the minute the clock radio goes off in the morning, much of which is aimed, directly and deliberately, at your emotions. If you haven’t heard, “emotional branding” is all the rage now.

What this means for you is that a lot of people are getting paid a lot of money to figure out how to tap into and manipulate your emotions so that you will part with your money in exchange for whatever they want to sell you. If you don’t believe me just think back to the last time that a “great” sale hooked you into buying something at a “low, low price you may never see again.” And pay attention to the music they play in your favorite shops and restaurants and tell me they don’t have your demographic pegged!

With your emotional life being a deliberate target for strategic marketing manipulation how are you supposed to figure out how you really feel and what is really important to you? You aren’t being asked to express yourself, authentically. You are being asked to buy in to the next trend. To reach for the next big thing. You aren’t being asked to BE the next big thing. If you really want to get in touch with your creativity, you have to be a strong and determined gate keeper defending your right to keep yourself clear of undue influences. Much easier said than done, but if practiced regularly, a little alone time can yield big results.