Creators can apply lessons from those who are effortlessly creative. There are many popular approaches to generating creativity, including trying something new, taking copious notes that generate ideas through interesting connections, and taking drugs. These strategies leave room for improvement because they take active effort on the part of the person aiming at creativity. What if creativity were effortless?

You don’t have to wonder, because it is effortless for young children. Many aspects of a child’s creative process are worth integrating into your own process. These include:

• Combinatorial play: A tree trunk becomes a network of highways for a racecar. A pile of leaves becomes a hiding place for glittering treasure. The reimagining of something familiar within an unfamiliar context is a boon for creativity. Use combinatorial play to consider your own skills and interests in a new light. Many people share your favorite hobby. But how many are exploring the intersection of your two favorite hobbies?
• Frame awareness: Children tend to complete chores more frequently when they’re gamified. Fun activities can appear tedious when they’re assigned as homework. Observe the framing of your creative process and evaluate which aspects do more harm than good. What variables can be tweaked so that a creative session feels more like play and less like work?
• Total absorption: Creative play consumes children’s full focus. Children lack so many concerns that the adults in their life handle, and so playtime has few interruptions from nagging worries or necessary tasks. What disruptions are present in your creative process? How can you reduce their frequency and intensity so that each creative session is a better use of your time?

A child’s environment is crucial in allowing creativity to emerge. Because playful children are free from external concerns, willing to turn even the most mundane thing into a tool of the imagination, and wanting only to enjoy the play for its own sake, they are effortlessly creative. As you become better at mimicking this nurturing environment, less effort will be required from you to create.