I recently read a good article in Psychologies Magazine about creativity. From it I have learned that creativity is like a muscle that has to be regularly exercised. Scribble down thoughts and ideas when they come. Have a pencil and pad handy by the bed in case a dream sparks off a thought. Broaden your outlook and soak up different experiences, cultures, meet new people, try new things. Experiment with different media for creativity even if you don't think you have any skill in that area. Challenge yourself and avoid fear of failure or of criticism by others. Probably the most important of all in my opinion is avoid self-criticism and don't dismiss your attempts as not good enough. Just see them as a step towards your final results.
If you are trying hard to be creative and no inspiration comes, try forgetting all about it, go for a walk or doing something completely different on your own. When you have stopped thinking about it your subconscious mind gets to work and often comes up with the idea you were looking for.
Research suggests that the more positive and happy we are, the more creative we can be. However even feeling negative might sometimes help. Scientists have also found that people who are feeling slightly downcast are more able to keep going even if what they are doing is not fun. After the initial creative spark it may be hard work to keep going and produce what you have dreamed up.
