How can you be more creative?

June 10th, 2010

Creativity is like getting fit, often you need to nurture it to be more creative.

At a basic level, creativity is creating new links between existing ideas. The Wikipedia definition is excellent:

“Creativity is the ability to generate innovative ideas and manifest them from thought into reality. The process involves original thinking and then producing.”

So how can you be more creative? It’s all about creating new patterns, but here are some ideas:

  • Mix up your inputs: how & where do you absorb knowledge, new ideas, conversations?
  • Watch different tv shows
  • Meet the crazies (new people)
  • Wear different clothes
  • TRAVEL! Travel to places where people live completely different lifestyles
  • Read lots of books, and different kinds of books, include magazines, blogs in that mix
  • Listen to podcasts, radio, interviews, TED videos
  • Drive a different way to work, everyday, or walk a different path (or cycle, bus etc)
  • Express yourself! Start a blog, do some painting, take up an artful sport, photography. ย You don’t have to share it with the world just do it.
  • Learn a new language
  • Attend different conferences, meetups, network & meet people
  • Do the YES experiment, say yes to all social opportunities which pop up for a period of time
  • Learn new skills! Take an art class, join a kayak club
  • Question everything, you’d be surprised what you learn and how quick
  • Invest in alone time, reflection, time to be quiet and relax
  • Do tastings! Of food, art, culture
  • Get a journal, draw ideas down, write them, scribble, tear our pages, stick them on the wall. ย The mere act of pen to paper stimulates new thoughts & action, pushing through your existing ones.
  • Share ideas! Let them go and get new/better ideas.

Go, try one of them, get creative! If you think you’re boring, I bet you’re not, we’re all creative in our own ways – just give something a go.

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