21 Ways to Enhance Creativity and Learn Something New

Embrace your curiosity and creativity to learn something new.

I’m going to start off with a couple of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein.

• “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
• “There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”
• “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

In my younger years, I was a stay at home mom.  I worked from home so I didn’t have strangers raising my children.  I loved spending time with my kids, but I lacked mental stimulation.

Learning to code

So with an interest in computers, I taught myself how to code. Nothing fancy, just simple HTML and CSS.  But that was where my love of website development started and what eventually led me into digital marketing and SEO.

Now I get up every day and go to a job that I’m super passionate about, working with people that are so fun and equally passionate. It all started with simple curiosity and learning something new.

It’s so easy to learn something new

With the ability to learn and explore at our fingertips, we have the opportunity to get smarter in our spare time, and even better, it’s accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

So I thought it would be fun to put together a list of interesting ways to challenge yourself or learn something new. Let’s face it, by learning something, it can benefit your career, your home life, your personal outlook, and mental well-being.  Who doesn’t want to be a happier and more productive person?

List of ideas where you can enhance creativity and learn something new:

1. Take time to read, whether it’s a blog post or your favorite online magazine.
2. Learn new computer skills at Code Academy.
3. Learn SEO & Marketing Skills from the experts at Infront Webworks at our free monthly SEO Internet Marketing Meetup.
4. At Alison, over 7 million people have learned about business & enterprise skills, digital literacy & IT skills, languages, school curriculum, health & safety compliance, health literacy, or financial & economic literacy.
5. Lynda.com is another place where you can learn new business, technical or creative skills online.
6. What about learning from today’s Big Thinkers? You can read articles and watch videos at Big Think.
7. From interesting articles about life to fun DIY projects, try Lifehack.
8. For a ginormous collection of fun facts, weird news and articles on crazy topics try Zidbits.
9. Here is a list of the most popular Ted Talks of all time. My personal favorite is Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability.
10. For unusual life hacks and new videos daily try WonderHowTo
11. Khan Academy: For an online gamified learning platform.
12. Read 3X faster and be more productive in life with Spreeder.
13. Curated classes by the world’s top experts at Creativelive.
14. Improve your leadership skills, team management skills, or time   management with Mindtools.com
15. How about live-streamed classes on programming, design, business, and marketing? Learn from industry leaders at platzi.com.
16. Learn how to cook, knit, sew, arrange flowers, quilt or decorate a cake at craftsy.com.
17. What would you say to commit to learning a new skill for one month? One Month.com.
18. I love to travel, but I usually don’t speak the language. Which can be a little scary.  Before you go, try surface languages to learn the basics.
19. At Makezine.com, learn how to do that unusual project like How to build your own remote-controlled lawnmower. I need one of those, so If anyone is willing to give it a go, let me know!
20. Here is a list to improve your public speaking: Public Speaking Project, Public Speaking Tips,  and Six Minutes – your guide to be a confident and effective public speaker.
21. How about giving up a few minutes of your day to be happy? Gretchen Rubin is the bestselling author of The Happiness Project. Free weekly Happier Podcasts on iTunes.

Bonus Tips

*Bonus Tip: For students of all ages, VarsityTutors offers private online tutoring, online group classes, academic, test prep and enrichment. My favorite part would be their FREE Virtual School Day with free live classes taught by experts, and Virtual Summer Camps.

This list combines so many different learning processes and creative processes that no matter how your mind works, you can find something that works for you.

So take the time to learn something new every day.  Let your creative genius flow. It will keep you feeling young, excited and challenged. What would you add to the list?  Please share your favorite place to learn in the comments below.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Matthew Palis

Matthew is the President of Infront Webworks and is a New England native now calling Colorado Springs home. Matt attended The University of NH where he pursued a BS in Natural Resource Economics & Business Administration. Aside from Infront; Matthew has owned and managed two other online agencies based on the seacoast of New Hampshire and been a key player in multiple technology mergers & acquisitions. When he’s not bathing in technology, online marketing & business; he’s probably spending time with his wife and daughter, boating, skiing the trees, hiking or cooking..he is a foodie for sure!