Observe the world around you. Pay attention, search for details, and notice what's new and different in your environment rather than assuming nothing has changed. Creativity is born out of curiosity so look for patterns in the sky, compare two trees standing side by side, watch people as they move and talk. Keep a notebook with you to jot down your observations, making comparisons, and noting what interests you. Take notes when you're stopped in traffic, running on the treadmill at the gym, or sitting at the coffee shop.

Use your ears as sharply as you use your eyes. Listen for unusual sounds in your surroundings and pay attention to dialogue between people, traffic sounds, and the sound of silence. Did you know the letters in "listen" also spell "silent"? Get silent and listen to your inner sounds. What creative ideas are trying to come through the noise in your head? What can you hear around you when you silence that inner dialogue? Creativity stems from your i