Creativity - if only it were a pill we can take every time we are in dire need of it. But it isn't and it can be frustrating when our brains are as blank as the white sheet in front of us after an hour of waiting for an idea to pop up.
There are a number of things that stifle creative juices from flowing and doing things to stimulate creativity is just as important as avoiding things that stifle it. However, be assured of one thing, you can be creative if you will set your mind free to innovate, be it solutions, inventions, or artistic creations. The key is not to force your mind but to liberate it.
So here are 7 ways you can try to stimulate creativity by liberating yourself to think freely.
#1 Break the Routine
Routines are good because they help us do things faster in an organised fashion, but routines can stifle creativity. Like when you go to the same restaurant everyday, don't bother to look at the menu, and order the same thing. If you want to get your mental juices flowing, break out of your routine once in a while. There are a trillion ways to do this.
Go out of your office and bring your laptop to the park. Take a different route to work. Put on your clothes on with a different sequence. Wear a color you don't like. Eat something you've never tasted. Or go on vacation to a place you've never been.
Think of something out of the box or out of your comfort zone. The point is to allow yourself to see things in a different way, to realise possibilities, and to discover something refreshing.
What routines can you break this week? Have fun and creative in breaking them.
#2 Chill Out and Relax Your Brain
Do you keep a small notebook in your pocket? One comes handy when bright ideas pop up during the weirdest times of the day. Don't you just love how they come when you least expect them? When your mind is at ease and your subconscious is free to fly, you are most receptive to creative ideas. Doing things that relax our brain helps our imagination fly.
Feeling stuck up? Listen to good music. Music stimulates the part of our brain in charge of our emotions and creativity. Feeling choked inside your office, take a walk along a river or somewhere where there's water. The view and sound of water is known to having a soothing and relaxing effect.
#3 Exercise and Recreate
Feeling pressured? Play an enjoyable game or go on a 20-minute high intensity workout. Physical activity loosens up our body and our minds as well. There's actually a study that shows a positive correlation between regular exercise and creative performance.
Another great creativity booster is laughter. It is not only the best medicine for sickness, it is also a great prescription for creativity block because it helps get rid of stress, which in turn stifles creativity.
#4 Change Your Perspective
Much creativity and insights can be gained not only from others' creative ideas but also from simple people we meet every day. By looking through other people's eyes, we gain new perspective on things.
When was the last time you had a meaningful chat with a child or an elderly person? Was your attention called to something you would never have noticed in a thousand years? Getting to know people from different walks of life is a treasure chest for inspiration. Have a meaningful conversation with one person per day. Or simply listen to the people you meet along the way, and try to find something you can takeaway from your conversations.
Then there's also social media and the Internet where you can test an idea... get a conversation running... just by posting a mind-boggling question or even a survey as your status, tweet, or blog entry. Or go ask a select few through a closed Facebook group.
And as you go along, try to challenge old ways of thinking. Always keep yourself open to other people's perspective.
#5 Try a Fun Mental Exercise
Imagine you were tasked to lead a sales team to market air-cooling units in Alaska, how will you sell them? Think of something impossible to do and brainstorm how to make that thing possible. Think of as many uses as you can for human hair, or a pencil, a water tumbler, etc. Mental exercises like these train our brains to think out of the box. It is also a great team building activity.
#6 Surround Yourself with Inspiration
Some have a creativity room while others have an inspiration wall. The idea is to collect items and photos of things that inspire you and help stir up your imagination. If you are more auditory than visual, perhaps you can have a creativity playlist that gets your creative juices flowing.
Best of all, surround yourself with people who inspire you. There is something about hanging out with people who are on fire and driven with a passion for life. This is why choosing a mentor (or mentors) is important. Do you listen to tutorial CDs and read books by people who are successful in the field you have chosen? People with similar passions have the power to inspire and get your stirred up, and the wealth of experience this mentor or coach shares can trigger a wealth of ideas and strategies applicable to your journey.
Remember there are countless webinars available for free, and so are "mastery" groups you can join. Find one and get encouragement, inspiration, and lessons from determined people like you who are also serious about pursuing their dreams.
#7 Let It Flow
After you're done preparing for your brainstorming session or whatever it is you need creativity for, the next step is to be candid with your ideas and list them all down. If you think creative geniuses always get it the first time, or the fifth time, you're badly mistaken. The most potent creative sparks come from a long list of ideas that are either too boring or too silly. If you are writing something, start writing freestyle. Don't think of grammar, syntax, artistry, or what have you. Just write anything that flows out of your hand. The secret to finding an explosive idea is a willingness to explore and keep exploring.
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