People often have the misconception that only a select few are capable of a steady flow of creative genius. This is not true at all. In fact, creativity is more like a muscle that needs to be exercised consistently to produce great results. If you don’t practice creative thinking, the skill will weaken over time.
So how do you unleash your creative thinking?
Become a human leech. I’m not talking about sucking the blood out of every living thing available, but that you should take in as much knowledge as you can find. Read everything available — good and bad, and keep an open mind. The more you know, the more you’ll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add even the slightest bit of color into your life.
Focus on a creative activity everyday. Don’t let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just beginning to practice creative thinking, it is encouraging to have concrete evidence that what your doing is actually producing results. So, why don’t you try it? Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Break out your camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Before you know it, you’ll have a tiny portfolio. The growth you’ve undertaken after amassing all those works of art will amaze you. Who knows, you may even take a liking to those things you’re now doing everyday. Pretty soon they will become a part of you and you’ll become addicted to these creative exercises.
Think outside the box — or don’t. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Creative freedom is great, but limitations force you to work within your means, enabling you to be more resourceful.
Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new part of your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in the library browsing books on a new subject. Chat with a stranger. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows, along with your zest for life. Think about it. When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it’s been awhile, I believe you’ve been missing out on a multitude of experiences that could’ve added to your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual growth.
I hope I have inspired you to start thinking beyond your limits. If you follow these suggestions, you’ll soon be living a life full of interesting adventures.
great post! I particularly like your last point about broadening perspective – too many people put creativity in a box separate from Real Life, but really anything you do to make your life fun and interesting is going to affect (and improve) your creative ability. the worst thing to do is sit around and “wait for inspiration to strike.”