Whether you dream of painting the next "Mona Lisa," becoming a New York Times bestselling author, or simply coming up with an efficient way to organize your kitchen, creativity is one necessary ingredient. If you're feeling stuck in a rut, kick your creativity up with the following suggestions:

1. Set aside some time

"Abundant leisure time always helps with creativity," said Raquel Smith Callis, gallery director for Gallery One Ten in Provo. "Schedule in a block of time where you won't be interrupted, so that you can get into the flow of a project."

Don't have any ideas yetfi Use the time for brainstorming. The uninterrupted time will free your mind to come up with creative ideas and solutions.

2. Create your own space

If you're feeling stifled in your own environment, try spicing up your space.

"As artists, our environment is really important," said Rebecca Knudsen, a Provo artist known for her hand-created hooked rugs seen in galleries. "So having things that inspire us and help that process of creativity is really important."

For Knudsen, this simply means surrounding herself with personal items (pictures, artwork) to create an environment conducive to creativity.

3. Use what you have

If you force yourself to solve problems with what you have on hand, you'll be surprised at what your mind can think up.

"That forces you to be creative and think of alternatives and possibilities for whatever project you're doing," said Knudsen. "We're on a budget so we try to find creative solutions to decorating the house and come up with unusual solutions to problems that we have."

4. Surround yourself with creative people

There's nothing like being surrounded by creative people to get your mind brimming with ideas.

Knudsen said she and her husband, who is also an artist, would entertain the couple's children by visiting museums and introducing them to creative people.

5. Keep an idea journal

When inspiration hits, take the time to write it down, said Stephanie Neilson, a designer for Roberts Arts and Crafts in Provo. Her job is to create the new projects and activities seen throughout the store, and she has found it helpful to keep an idea journal.

"If I see something and I think that would be a really great project, then I write it down," Neilson said. "Then I can go back to it when I have that need."

Neilson also uses pictures to capture inspiration using the camera on her cell phone to create lasting visual impressions.

6. Go. Eat. Do.

Larry Busch is the president of the American Creativity Association, an organization dedicated to promoting the development of personal and professional creativity. Busch has found the "go, eat, do" principle to be helpful when teaching students about inspiring creativity.

He challenges students to go somewhere they've never gone before, eat something they've never eaten, and do something new.

"Given permission, or the challenge to do that, people begin to think in different ways and come back with the most extraordinary stories," Busch said.

7. Change your scenery

When you're stuck on a project or idea and can't find a solution, try inspiring creative thoughts by changing your scenery.

"Merely by going to the bookstore and getting a cup of coffee, your mind is stimulated and massaged in different ways," Busch said. "The idea was in there all along, and you gave yourself permission to come up with those ideas."

8. Take control

Creativity begins with taking control of your life and looking for the opportunities all around you. Busch said when you take control, you will see life as challenging and rewarding and begin to design your life rather then let it passively go by.

"You become a much more interesting person and much more productive when you think creatively," Busch said. "There is no end to it. It's a lifestyle and a very rewarding way to think."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.