How to be Creative

13-08-24 00 / episode: 399

Hi You’re about to listen to a story for Listening practice. This story is about how to find the inspiration to be creative. In fact creativity often comes when we do not try to be creative. Here are some pre-listening questions.

Questions

1.How did Elaine feel most of the time? 2.What did she decide to try?
3.How did she find doing the dishes one day?
4.How could she access her creativity?
5.What was her new routine?

Hi and welcome to the English Listening World podcast episode number 399. This podcast is for listening practice. I have 34 words and expressions highlighted in today's story for you to get practice listening to. In particular, the expression ‘so … that’ is repeated. I will put the full list of highlighted words in the description below.

Technically Good

Elaine was a young woman who loved to paint. Her art was technically good, and sometimes she created beautiful pictures. But most of the time, she felt stressed because she couldn’t find inspiration. Every day, she would sit in her small studio, staring at a blank canvas, feeling frustrated. She wanted to be an artist so badly, but her mind always felt empty.

One sunny morning, Elaine decided to take a walk in the park. She thought it might help her clear her mind. As she walked, she noticed the bright flowers, the chirping birds, and the children playing. She felt a small spark of joy. The walk was so refreshing that she decided to make it a daily habit.

After the Walk

The next day, after her walk, Elaine felt more relaxed. She remembered reading about how meditation could help clear the mind. So she decided to try it. She sat quietly in her living room, closed her eyes, and focused on her breathing. At first, it was hard, but soon she found herself drifting into a peaceful state. It was so fulfilling that she promised herself to meditate every day.

Doing Dishes

One evening, Elaine was washing the dishes. She usually hated doing chores, but this time, she found it oddly soothing. Her mind wandered, and she started to think about new painting ideas. It was so surprising that doing mindless chores could spark her creativity. She realised that her mind worked best when it wasn’t under pressure.

The following week, Elaine continued her walks, meditations, and chores. One day, she felt a strong urge to paint. She rushed to her studio and started working on a new piece. The ideas flowed effortlessly from her mind to the canvas. She painted a vibrant landscape, full of life and colour. It was her best work yet.

Not By Force

Elaine learned that creativity wasn’t something she could force. She needed to relax and let her mind wander. By walking, meditating, and doing simple chores, she found a way to access her creativity. It was so surprising that she hadn’t realised this before. Now, she felt more inspired and less stressed.

Her friends noticed the change in her art. They said it was so refreshing to see her new, lively paintings. Elaine felt happy and fulfilled. She had found a way to be creative without stressing herself out.

New Routine

From that day on, Elaine kept her routine. She walked in the park every morning, meditated in the afternoon, and didn’t mind doing the dishes anymore. Her art continued to improve, and she felt more confident as an artist. She realised that sometimes, the best ideas come when you’re not looking for them.

Elaine had taken a journey. On the journey, she slowly realised that creativity can be found in the most unexpected places. She was grateful for the simple activities that helped her unlock her artistic potential. And every time she painted a new picture, she remembered how she found her muse by simply relaxing and enjoying the little things in life.

Answers

1.How did Elaine feel most of the time? Most of the time she felt stressed because she could not access her creativity. 2.What did she decide to try?
She decided to try meditation. 3.How did she find doing the dishes one day?
One day she found doing the dishes oddly soothing, and she got some new ideas. 4.How could she access her creativity?
She could access her creativity by walking, meditating and doing simple chores. 5.What was her new routine? Her new routine was to walk in the park every morning, meditate in the afternoon and do her chores happily.