Counter Self-Criticism, Increase Your Energy, and Live With Joy

Finding time to live each moment to its fullest is right at the core of heart-based time management. How wonderfully full of possibilities life looks, feels, and actually is when we are present and open, and have full access to our energy, heart, intelligence, and creativity!

Consider how different a moment feels when self-critical thoughts are nibbling away at your confidence. You know what I am talking about. It's terribly distracting and debilitating, sapping your drive and your focus. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, because you simply can't perform at your best when you're basically acting as your own worst enemy!

This is a point that I want to emphasize, because it's not merely a subjective experience of your time that I'm talking about. Yes, life looks and feels different when you are present and open... and it really is different. That's because the energy that you bring to each moment truly affects what you encounter, what you choose... and what happens next.

That negative, critical voice that we all carry around drains the color and life out of the moment, and distorts reality as surely as a wavy mirror at a carnival will. Silencing the critical voice, and connecting with your heart is like suddenly coming to see clearly again. The world looks different, you are able to greet it from your powerful core, and that changes everything!

So how can you recognize and counter these critical voices? The first and most important step is to accept that they are there - we all have them. Quite often they originate in messages you received in your early years and then adapted as you grew. By now they are probably so familiar and ingrained that you hardly even notice them. Most likely you are giving yourself these messages almost constantly.

It's a very energy-intensive process. Not only do you whisper self-criticism as you go about your day, but you also react to it. Maybe you fend it off rebelliously, feeling defensive and chronically angry. Or maybe you feel discouraged and victimized. I would bet that, just below the surface, you are experiencing a wide range of emotions in response to the messages of your droning inner critic.

A vicious cycle, indeed - and the good news is that at any point you can step in and make a change that will affect the whole process! When you recognize a self-critical message and counter it with reality, you are breaking the cycle. If you realize that you are discouraged because you are reacting to your own inner critic, give yourself a validation instead, and experience how your energy shifts!

Realizing that your inner critic's messages aren't reality based and that you can intercept and change them is a very, very powerful tool in the heart-based time management toolbox.

Ask yourself these questions to reclaim your energy and joy, and live your moments and fully as you can:

• What kinds of critical messages have taken root in you?
• How do they chatter in the background of your life?
• How do they drain you and muddle your time choices?
• What happens when you counter them with reason and compassion?

https://ezinearticles.com/?Counter-Self-Criticism,-Increase-Your-Energy,-and-Live-With-Joy&id=10192645

Create a Pathway to Power for Navigating Transitions

Life is often bigger than your plans. When your schedule is disrupted by unanticipated events, you can always choose how you respond. So, I'd like to invite you to view these changes as special opportunities to grow and broaden your vision of life.

How do you relate to your power when you undergo change?

Remember, when you make a transition, you are transforming yourself. It is natural to feel off balance initially, so go slowly. Affirm to yourself that important learning can temporarily upset your equilibrium. Encourage yourself to proceed gently, with eyes wide open.

Learning about your unique approach to transitions helps you create a pathway of power that is both grounded and balanced.

So let's start by shining a light on what transitions and change mean to you.

Illuminate your inner landscape to find your footing.

Your transition style intimately reflects your history and hopes. You may bring creativity and initiative to upcoming transitions, especially if they are changes of your own choosing. However, your default responses may also include rigid coping patterns you developed early in life, when you may have been overwhelmed and under-informed.

It's easy to resort to old behaviors under stress. Unfortunately, reflexive actions rarely do justice to complex demands. So offer yourself a special gift -- explore those reflexes and stuck points with curiosity and compassion.

Here are two common "default dances" you might revert to when faced with big changes:

• One is a white-knuckled grip, as you try to manage so much of what's beyond your control that you burn out.
• The other is losing your grip and allowing yourself to be carried along by the rush of events, as if you were in a spinning kayak without a paddle.

But rest assured, there is another way. The more you assist yourself, the more you evolve. The following guidelines will help you ease the pressure and establish a realistic middle course where you exercise positive control.

Accept that transitions are challenging and disorienting.

Schedule in extra time to adjust; plan on new activities taking longer than expected. Recognize when you feel overwhelmed. Defer decisions until you regain your equilibrium, and be sure to provide yourself with ample time to decompress and debrief.

View your new situation with fresh eyes.

Use journaling and lists to clear your mind and refresh your perspective. Identify what is actually within your control, and what you must simply accommodate as best you can. Know that you may need to revise your assessment periodically. Change is a new landscape. It takes time to learn its contours.

Cultivate sensible serenity.

If your expectations of yourself are not realistic, revise them with care, creating a grounded image of a successful transition. Rather than focusing on a specific destination, envision your process of moving forward. It's wise to frame success entirely in terms of the quality of your choices, not an endpoint. This keeps the success criteria firmly within your control, and quiets the voices of self-sabotage and self-criticism.

By cultivating a supportive inner dialogue, you bring the best of what is familiar right along with you as you navigate your transitions. Enrich your self-talk with encouraging mantras, examples of prior successes and realistic questions. In this way, you grow as you go!

https://ezinearticles.com/?Create-a-Pathway-to-Power-for-Navigating-Transitions&id=10110945

Why Those With A Troubled Past Find A Way To Create An Amazing Future

Understanding The Nature Of Pain

A troubled past is not a sentence for a deprived future. Our wounds can often be used to create a remarkable future if we perceive them through the lens of compassion and forgiveness.

Everybody has experienced pain and troubles in their life, however we mustn't stay mired in our problems but use them as insights to better understand ourselves. Our troubles do not mean we are flawed or lacking as many are led to believe. If we buy into this narrative, we are convinced what transpired is detrimental to our future. Our wounds are pivotal turning points which can reveal a greater depth of our human nature. They are helpful for better understanding pain and suffering so as to integrate them into our being.

I am drawn to Dr. Alex Lickerman's perspective who writes in The Undefeated Mind: On the Science of Constructing an Indestructible Self of the need to change the narrative of the past by witnessing it through the eyes of survivorship instead of victimhood: "Another way we might be able to improve our ability to manage pain is by retelling ourselves stories of previous painful experiences from a different perspective: not with a focus on the intensity of the pain we felt but on the fact we survived it. For if we survived a terrible episode of pain in the past, we can survive a similar episode of it in the present."

You are no more flawed by what took place than an oak tree that has weathered the storm over time. In fact, if you were to get up close you would realise how strong and resilient the tree is despite the forces of nature enacted upon it. Yet, it still stands tall because what doesn't break it allows it to grow in strength. The same principle is as apparent in our lives: what doesn't destroy us, advances us more than we realise. A troubled past can be a blessing that gives us clues to our purpose and destiny. Our scars are our battle wounds and should not be looked upon with shame but with courage knowing we faced our battles and emerged stronger. A troubled past is a gateway to strengthening our resolve and commitment to a better future.

Our Past Needn't Keep Us Stuck

I experienced difficulties in my youth. I rebelled against authority figures like my father, whose parenting style didn't suit me. I channelled my rebellious energy toward creative pursuits like painting murals on walls near train lines, so passengers travelling to work could see them. Thankfully, this phase of my life was short-lived and I grew out of it eventually. Upon reflection, this period served as a time to express my creativity, albeit in a nonconventional way. It was years later I was accepted into a Bachelor of Arts program to study Fashion Design at a prominent design school. Think about the periods of your own life where you may have rebelled. Do you look back and see how it now served you?

From my parent's viewpoint, I was a troubled youth partaking in dangerous and meaningless acts, while I considered it a period of self-expression. Decade's later here I am writing articles and books and helping people awaken their greatest potential because I dared to tap into my creative abilities. Whilst my story pales into insignificance compared to those who endured more troubling times, it shows how our past needn't keep us stuck but help advance us. Our wounds show we have danced with life and emerged victorious. Recall Dr. Lickerman's earlier quote where he invites us to see our troubles through the lens of a survivor instead of a victim? They are a reminder that life is continuously evolving and we mustn't hang our hats on what transpired but use it as a basis for better things to come.

Life can lead you in different directions and as the narrator and director you get to choose which path to follow. Leading on from my earlier question, how have your experiences shaped your present-day circumstances? Do you consider the past with regret and shame? Whilst this may be normal, if we're to appreciate the underlying lessons contained within our experiences, we can rewrite the future with a compelling narrative. We needn't anchor our boats to the past but allow it to sail into the open waters. Just as a boat creates a wake in its trail, it does so behind it not in front, which means our future is open to being written with a clean slate, if we will look upon our wounds with openness and compassion.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Those-With-A-Troubled-Past-Find-A-Way-To-Create-An-Amazing-Future&id=9979987

Zentangle - The Art of Untangling a Tangled Mind

"Are you stressed all the time?"

"Do you need to let out your stress and relax?"

"Is there a need to improve hand/eye coordination?"

All of these and much more can be done through the Zentangle method. The Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. This method can be used by anyone who knows how to write their name. It helps increase focus and creativity and provides artistic satisfaction with an increased sense of personal well-being.

Zentangling is a formalized process that was created by Rick Roberts and Mary Thomas. It is a specific way to draw images, most often in black pen on white paper. The traditional practice of Zentangling is done on 3 1/2" inch square tiles made of special paper, but it can be done on any paper cut into squares or can be done on larger paper as well. The process of Zentangling may look very intricate but it is a very simple pathway to relaxation and focus. It is also called doodling with a purpose. Practitioners of this art form have given several benefits including calming an anxious mind, increasing self-confidence and creating moment to moment awareness in a similar way as mindfulness meditation.

How to create a Zentangle?

To create a Zentangle you begin with a pencilled frame and then draw a "string" through the frame to divide the box into sections. In each section you draw a repetitive pattern, called a "tangle." The meditation comes both in the rhythmic drawing and in reflecting on your work afterward. Some of the characteristics of the Zentangle method are: Deliberate Stroke: In the Zentangle way, each stroke is done consciously and deliberately. When we draw each stroke deliberately, we realized that how these insignificant strokes contribute to an overall pattern.

Deliberate Focus: When deliberate strokes are being made, the attention is on the stroke and not on the final product that will be made. So this leads to increased focus on the strokes being made and not thinking about what the final pattern will look like.

Unknown Outcomes: The Zentangle method allows each person to discover new possibilities that is not anticipated when we begin with the art.

Abstract: A Zentangle creation is meant to be non-representative with no up or down. Since it is not a picture of something, creators need not be worried about whether they can draw a hand or a duck. It is just the different strokes that form a pattern and finally an abstract picture.

No Eraser: There is no eraser in life and there is no eraser in a Zentangle kit. However, in creating Zentangle art, one discovers that the apparent mistakes made can be foundations to new patterns and take one to unknown and new directions.

Gratitude: Gratitude is the foundation of zentangle art. Whether it is appreciating the texture of these wonderful paper tiles, becoming aware of the patterned beauty around us or thankful for the opportunity to put pen to paper, we always return to gratitude.

Inspirational: The Zentangle Method's non-verbal language of patterns and proportions can open doors to insights which seemed locked before. Creating in a Zentangle way opens those doors, not because they were locked, but because those doors swing on non-verbal hinges. When you create in a Zentangle way you can enter a state of relaxed focus in which intuitive insights flow freely.

Ceremonial: Like in the Japanese tea ceremony, when zentangle art is being created, the person creates a personal environment of peace and harmony.

Portable: A Zentangle tile is 3 1/2 inches (89 mm) square. A Zentangle tile is designed to be completed in one sitting. A tile can be finished in as little as 15 minutes. Once the tile is completed, a sense of accomplishment occurs and more tiles can be completed in less time.

BENEFITS OF THE ZENTANGLE METHOD:

Zentangle Method is being used by many people for different objectives. Some of the benefits that people have experienced by practicing this method are:

• Relaxation

• Simple and quick access to mindfulness

• Non-verbal journaling

• Insomnia (improved sleep by creating Zentangle art before sleep)

• Self - Esteem

• Inspiration

• Panic attacks

• Modify Behaviour

• Being part of supportive community

• Nurture and develop creative abilities

• Relieve stress

• Improve hand/eye coordination

• Develop/rehabilitate fine motor skills

• Team building and group focus

• Therapy

• Anger management

• Addiction therapy tool

• Diet aide

• Increase attention span and ability to concentrate

• Home schooling

• Brainstorming

• Problem solving

• Design Inspiration

• Stretching and warm up for artists.

Personal Experience of practicing Zentangle art:

My personal zentangle story began in 2015 when a surgery to my ankle had me on bed rest for 6 weeks. As they say "an idle mind is a devil's workshop", the bed rest and immovability had my mind getting unwanted thoughts that needed to be put to rest. Since I was immovable and could not do much, I started exploring the internet for something that I could do while I am on bed rest. That's when I chanced upon the Zentangle art. I first started reading about it and was intrigued to try it. So one step at a time, I started trying out tangles from the internet and felt very relaxed when doing it. I became so involved with this art form and realized that even a day without doing the art made me feel like I was missing out on something. Though I was out of bed rest and working along with taking care of my family, I did not stop doing the art as it gave me peace and helped me relax and have some time for myself. On further research, I found out that only certified teachers can teach the art. So I started looking out for a certified teacher and took a class with her after one year of practicing the art form. The class was a huge learning for me on the nuances of doing the art. It helped me better understand the art form and what benefits it can provide to me.

Practicing the art has helped me in the following ways:

• Relax my mind

• Anger management

• Reduce mental stress

• Live in the moment

• Not think about what has happened or worry about the future.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Zentangle---The-Art-of-Untangling-a-Tangled-Mind&id=9824280

Creativity - Do You Use It?

Many of my clients over the years have expressed concern about finances and wished they could relieve their debt burdens. But compounding interest and late fee penalties make the goal more and more unreachable.

Recently I watched some episodes from a British show entitled "How to Live Mortgage Free". I was amazed at what was accomplished by those who were determined to improve their lives by eliminating their mortgage.

Some of those who were featured wanted to accomplish this in preparation for their retirement. Others were younger. One couple set and reached their debt-free status before they were thirty years of age.

The ideas they used included renovating abandoned structures such as a barn, church or office. One couple didn't want to leave the house where they had raised their children so they sub-divided it into two houses and sold one. A young couple built their first home on the top of two trailer beds in a fashion that allowed them to move the whole thing at a later date if they desired.

A single father gutted and redesigned an Airstream trailer for himself and his daughter. An engineer turned a two-story bus into a home complete with elevator and mobile tracks so that his disabled wife could maneuver easily throughout.

One single mom told about how she reduced her mortgage from thirty years to eight by being thrifty and depositing the equivalent of twenty-five extra dollars at a time against the balance.

A couple who had lived on a boat for twenty-five years built a smaller one that was more affordable and then sold the first to pay off all their debt.

This series reminded me of the things that are needed in order to achieve success:

1. A goal. It must be clear and reasonable. All of the individuals in the show also had a realistic timeline for completion.
2. Sacrifice. It took many, many months and in some cases years of labour to complete the projects. Also, reduced square footage required down-sizing of possessions.
3. Skills. Many learned how to build as they went, but some had carpentry, engineering, or sewing expertise before they started.
4. Money. The people involved needed a place to stay while they were preparing their new homes. The initial costs for purchasing land, structures or materials were paid with savings or at least one continuing to work for income.
5. Research. Many of the homes were built with second-hand fixtures and designed after study of magazines and examples of projects completed by others.
6. Consulting. Asking for advice from people who have expertise was a key element of the projects.
7. Creativity. Small spaces were used wisely to accommodate the residents who were moving in.

If you are struggling with financial issues, perhaps you could adopt the above principles. You don't have to necessarily pay off your mortgage but you could significantly improve your financial situation!

https://ezinearticles.com/?Creativity---Do-You-Use-It?&id=10139622

Business Smarts: Mental Exercises to Strengthen Your Brain

Life as a business professional can be full of stress. However, you can use this to help fuel your creativity and productivity. Likewise, when the pressure is on, you can make a positive use of stress to rise high above the situation and achieve spectacular results. The key is keeping your mind alert and your responses sharp. Here is a handy checklist of some key exercises you can try that will help you accomplish this important goal.

Try Playing Memory Games

An excellent way to improve your memory, as well as your overall productivity and efficiency, is to expand your recall powers. Playing memory games, from the very simple to the most complex, is a good way to sharpen up and expand your powers in this area. While it's not possible to remember every single detail about every single part of your life, just imagine what it would be like if you did possess this power. Now imagine the effect that even the smallest expansion of your memory capabilities can have on your productive power at the office.

Make Use of Mnemonics

One of the very best ways by which you can truly expand your memory powers and increase your efficiency and productivity in the office is to make use of mnemonics. Doing so will not only sharpen up your powers of recall and association, but will allow you to speed up your communication skills as well. If you have trouble remembering names, a round of handy recall games is a great way to help you smooth over such fumbles by locking the information firmly into your mind.

Try Out a New Hobby

Maybe your mind is dull because you simply haven't stretched it a bit with a new form of hobby. Take up something exciting, from mastering the last level on a favorite video game to learning how to play the banjo. You'll be surprised at the agility your mind can achieve when you really put all your effort and will power into achieving a new goal. And much of this newly found energy will transfer to your work. You might just discover a whole new feeling of confidence that will enable you to glide past even the most difficult project.

Read a Few Good Books

Try reading a few new books that really give you something to think about. These books can be on fascinating historical figures, great events, or even self-help books that can offer you a new perspective from which to think and work from. Even if you just read a few old favorite adventure or romance novels, you'll find that this might just give you the kick you need to refuel your sense of inspiration.

Get Plenty of Sleep and Physical Exercise

Finally, there is simply no substitute for good exercise and a solid night's sleep. Your body needs adequate fuel to power the brain, and you certainly need plenty of sleep to stay sharp and focused in the workplace. Trying to go too long without either of these vital necessities will result in sluggishness, lack of motivation, and depression. Eat well, exercise, and get plenty of sleep if you want to be at your best.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Business-Smarts:-Mental-Exercises-to-Strengthen-Your-Brain&id=9613416

We Learn Life Lessons From the People Who Come Into Our Lives (By Gary Wonning)

One of the hot topics in today's culture is bullying.

It can be a real issue for those, especially the young, who are affected by this. It can be a very traumatic experience for those who are victimized.

The only problem is, there are no victims in life, only participants. These so called bullies come into our lives for a reason. All we need to do is to discover the reason we are being taken advantage of, and take appropriate action to resolve the issue to our advantage and improve our lives in the process.

Sometimes the solution is a physical solution and we need to deal with it physically to teach the person a lesson he or she will remember for time immemorial.

But most often, it doesn't need to end this way.

On a more subconscious level, the bully is trying to teach us a lesson, once that is discovered, many times we can view that soul as someone who really made our life better by teaching us to become more self reliant, or guide us on a path of greater creativity.

If we go within, many times we will discover talents we never knew we had, sometimes these talents would never be discovered unless we are shunned by others and the only friend we have is ourself and God. Once we do some soul searching we discover many things about ourself we never knew existed.

We all have potential beyond our wildest dreams, but until we are forced to discover them, they go unnoticed. Only when an event outside ourselves creates an environment where we go must go within to find hidden strength, do we discover what we are really capable of accomplishing.

Suppose you have the ability to become a great actor of singer, but because you are shy you never even think you could become what you dream.

By suppressing your dream, you become even more shy by denying what your real character is, the more you talk yourself out of your dream, the more shy and unhappy you become until you are just downright miserable.

You would never get out of this vicious cycle if someone or something didn't come along and rock your boat.

Because, on some level of consciousness, we all create everything we experience, your subconscious mind, or higher self, (what many refer to as our Christ Consciousness) springs into action and begins the search for an answer to make you a better person and enable you to accomplish your life mission.

Here comes the bully, who has volunteered his time to help you. Sooner or later, his actions, or the actions of another soul if he should fail, will wake you to the reality of life, be it this lifetime or the next. It is your choice.

By his actions and yours, you are both evolving into a higher understanding of life.

Many believe the philosophy that we, each and everyone of us create our own reality, but when the going gets tough their belief falters just when it is imperative they stand strong for their beliefs.

This is the time one needs to do some serious contemplative thinking and look within and ask ourselves why we allowed this to happen to us.

When we do we will receive the answer and by owning up to the responsibility of creating our reality, we can overcome this obstacle and go on to lead the life we want and desire.

No one can do this for us, not our parents, family, the government or any one else, it is for us to do and for us alone.

It is only then that we can be proud of what we have overcome, and thank those who have aided us in our journey.

https://ezinearticles.com/?We-Learn-Life-Lessons-From-the-People-Who-Come-Into-Our-Lives&id=10047353

Creativity of Engineers and Eminent Achievers (By Lance Winslow)

Not long ago, I was talking with a brilliant engineer about the challenges that engineers have in coming up with creative ideas. No, not all, and this certainly isn't meant to offend, in fact we have many engineers in our think tank that are the absolute exemption to that rule. Now then, my engineering acquaintance noted that he believed that;

"Creative thinking people need to continue moving to different positions and areas because in the first couple of years (more or less based on how difficult the areas is) a person will give all the new fresh insight and their mind and in their previous experience to an area and then basically that person ends up placing themselves into a box of their own making. This reduces a person's effectiveness the more time they are in the same field."

Wow, that was a bold statement but think about, he's absolutely correct, and yes, another way of visualizing the same stated problem and a viable solution. I sometimes wish Google X would try to re-arrange their search engine - a secondary system for cross pollination. Twitter should be used for people with ideas to post them to the world, fully searchable, not stupid messages or BS party line gotchas. The Internet needs an upgrade for human forward progress.

"Does this once again bring us back to stagnation vs growth?" he rhetorically asks, adding that "Maybe all thinkers should be constantly moving around to different areas, while doers who are non-thinking should be in that same area doing the ideas brought forth by the thinkers. I am sure a graph could be created depicting the bell curve of time vs effectiveness of a creative mind in any given field."

Ah, now we are getting somewhere, do you see where he's going with this, have you considered this, he's right isn't he? Sure he is, but I think that the graph is also not static, the charted line moves with culture, domain, money flows, nations, etc. One paper I read stated that any more than 2-years in an upper-end college was of detriment to the "eminent achiever creative genius" as Dean Simonton professor and expert in the subject calls them. And there are lots of examples; Dell, Gates, Jobs, etc., and other problem is boredom, people stop thinking once they learn something, stop asking questions.

An interesting book to read is; "The First 20-hours" by Josh Kaufman (I highly recommend this book - CYA I was sent an advanced copy by the publisher to read), where he empirically shows that the fast uptake, interests, questions occur at super-fast rates in the very beginning. Once someone masters something and becomes in the top 1%, that could take 10,000 hours, then they often find a breakthrough too. So, maybe there is a gap in the middle, and maybe someone with fluidity of the mind can maintain the innovative thought process the whole time, through; passion for the domain or endeavor.

What I mean to say is that maybe we need to turn that Bell Curve on its head and watch for the trap in the gulley! That's why you need a think tank, to bridge the gap. Now then consider the "Inflection Points" of a Bell Curve to maintain innovation? What if you bridge the gap with additional "channels" or frequencies, then you get all sorts of humps in your inverted Bell Curve inverse, and you play that, just as you would investing in Inverse ETF's using a derivative algorithm? Please consider all this and think on it.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Creativity-of-Engineers-and-Eminent-Achievers&id=8452456

Doing Nothing, And Ultimately Doing Something

This article is about mistakes, and how to genuinely correct them, primarily. Although this article is about mistakes, it is about learning and creativity also. So, think about this fact. Sometimes the best thing to do with a mistake is to do nothing but observe and learn from it so that you can do better in the next action taken.

With that said, I would also like to imply this: Reality is best served when you learn how not to do things, so that the doing of them right is certain when you next attempt to take an action. Active understanding is the key to working with reality as a whole. Passive understanding is learning to work with reality by observation of how not to do things. This is what Thomas Edison was using when inventing the light bulb and synthetic rubber with his associates. A combination of active and passive understanding was used to pull off these feats, otherwise without this sort of understanding, Edison and his associates would have quit at the first try saying that infamous word: "Impossible."

"Nature to be commanded, must be obeyed." A quote from Francis Bacon

The point of that quote after the word "impossible" is that nature is successfully commanded by passive and active understanding as I describe it here. When you learn from mistakes, you "automatically" better yourself. I put the word automatic in quotes, because there is still a choice to be made. A choice to learn or not to learn. So, I say this: The ultimate laziness is abiding by the word impossible and genuinely quitting after a few tries at learning how not to do it, and you will never have a real chance to learn how to do it.

From Leonardo Da Vinci and his thought up or postulated flying machine to the Wright Brothers and their actual flying machine, it all comes down to learning how not to do it through history until you finally understand how to do it and then do it right. So, when I say in my title doing nothing and ultimately doing something, this is exactly what I mean: You must first understand fully how not to do something, and then do it with full understanding of what works within what did not work.

So, I would like to end with, as long as there is a concept of what can be done as it starts out as an idea, there is not any such thing as impossible if it starts out as a concept that can ultimately be carried out.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Doing-Nothing,-And-Ultimately-Doing-Something&id=8467558

Cake in a Cup = Creative Perfection

Most of the creative people I know think they are perfectionists, but are actually not perfect at all; attention to detail is there, and they don't like to leave a task until it is done to their liking, but they are always open and creative in their approach. Put ten of them in a room, and you will not be able to hear yourself think, as they loudly give you more than ten different solutions to the same problem.

Some people say you are born to be creative, but I wonder if it is also a bit like a muscle; the more you use it, the more it works. Of course, we all have different strengths, and while being artistic might be in someone's DNA, creativity might be something we can all learn to embrace, nurture, and have fun with.

Which brings me back to perfection. The other day, I read a really great theory; that creativity begins with letting go of having to do everything perfectly, and the willingness to discover other options.

What they suggested was so simple, that I wanted to share it with you...

Practice making a recipe without having all the ingredients. Whether it is a meal or a cake, go ahead and turn the oven on, knowing full well that you are not prepared.

Don't dismiss Chicken Tarragon because you have no tarragon. (I don't like tarragon anyway). Substitute thyme, or whatever is in your cupboard or your garden. If you don't have any herbs, make it anyway, add whatever you feel like, and see what happens.

The same with a cake. Yes, they say it is a science, but I often use a lot less sugar, and I play with the proportions and flavor, until the raw batter looks (and tastes) good to me. What is the worst that can happen? It's still cake. Add a dollop of cream, or your favorite ice cream, and it's still a dessert that you didn't have on your plate a couple of hours ago.

The joy of this is, playing with a recipe forces you to stretch that creative muscle, and to see that there are always other options around.

After doing this a few times, you will start to look at everything else a little differently; there will automatically be more solutions to your problems, tarragon will disappear from your shopping list, and you will start to see the world in a far more interesting (creative) way...

https://ezinearticles.com/?Cake-in-a-Cup-=-Creative-Perfection&id=8804963

Why the "Second Right Answer" Is a Bad Idea

In his wonderful book, A Whack on the Side of the Head (still one of the seminal books about creativity), Roger Von Oech talks about the concept of looking for the Second Right Answer. The idea is that most people (and you can substitute "people" with "leaders," "teams," and even "organizations"), when looking for a solution to a problem or challenge, stop after coming up with a solution. A solution. One, single solution. But just because it's the first solution doesn't mean it's the best solution. That's why Roger suggests going beyond that first answer and looking for the Second Right Answer. And I think that if you do that, there's a good chance the competition will run right over you.

When I lead my creativity workshop (What a Great Idea! Unlocking Your Creative Smarts), I guide my participants through several activities designed to help them become more creative-on demand. In some cases, I divide them into teams of five or so, and give them seven minutes to come up with as many answers to a challenge as possible. Then I listen. Nine times out of ten, this is what I hear:

Start to around Minute 4: A buzz of activity, punctuated by frequent laughter, as the teams come up with the typical answers, the obvious answers, the easy answers.

Minute 4 to around Minute 5: The Lull. They've made it through the easy answers, and they've run out of ideas. The room gets quiet. This is where most teams stop. But they can't, because there are still (intentionally) two to three more minutes left in the activity. So, very gradually, I hear...

Minute 5: The crescendo. This is when the participants start to dig deep and come up with the not-so-obvious answers. Which leads to:

Minute 5 to Minute 7: The Buzz, Part 2. This is the renewed sense of energy as one not-so-obvious answer sparks another, and another, and another.

After the activity is over, I ask the participants about their experience during the process. I talk about The Lull, and I generally get a nod of recognition. But then I ask a key question. I ask, "How many of you came up with some of your best ideas after the lull?" Generally, about a third to a half of the participants raise their hands.

This is why I say the Second Right Answer is a bad idea! Because by the time most teams get to The Lull, they've gone way beyond the Second Right Answer. Most teams, by this point, have come up with a half a dozen or more "right answers."

Now let's take this into your world. If you and your team are trying to come up with a solution to a business challenge, you'll eventually come up with the First Right Answer. And this is where many teams stop. But not you, because you've read A Whack on the Side of the Head. So you urge your team to come up with the Second Right Answer. Good for you! But you know what? The chances are good that your competition will also come up with a Second Right Answer. And maybe a Third and a Fourth. See, when it comes to creative ideas, here's the Golden Rule:

When it comes to creative ideas, quality is a function of quantity.

To put it another way (which is how Nobel Prize winning chemist Linus Pauling put it), "The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas."

So here's the take home lesson for you. Like you, your competition will come up with the First Right Answer. And, like you, they may also come up with a Second Right Answer, and possibly a few more. But here's the key: they will almost never work past The Lull. And remember, anywhere from a third to a half of my participants say that they came up with some of their best ideas on the other side of The Lull.

Bottom line: Don't stop at the Second Right Answer. If you want the breakthrough idea that your competition will never get to, you'll find it on the other side of The Lull.

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Act Normal

All through my life I've been trying very hard to avoid doing what was expected of me. It started in high school. A beet root and mayonnaise sandwich for lunch? Weird, yuck, gross! That's not normal! No my fellow classmates, not your ordinary sandwich perhaps, but it sure is delicious! I was against nuclear weapons in The Netherlands and went off to demonstrate. That was not the norm in my community. Their idea of rational behaviour was the threat to fight in the Old Testament way: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. And I was living in the Bible Belt where you would suspect a more New Testament approach, about Jesus and turning the other cheek!

Currently a number of things are seen as ordinary. Imprisoning foreign children with their parents because they don't carry the right papers. Trade ecosystems for monocultures. Buying way too cheap clothes, ignorance is bliss. Extracting gas even when that causes buildings to collapse. Keeping coal fired power stations open knowing they're old fashioned and polluting. And when you see something you don't wish to see or acknowledge, just look away. Had Malala Yousefzai acted normal, she would have died.

In my opinion acting normal is nothing more than doing what others want you to do. Regardless of those others ever thinking about anything or whether they are just letting fear and pettiness rule their decisions; the innovator, the explorer, the artist. These are not the ones who act normal because it is in their blood to be different, to walk the unfamiliar path. A popular Dutch saying is: "Just act normal, that's already crazy enough". Closely followed by: "Don't stand out from the crowd". Both phrases don't really encourage innovation, problem-solving or the development of a new perception. The cry for the normality is more likely a pursuit of mediocrity.

To be able to reveal novelties, you have to alter your expectations, think out of the box. Combine intelligence and creativity and look at the old and familiar subjects from a curious and open minded perspective.

Let us strive for excellence, dream of a fantastic world free from war and destruction. Let's brainstorm at various locations and really come up with a plan. It's an historical fact that war is accepted as normal We are facing some really big problems right now and we will all be doomed if we don't get to work on them. Climate change and the age old battle between Christians and Muslims. We must gather all our talents and courage and put our effort into adjusting that. And then we will remember what it really meant to act normal.

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Intelligence System Points to Ponder

This is an interesting topic to reflect upon. The human mind is heavily influenced by preconceived ideas, regulations, actions and reactions accordingly. Edward de Bono says, "Many highly intelligent people are poor thinkers. Many people of average intelligence are skilled thinkers. The power of a car is separate from the way the car is driven." At this juncture, many heads will roll and debate constructively and argue heatedly resulting is what is observed and what is deduced. The former is about a person's intelligence and the latter is about what the system dictates.

It is said that normal people do different things, but intelligent people do it differently. Peter Tait headmaster of the Sherburne Preparatory School says, "Measuring intelligence through examination is, inevitably, as limited as the examination itself. It will not identify many of those we instinctively know to be intelligent." A healthy and objective debate shows how people reflect upon and evaluates values which are constructive and thought-provoking.

There are different schools of thought of diversified interest enumerating many scholars differing in opinions and arguments. They concur with those who believe in judging people by the specific form of tests are deficient in highlighting their intelligence. Academicians warn, "Exams do not determine success in life; on the contrary, creativity squeezed out of schools." At this juncture, it is important and desirable to segregate children of different level of mental capabilities. This task is best performed by parents since they are the main evaluators, who can understand and assess their abilities within the home environments. In addition, the teachers and friends' influence matter a lot in shaping children's creative personality. Parents should observe and discuss with children by taking them into confidence. It will help them in many ways.

It is easy to make a statement or plan an action of result-oriented strategy. Here, it is important to ensure that the home environment is conducive to sincerity of all concerned. Children are very keen observers and possess probing mind. Whatever they see or hear, it is directly transformed into their sub- conscious system and remained there as a dormant file. The information is instantly flashed back as and when appropriate situation arises. Now it is our duty as parents and other family members to make sure that we all provide pleasant and encouraging situations for children to reach the dizzy heights of their intelligence.

Tests or examinations do evaluate an outstanding candidate among the competitors, however, these technic lack the ability to segregate a genius. Here, many parents' behavior changes once their children failed to come up to the required standard. This is the cardinal error committed by all such parents. They not only kill the instinct of a child to achieve success in life, but also make them withdraw to be a dumb and weak child.

The best age and a place to invest in children is the prep school. It is the foundation for the next 10-12 years of schooling. At the outset, it is ignored by both parents and the public alike. They do not pay attention to the core concept and greatest values it displays. It is the cardinal point which progressively builds character, social awareness and human values. In Islam, there are four stages which are the phases of growth from infancy to mature grown-up man.

1. From birth until seven years treat children like a Prince
2. From seven years to Fourteen years treat them like a Slave. (Here it does not refer to being a bonded labor) Parents should seriously introduce and implement discipline in every aspect of life.
3. From Fourteen to Twenty-one treat them like a Deputy.
4. From Twenty-one to Twenty-eight treat them like a Minister

Summing up the argument, parents, teachers, and working colleagues and in charges should observe and evaluate their potential talents in the field in which he/she displays his/her intelligence. At no stage never ever belittle or condemn them; you will be killing their initiative and drive and make them a failure. We must encourage and help them to explore and implement the talents in the areas where they excel and become beneficial to all. The growing age along with constructive support from everybody's concern will transform individuals to reflect within themselves and acquire dizzy height of knowledge. Their abilities and intelligence will become the beacon of light to humanity. Therefore, we should never restrict assessing individual and group intelligence by conducting exams alone. Remember, exams and tests are conducted to know what has been taught and how much you have remembered and benefitted from it.

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10 Steps to Spring Clean Your Creativity

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Walt Disney Company

According to Drs. Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman, creativity falls under the values heading of "wisdom and knowledge." In their writings, found in their handbook of Character Strengths and Values, "Creativity is a cognitive strength of thinking that is used in novel and productive ways to understand and accomplish things. It is NOT limited to artistic expression alone." In other words, you don't have to be a musician or a painter to have creativity or to be creative.

My mind is always working. Even while I'm sleeping I've learned to keep a pencil and paper on my night table because on any given night I could wake up with an idea that I don't want to forget so I write it down in my sleepy state. I can't always decipher what I've written but the gist of the thought is there.

Sometimes I wish I could take a vacation from my mind, just leave it home and just breathe without wondering about everything there is to wonder about. It's not really a good idea for me to do this because I'd lose a very important part of who I am. BUT... What if I could spring clean my mind instead?

Recently, I volunteered to do something creative that I've never done before: work with a colleague to produce a virtual-workshop to present to our coaching community. Our workshop was on the topic of home business loneliness and we specifically centered our presentation on loneliness prevention strategies that exist with regard to the mental isolation and geographical isolation of running your own home business. This was very challenging for me because I had high expectations for my presentation and also had certain content criteria I had to meet. I got clear in my mind about what I wanted to present and gave myself a pep talk. My mind, my brain, my spirit, my creativity were all challenged and as a result raised in consciousness.

The short story is that the workshop was a huge success filled to the brim with giveaways, resource lists, hope and passion. The long story is that it involved a lot of research, practice time, re-writes and a spring cleaning of my own personal doubts. I found that anxiety and perfectionism are the enemies of creativity. I stayed with my objective to meet my participants' needs as well as maintain my passion for this subject. I needed to stay focused, creative and empathetic and curious.

The take away for me after stretching myself with this workshop is that everyone has the ability, capability and tools to be creative. We just have to clean out old notions of what creativity means and open our minds to what we can discover when the clutter clears away.

Where To Begin

"Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the 'creative bug' is just a wee voice telling you, 'I'd like my crayons back, please."

Hugh MacLeod, Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity

Where does one begin to spring clean the mind to discover creativity? I think it's important to know that at its core creativity is valuable. This means, "The created product and its creator have brought beauty, elegance and/or function into the world", so says Drs. Peterson and Seligman. They go on to say that "creativity is trait-like, meaning it's an everyday creative who can use objects to create something new from something old." For example: someone who rearranges furniture to create more pleasing aesthetics to a room and create better function, or the person that changes an ingredient in a recipe to make it their own dish. Creativity is and should be fulfilling. Creation on any level just feels good.

Just like when you get ready to spring clean your garage or attic, spring cleaning your mind to allow for creativity opens emotional doors to worlds you've yet to discover.

Tina Turner said it best when she said, "Sometimes you've got to let everything else go and purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything... whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it, because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out."

In order to gain perspective, ask yourself:

1) What is possible?

2) Who will this affect/benefit?

3) If this doesn't lead to the result I want, would I still be glad I took the time to work on it?

Your answers could be personal and in most ways should be. If you are going to benefit, if you are going to be positively affected, if this is important to you, then everyone around you will benefit as well.

Every day "creatives" leave room for curiosity, open-mindedness and critical thinking. Are you an in the box every day creative meaning you only seek creativity within the structure of your daily routines or an out of the box everyday creative meaning that you follow where your thoughts and ideas lead you whether it was on the t0-do list for the day or not? I am learning to be an out of the box every day creative by practicing it. I stay present in my daily agenda and goals, I do the creative things that I feel passionate about and allow myself to explore more deeply the things I am curious about, and I allow myself time to breathe and get clear so that I can be ready for the next idea to wash over me.

As scary as it was to create and deliver my workshop presentation, I allowed myself to enjoy the time spent on the research. I enjoyed the collaboration process with my colleague. The feedback from the participants was so much more than I could have ever imagined. The content was something I really resonated with and, therefore, it allowed for my own richness and passion to come through. Participants used words like empowering, uplifting, over-flowing. Passion and curiosity created content, content created interest, interest created exploration, exploration created creativity for out of the box research and open-mindedness.

Best- selling author, Michael Neill says,

"If we treat whatever stands in our way as an obstacle, we can bring the full creative resources of our mind to bear on the situation and find ways to get over, around, or through it."

Being scared was my obstacle and I am so glad to have found a way to get over it and through it. I am armed for next time.

What are some ideas we can all practice toward becoming more creative? To free our minds; to spring clean what we know and allow for the unknown to propel us toward new discoveries?

10 Stepping Stones to Becoming more Creative:

1- Meditation breathing: This allows for you to begin the positive open-minded flow of ideas

2- Visualize: What do you want? Get clear, see your ideas.

3- Stay present: Don't spring ahead or fall behind with your ideas.

4- Don't forget your funny bone: According to Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher of the successful book, "The Levity Effect", incorporate fun and humor into your agenda and project. Bring fun snacks, spin around in your chairs while brainstorming, tell a joke, keep fun toys nearby like silly putty, paper airplanes, etc., play great music. Lightening up, approaching from a fun point of view allows for out of the box thinking and powerful creativity.

5- Journal your journey: This will allow you to keep moving your thoughts and creativity forward and to not forget what you want to achieve without the pressure of cluttering your agenda or goals.

6- Get physical: Use warm up exercises to get you ready for the days' tasks even if it's physical tasks. This gets your mind, your heart and muscles determined and ready. It lets your happy cells and happy chemicals (endorphins) flow through you to feel energized toward your accomplishments.

7- Recruit: If your task is too big for just one person, ask for help. "The more the merrier" cliché applies here.

8- Time Out: Music breaks, food breaks, journaling breaks, walking breaks. BUT... don't sit too long or your momentum could suffer.

9- Step back, take notice: Allow for perspective and evaluation. Allow yourself to feel grateful for every tiny step you take toward your goal. Allow gratitude for your interpretation, your voice, your spirit.

10- Celebrate: Acknowledge your success by celebrating your every accomplishment. Creativity is a celebration, a great and wonderful, out loud reflection of YOU. Be proud and celebrate.

Inspiration To Get You Started

I recently came across a story that I think gets to the heart of creativity:

An Old Sioux Legend

In ancient times, the Creator wanted to hide something from the humans until they were ready to see it. He gathered all the other creatures of creation to ask for their advice.

The eagle said, "Give it to me and I will take it to the highest mountain in all the land," but the Creator said, "No, one day they will conquer the mountains and find it."

The salmon said, "Leave it with me and I will hide it at the very bottom of the ocean," but the Creator said, "No, for humans are explorers at heart, and one day they will go there, too."

The Buffalo said, "I will take it and bury it in the very heart of the Great Plains," but the Creator said, "No, for one day even the skin of the earth will be ripped open, and they will find it there."

The creatures of creation were stumped, but then an old blind mole spoke up. "Why don't you put it inside them-that's the last place they'll look."

The Creator said, "It is done."

In the very popular book "The Artist's Way", author and teacher Julia Cameron lists 10 basic principles of creativity. The one that resonates with me the most, the one that inspires me is her #4 principle: "We are, ourselves, creations. And we, in turn, are meant to create."

The Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet, Thich Nhat Hanh says, "Every thought you produce (create), anything you say (write, sing, etc... ), any action you do, it bears your signature (creativity)."

Deepak Chopra writes, "The most creative act you will ever undertake is the act of creating yourself."

To all of these great and wonderful inspirational thoughts and words I say, never stop creating who you are and who you want to be. No one suffers for your intuition, your courage, or your curiosity.

Spring is a great time for renewal, regeneration, release. Clean out what is holding you back and get your creativity on.

Call to Action

What did you take away from the Old Sioux Legend?

How can you use this legend to spark your creativity?

What would you like to explore this year, this spring, that you have been holding yourself back from exploring?

I challenge you to spring clean your mind and explore the endless possibilities of what you see and what you allow yourself to find. All it takes is one thought, one idea, one spark and your big deep breath to say "I can do it."

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Metaphors Gone Wild: Cousins and Creativity

The desire to explore, the ability to see what isn't here, and the willingness to move outside your comfort zone--these traits are kissing cousins. The same blood runs throughout their metaphoric veins. If you want to increase your CQ (creativity quotient), the first thing you must do is remind yourself that we are all capable of creativity. Those who walk around proclaiming "I'm just not creative" are dooming themselves to a life devoid of discovery. We can all express ourselves in a creative fashion. And, we can all develop our ability to do so.

WILLING TO EXPLORE?

Assess yourself: how willing are you to step outside your comfort zone--physically, emotionally, mentally? If you are restricting yourself to the same ol', same ol' that defines your life currently, you are probably not going to come up with any brilliant insights that will improve your life and/or the life of others.

Here's one way to deepen your curiosity: Ask questions. Not any old questions, but those targeted to creativity-improvement. (Keep in mind what the Father of Modern Management Science, Peter Drucker, has to say about leaders: "Leaders know how to ask questions--the right questions.") One good thought-provocative question is the "What if... ?" question.

Be playful at first, to get you (and others, as appropriate) into the explorative mode. "What if elephants could fly?" for example. You'll think of thing such as "We'd need to start manufacturing really big diapers."

Next, segue to more relevant questions: "What if we invited customers to a board meeting?" Or, "What if I decided to go to law school after all, despite being middle-aged?"Examine all the answers and then modify them to make them applicable to your own circumstances.

HAVE A VISION?

Getting things done implies a shift from the "good enough" to the "improved." In fact, having a vision is one of the two most highly valued competencies defined by our government. But if vision is the art of seeing the invisible, as Jonathan Swift asserts, then visionary individuals accomplish no small feat as they imagine and then invent the future. Creativity is closely ability with such imagination, a quality Einstein himself says is more important than knowledge.

As you work toward reification of your vision, keep in mind the Japanese proverb that asserts vision without action is a daydream. And, action without vision is a nightmare. Ideally-as a result of your hard work-you will neither daydream nor have nightmares. Rather, you will put your vision of an improved life or an improved workplace into action by taking action.

ABLE TO MOVE OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE?

Cockroaches do it and have been doing it for centuries. If, for example, a given roach discovers a new location that provides nourishment, he will leave a chemical trail the others will follow. All too often we as humans prefer to remain in our known comfort zones, rather than blaze new trails. Change is difficult for us humans. Need proof? Just Google "books about change," and you will find nearly a half- billion entries.

Many believe that cockroaches will inherit the earth if humans should disappear because of a natural or man-made disaster. The insects change as circumstances warrant. Cockroaches exhibit remarkably cooperative behaviors and are willing to reorganize themselves to fit their circumstances. For example, when researchers placed roaches in spaces with limited capacities, they divided themselves equally among those spaces, rather than trying to squeeze all of the group in just one space. They seemed to willingly give up their territory when the physical conditions change.

CREATE A NEW REALITY

Explore, imagine, change--in ways both large and small, you can create an improved future. You owe it to yourself.

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Thoughts About How to Improve Creativity and the Creative Thinking Process

Now, the question in your mind will be, how to develop creative thinking skills. It is obviously not a cake walk since you are not accustomed to thinking out of the box however developing these skills is quite an entertaining procedure. You can let go of your sanity in thoughts, unleash your mind and let your thoughts flow.

Your thoughts might not sound very practical; however the Neanderthal man would never find a telephone or an airplane practical, would he? All the great inventions and all the great scientists arise from creative thinking. People, who might laugh at your thoughts today, will want to be the ones who thought of it first, tomorrow.

Let's use a technique conceptualized by Albert Einstein, one of the most creative and most accomplished thinker and inventor, known as "thought experiments". This technique of thought experiments helped him to vitalize his brain and thoughts, so that he could shut down the common and practical thoughts and be creative.

A thought experiment is nothing but letting your thoughts and brain fly and travel, something you never do. It will help you explore and experiment with your thinking skills. It will unleash your mind and help you reach thoughts and places you would have never thought about.

Thought experiments are simple, mind-based and without physically moving anywhere, they help you to travel around with your thoughts.

The first step here would be visualization, a substantial and significant aspect of creative thinking; that is trying to actually form an image or vision in your head of all your thoughts and ideas.

Apart from visualization, thought experiments include various aspects which have been enlisted below.

• Come up with intense compelling questions. These deep thoughts and queries can be rhetorical or ones with obvious answers or even deep thought-provoking questions which could never have a perfect solution.

• Think about great geniuses. Think that you are having a deep conversation with a legendary person like Albert Einstein and think of everything you would want to ask him and all his probable answers.

• Think of a parallel world, a parallel life or living in a different century. Try to think and picture what this would be like, how would the world around you look, how would the people be.

• Try about a high superior power, like God. Imagine yourself to be with God and think about what you would ask him.

• Experiment with astral projection. Read up on this and try to push yourself into astral plain.

What you could also do is think about a lot of "what if" situations and make your mind think of unreal probabilities and options in various different kinds of ways. Push your mind to its creative limit. Think of all your probabilities and 'what if' situations and conceptualize deep intense thoughts and ideas around them.

Although creative thinking is no cake walk, there are various methods by which you can inculcate this skill. Listed below are a few additional pointers to trigger creative thinking:

• Deep breathing and relaxation techniques: Deep breathing does not only de-stress you but it also calms and relaxes your mind and helps you to let go of all your thoughts. With a clear mind, you can allow your mind to wander and think deep and intense thoughts.

• Visualization. Try the technique of visualizing everything. Whatever you read, hear; try to visualize it.

• Try and research on things that get your attention: By trying to get information on things that interest you, it will be a thought-provoking process. With creative thinking, you can think of how to improvise on already existing things.

• Get some company. It would be advisable to get a friend who will brainstorm with you, and you can both work together and develop your creative thinking skills. With another person's thought and perceptions, it can be motivating for you.

• Try and impersonate someone else. Free yourself from your personality and perceptions; try and impersonate another individual in your head and think like that person would.

• Challenge your brain often. Do not let your brain rust, give it constant exercise with puzzles, crosswords etc. Constantly out your brain to use and conceptualize new ideas often.

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How to Invigorate Your Creativity

Creativity is a potent power that drives innovations and must, therefore, be improved through inculcation of critical thinking, adequate rest and change of location among other strategies. While creativity is perceived to be innate in some people, it is possible to cultivate and boost your creativity. The power of creativity is evident in the multifarious innovations that you see in the world today. Without creativity, life would be one long mundane journey that we would be enduring rather than enjoying. Consequently, it is important to know how to boost your creativity because, in that state, you are most productive.

One easy way of boosting your creativity is by cultivating critical thinking skills. Often, when faced with a problem, we rush to offer solutions, which at best, are only temporary measures to overcome symptoms. It is crucial for you to practice identifying the cause of a problem before proffering solutions. Through critical thinking, you will identify the possible solutions to a problem, prioritize them, choose the best, implement it and then solve the problem. In thinking critically, you will also have to adopt a positive disposition. Visualize the solutions even as you analyze the problem.

Another way to boost your creativity is to daydream. This strategy may sound ridiculous but it is a proven creativity booster. It is crucial that you allow your mind to wonder about some things. Allow yourself to create castles in the sky. Give your mind free reign and let it think of the unthinkable. Some crazy ideas may end up being the solutions to a problem you are having.

To boost your creativity, you also need to take adequate rest. The mind is not inexhaustible. It gets tired, frustrated and unable to reason clearly. Do not over-exert it. When your mind signals that it has had enough, take a break and let the mind rest. Always remember that the mind is the centre of creativity. Get adequate sleep. Sleep soundly. Ensure the room you sleep in is quiet and dark enough at the time you retire to bed. This way the mind will be invigorated to think clearly and creatively the following day.

Another way to boost your creativity is to change your physical location or environment. Take a walk in the woods or other natural environment. Distance yourself from the environment you are used to. Nature is a great source of idea for creative writers and scientists. Do not spend all your time watching television or on the internet. Go outdoors and look for fresh ideas.

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