8 GOOD TIPS on how to stimulate your creativity

8 GOOD TIPS on how to stimulate your creativity

NordenBladet – “I have no idea, I don’t know what to do.” — “I am not a creative person.” — “I cannot find a solution to this situation.” Does all that sound familiar? Absolutely. But the good news is that, in fact, we are all creative. Creativity is a set of qualities and skills that allow you to create original solutions, find previously unnoticed connections and discover something completely new.

Have you ever wished you could draw, paint, write poetry and books, create music? When someone instills in themselves that they are not creative, it becomes a limiting belief and turns into a reality. Creativity exists in all of us, but we need to work hard to stimulate it. Make developing creativity a habit!

Here are some useful and good tips on how to encourage and develop the creativity of yourself, your partner or your children:

1. Make a plan
Setting up the exact problem is half the battle. Creative techniques can be broadly divided into four categories: “icebreakers” to stimulate creative thinking; problem definition, idea generation and idea evaluation techniques. The first category includes short exercises or games that help you tune in to the creative wave — yes, the brain also needs to be get ready for training. For example, you can ask to finish a drawing that is in progress, play with words, or solve a puzzle. These are often fun short exercises that help to create a friendly and open atmosphere, and you will definitely smile when implementing “icebreakers”. It has long been known that positive emotions stimulate creativity.

Problem-finding techniques have unfoundedly been less widely used. People often start generating ideas too hastily. Instead, you need to first make sure that the problem you are looking for has been correctly identified. An unambiguously and precisely defined problem is the basis for the application of creativity. For example, problem-solving techniques include back-and-forth planning, which analyzes how the solution to a particular problem helps to solve each subsequent higher-level problem, asking the “why” question until the root cause is identified, and an idea of the situation where the problem is left unresolved. There are other techniques.

However, most of the creative techniques are aimed at generating ideas, because it is the abundance of ideas that you want to achieve. The application of idea generation techniques involves divergent thinking, where the goal is to achieve a large number of ideas. It is important to refrain from evaluating ideas during their generation: it is like driving a car with the handbrake on — it drives, but with difficulty. Therefore, the generation and evaluation of ideas must be kept separate.

2. Learn creativity
If you want to be more creative, you should learn creativity in the same way as all other things. Read biographies of creative and innovative people, such as Elon Musk (CEO of Tesla) or Richard Branson (founder of the Virgin Group). In addition, you may want to read books on creative thinking and various techniques on how to improve it. A good book is, for example, “Big Magic” written by Elizabeth Gilbert. She has also written many other books, the most famous being “Eat, Pray, Love”. Watching TED or TEDX videos will definitely have a positive impact. These are available at www.ted.com. There you will find thousands of good presentations made by world-renowned experts in their field. Many of them focus on creativity and innovation.

3. Surround yourself with creative people
When you are with people who think creatively, you become more creative yourself.

4. Play
Creativity is unleashed only when you have fun! Experimenting, trying new things and carefree playfulness help your imagination to run freely. Do something that will make you happy: jump on a trampoline, swing, play board games, watch a comedy, sing karaoke or play with colours for fun. You will soon feel your inner child wake up and will notice you are more creative.

5. Take time for yourself
If you are constantly in action, but do everything to others and forget about yourself, it is impossible to be creative. Start by dedicating at least 30 minutes every day only to yourself by being alone and doing the things you really enjoy. For example, try drawing what you see in your window, or read a good book, or just play with your cat. It sends a signal to your brain that you are worth enjoying the great things life has to offer, your self-confidence grows, and it also gives you the courage to express your creativity.

6. Move
Be active! Walk around the house or garden, backwards, go for a swim, visit a new exhibition or sit in your favorite café in a different place than usually. Moving in a new way and making small changes to your daily routine encourages your brain to create new connections, helps you see things from a different angle, and makes you feel safer about change. As you move, your body begins to produce endorphins that make you happier — don’t hold yourself back, let life move with you! Movement brings change and it means that you are close to fulfilling your dreams.

7. Communicate
Spend time with people who support your creativity. At a time when you are encouraging your inner child to come out and be playful, you need playmates, not those who are holding you back. Spend time with those you feel comfortable with, not with those who are closed and skeptical. Choose those who say, “You look great in your cool brightly coloured shirt!”, and not those who ask, “Why are you wearing this weird blouse?” It’s okay if you don’t have supportive friends at first, because the most important thing is that you know what you want and feel that you are on the right track. Start alone and you will see that soon you will meet nice people with the same interests — similarities attract! Creativity needs a safe and positive feeling. This means that you have to acknowledge and praise yourself when something comes out well.

8. Set a specific goal for yourself
Your brain likes clear signals. Therefore, think what is fun for you, what clothes you look great in, what would be your dream home and the perfect job. Cut out pictures, take photos and write what you like. Arrange these pictures as a dream collage for yourself and hang it where you can see it as often as possible. If you are confident in your desires, your creativity finds the opportunities and energy needed to manifest them in your life. Visualization is a very powerful way to create, so be as specific as possible about what you want.

Featured image: Pexels
Source: NordenBladet.ee


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