The idea that you’re either creative or you’re not is simply untrue. Waiting around all day for the spark of an idea, or the right mood to start a project, will only result in a lot of time wasted.

Jonah Leher assembled 10 “Creativity Hacks” based on scientific research and case studies of famous artists and thinkers for his book, Imagine: How Creativity Works.

Writes Leher:

Creativity is not magic, and there’s no such thing as a creative type. Creativity is not a trait that we inherit in our genes or a blessing bestowed by the angels. It’s a skill. Anyone can learn to be creative and to get better at it.

We’ve condensed Leher’s tips here, with a few ideas from our own research.

Look around your office. Drab, oatmeal-colored walls are doing your creative mind no favors. Leher cites research that shows blue to be calming–perfect for solving insight problems. Red makes us more alert, and stimulates our analytical side. The colors you wear also send a message to others, and can make you feel more in control.

When you’re pulling an all-nighter and have a sudden, brilliant idea, or awake ungodly early and realize the solution to a problem in the shower, that’s brain science, not coincidence. Writes Belle Beth Cooper: