What obstacle is keeping you from boosting your creativity?
The creative thinking process of an individual can be measured in various ways. The creativity of a person is often expressed through creativity in one or more art forms, creativity involves the act of inventing new methods or problem solving and fostering creativity as originality.
First let’s define creativity. Creativity relies on mental processes such as thinking “outside the box,” divergent thinking, and cognitive flexibility to generate new ideas or make new connections among a disparate concept. Creativity has also been defined simply as “a good idea” that has not yet been explored fully. Learn more about the difference of divergent thinking and convergent thinking here.
Some people believe creativity can be taught and learned, while others believe creativity cannot be enhanced or must simply be accepted as a “gift of nature.”
Creativity isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone, it needs to be nurtured to grow over time. Your imagination also plays a large role in both creativity and increasing your creative skill. For me creativity allows me to express my thoughts, feelings and even helps relieve stress. I use creativity to manage my depression and anxiety. When I pick up a paint brush and just lose myself in a new painting, I feel happier and more relaxed.
Fortunately, creativity is something that can be improved through conscious effort. Increased creativity helps people find new and innovative solutions to difficult problem solving and think of new ways to approach tasks and challenges. It can also cause an individual to stop thinking in set ways and perceive the world with fresh eyes to increase your imagination and creative thinking.
Increasing your creativity can bring you a whole new world of options and brighten your life in many ways. In this post, I will discuss sixteen different actions that you can take to help boost your creativity.
Are you struggling with being creative?
It can be difficult to find new and creative ways to solve problems, make decisions or approach a task when you get stuck in a rut. This is especially true if you’re struggling with being creative. However, creativity can be nurtured to grow over time.
Why do we struggle with creativity?
Creativity is the ability to come up with new and innovative ideas or solutions, and it’s a skill that can be nurtured and improved over time. creativity doesn’t come naturally to everyone – it needs to be nurtured to grow. Imagination also plays a large role in creativity. For some people, creativity allows them to express their thoughts, feelings, and even relieve stress. Creativity can also bring an individual a whole new world of options. However, creativity is something that we sometimes struggle with because it’s not easy to come up with new and innovative ideas.
Try these 16 Actions to boost your creativity
Follow these 16 actions to develop creativity, innovation, and increase your creative ability and gain creative skills in your life today!
Action 1: Remember the reasons why you want to be creative
When it comes to creativity, it’s important to remember why you want to be creative in the first place. What are your motivations for wanting to be more creative? Make a list of why you want to be creative. Write down your top ten reasons and how being more creative will benefit your life.
Some reasons for wanting to be creative can include wanting to be more productive and efficient, having a desire to express yourself artistically, or feeling like you need to be more creative in order to solve a problem or come up with an original idea.
One of the biggest reasons for me to be creative is to help myself cope with depression and anxiety. As a child, I would grab my coloring book, crayons and markers, find a quiet place be by all by myself and just focus on coloring. I grew up in a house where there seemed to always be tension in the air. I had never realized how much this really helped me cope as a child. As we get older and our lives are filled with other priorities, we forget to take care of ourselves and our own mental state.
Whatever your reasons may be, make sure you keep them in mind as you work on increasing your creativity. This will help give you the motivation to stick with it when things get tough.
Action 2: Make the decision to be more creative
When it comes to creativity, it’s important to remember why you want to be creative in the first place. What are your motivations for wanting to be more creative?
Some reasons for wanting to be creative can include wanting to be more productive and efficient, having a desire to express yourself artistically, or feeling like you need to be more creative in order to solve a problem or come up with an original idea.
Make the decision to be more creative and put it on your schedule. Even if it is only once a week! I found that watching a Skillshare class or a creative YouTube video gets my creative juices flowing. I like watching them on my iPad at night just before I go to bed. If you have young children, this could also be a great time for you.
Whatever your reasons may be, make sure you keep them in mind as you work on increasing your creativity. This will help give you the motivation to stick with it when things get tough.
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Action 3: Brainstorm new ideas
Brainstorming is a great way to come up with ideas. When you brainstorm, you simply gather a bunch of ideas – no matter how crazy they may seem – and then work on narrowing them down later.
To brainstorm, you can either do it on your own or with a group. If you’re brainstorming on your own, you can sit down at a desk or in a quiet place and start writing down ideas. If you’re brainstorming with a group, everyone can gather in a circle and take turns sharing their ideas.
When brainstorming, it’s important to be open-minded and not judge any of the ideas. Just let them flow freely and write them all down. You can always narrow the ideas down later.
To brainstorm for new ideas, I like to use Pinterest, Etsy, YouTube and Behance. When I find inspiration on Pinterest, I like to add them to a private board so I can come back to them when I need to. I follow a ton of creative YouTubers and watching their studio vlogs have helped me come up with new creative ideas and products that I can make. Etsy and Behance are also great visual tools to help you come up with new ideas. I use Etsy for products ideas and Behance for design ideas.
Although brainstorming is a great way to come up with ideas, it can be difficult if you’re used to only coming up with one or two solutions for every problem. To help expand your creativity, try coming up with at least three possible solutions for problems in your everyday life.
Action 4: Think outside the box and trust the creative process
Creativity is not just about coming up with ideas, it’s also about seeing the world in a different way. when you’re able to think outside the box, you can come up with unique solutions to problems that you may not have thought of before.
If you’re having trouble being creative, try shaking things up a bit and doing something different. Step out of your comfort zone and allow yourself to be inspired by the world around you. Trust that the creative process will help you find new and innovative solutions for challenges.
Here are a few tips for thinking outside the box:
- Take risks – Don’t be afraid to risk being wrong. This will help you learn from your mistakes and have a positive impact on creativity.
- Think differently than everyone else – Do not be afraid to think outside the box.
- Be creative – The best creativity comes from being both open-minded and relaxed.
- Experiment – Creative people experiment with their creativity. This helps them come up with new ideas and original solutions for problems.
- Ask for help – Collaborating with other people can help you think outside of the box. This is especially true when multiple points of view are involved.
Action 5: Explore your artistic side to gain creative insight
There are a lot of different ways to explore your artistic side. You can take art classes at a local studio or community center, or you can try painting, drawing or sculpting at home. If you’re not interested in traditional art forms, there are a lot of other ways to express yourself artistically. You can try singing, dancing, writing or playing an instrument.
The most important thing is to find something that you enjoy and that allows you to express yourself creatively. When you do something that you love, it’s honestly not work at all.
Action 6: Set creativity goals
To help maximize your creativity, you should set creativity goals and try to achieve them over time. For example, if you want to learn how to paint, you can set a creativity goal of joining an art class or buying some painting supplies at the local home improvement store. Once that creativity goal is achieved, you can set a new creativity goal.
You should keep creativity goals simple and achievable in order to make sure you stay motivated along the way. There are a number of online ways to increase creativity through imagination. You can use creativity exercises, creativity tools or creativity apps. These tools can help you come up with new ideas and solutions for challenges.
To help boost your creativity, try working on creativity exercises every day. There are all kind of creativity exercises out there that can help stretch your mind and allow you to come up with new, innovative ideas.
One way to do this is by challenging yourself to come up with 10 new ideas for anything. It could be for a product, project or anything else you can think of. When you start to get into the habit of coming up with lots of creative ideas, you’ll find that your creativity begins to flourish.
For creativity exercises to work the best, you need to make sure that you give yourself enough time to complete them during your day. You can either try doing creativity exercises throughout the day or at specific times every day.
Here are some creativity exercises for you try:
- Draw something on a plain sheet of paper
- Think about the first word that comes to mind for every letter in the alphabet
- Go out and take pictures of five things that interest you
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Here are two creativity tests for you to try:
- AULIVE – Test My Creativity
- Mind Tools – How Creative Are You?
Action 7: Change up your environment
It can be difficult to be creative when your environment is not conducive to creativity. If you’re stuck in a creativity rut, try changing your environment to help jumpstart your creativity.
You can try working in a different location, or you can try working with different materials. If you’re used to working in a quiet and sterile environment, try working in a coffee shop or a park. Instead of working on a computer, try working with pencil and paper instead. If you’re used to painting, try sculpting instead.
The most important thing is to experiment and find new ways to approach your work. When you’re able to step out of your comfort zone, you’ll be surprised at the creative ideas that you’ll come up with. Also, when you’re constantly changing your environment, it helps to open up your mind and allow for new ideas and solutions to come through.
Action 8: Study your subject to enhance your creative skill
In order to enhance your creativity, you should also study your subject. When you’re familiar with the ins and outs of your subject, it becomes easier to think of new and innovative ways to approach it.
Not only will you be able to come up with ideas, but you’ll also be able to execute them in a more creative way.
When studying your subject, it’s important to ask yourself questions and come up with different ways to answer them. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and come up with unique solutions to problems.
The more you know about your subject, the more creativity you’ll be able to bring to it.
Action 9: Take small steps and notice the details to enhance your skills
Small steps are important when it comes to creativity because they allow you to slowly but surely make progress. When you’re trying to learn a new skill or come up with new ideas, it’s important to take things one step at a time.
In order to make creativity a habit, you need to be patient and not expect too much from yourself right away. It’s also important to be mindful of the details, as they can help you come up with innovative solutions to problems.
When you’re taking small steps, it’s important to be patient and not give up on yourself. Trust the process and know that creativity takes time.
Remember that practice makes perfect, so the more you practice, the better you’ll become. When creativity becomes a habit, you’ll find that it’s easier to come up with new ideas and solutions for problems.
Action 10: Avoid judging yourself and your ideas
When it comes to creativity, it’s important to not judge yourself and your ideas. When you’re constantly judging yourself, it becomes difficult to be creative.
It’s also important to be open to new ideas, even if you don’t initially like them. When you’re able to accept new ideas, you’ll be able to come up with more innovative solutions.
It’s also important to be patient with yourself and trust the process. Creativity takes time, so don’t expect too much from yourself right away.
Action 11: Keep a journal or sketchbook
A sketchbook or journal can be a great way to help boost your creativity. When you’re able to document your thoughts and ideas, it becomes easier to come up with new ones.
Not only will you be able to track your progress, but you’ll also be able to look back on your old sketches and ideas to get inspired.
When it comes to creativity, it’s important to experiment and try new things. A sketchbook or journal can be a great way to document your experiments and track your progress.
It’s also important to be patient and not give up on yourself. Trust the process and know that creativity takes time.
Action 12: Listening to music can enhance your creative thinking
When it comes to creativity, it’s important to be open to new ideas. Listening to music can help you open up your mind and come up with innovative solutions for problems.
Not only will you be able to come up with new ideas, but you’ll also be able to execute them in a more creative way.
When listening to music, it’s important to choose the right type of music that will help you be more creative.
There are a variety of different types of music that can help you boost your creativity, so it’s important to experiment and find the type of music that works best for you.
Action 13: Stay away from distractions
It’s important to be open to new and original ideas. In order to stay focused and boost your creative performance and creative productivity, it’s important to avoid distractions.
Distractions can come in many forms, such as social media, email and phone notifications.
When you’re trying to focus on a task or trying something new, put away your phone and just be creative. This will allow you to come up with a new idea and enhance your creative expression.
It’s also important to set some time aside for yourself where you can focus on your work without any distractions. Creative people tend to need their own space for innovative creative thinking!
When you’re able to focus on a task without any distractions, you’ll be able to achieve more and boost your creative output.
Action 14: Create a mind map to help explore everyday creativity and idea generation
Creating a mind map can be a great way to help explore creative ideas. When you’re able to map out your great ideas, it becomes easier to come up with new ones and even explore old ideas further. It can also help you visualize the relationships between various ideas and create new connections.
You will be to explore your creative processes, come up with innovative solutions and even measure creativity. Not only will you be able to track your creative thought progression, but you’ll also be able to look back on your old sketches and ideas to get inspired.
It’s important for creative individuals to experiment and try new creative thinking, develop creative ways to process an idea and the ability of problem solving a new concept. Other researchers have said that a mind map can be a great way to document inspiration, self-actualization, and to track your progress.
Here is the process on how to create a mind map
- Start by drawing a circle in the center of the paper and write “Creativity” in the center.
- Draw spokes out from the center and write down different ways to increase your creative process, such as “imagination”, “experimentation”, etc.
- Connect the different ideas with lines, and add more ideas as needed.
- Try to come up with as many different ideas as possible, and be sure to include things such as “be open to new ideas”, “practice makes perfect”, etc.
Action 15: Give yourself enough time for creativity on a project
Research shows that most people want to have the creative potential to be innovative, risk taking, and develop a unique concept when they’re working on a project. Unfortunately, they often don’t give themselves enough time to actually be a creative individual. In order to increase your creativity, you need to allow yourself the space and time to explore ideas, different options and come up with creative solutions to your creative problem. This may mean setting aside some time each day specifically for creativity or allocating more time overall for your project. If you’re feeling rushed or stressed, it will be difficult to come up with anything new or interesting and can obstruct your decision making. So be sure to take the time you need in order to allow your creativity to blossom.
It’s important to be patient and not give up on yourself when it comes to creativity. Trust the process and know that creativity takes time. When you’re working on a project, it’s important to give yourself enough time to increase creative thinking.
Action 16: Believe in yourself and your artistic ability
Believing in yourself and your artistic ability to come up with a new concept or your creative thinking in general is one of the most important things you can do as a creative person. It’s also one of the most difficult. It’s easy to get discouraged and feel like you’re not good enough, especially when you compare yourself to other creative artists. But if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be difficult to achieve anything.
The key element to start believing in yourself is by honoring your creative process and creative knowledge. Accept that being creative is a part of who you are and be proud of your ability to think differently in both creativity and to solve problems. You are a creative person, and you have something new and unique to offer the world. Once you start to believe in yourself, everything becomes possible. So, start today by acknowledging your creativity and taking steps to honor it.
Self-Reflection Questions
What personality traits do creative geniuses have?
Do you have some of these personality traits? Even one personality trait such as innovative thinking is a good start! Research shows that highly creative people are usually divergent thinkers. This means that they can come up with a lot of different ideas and are not afraid of change. They use their knowledge and skills to develop a process to solve a problem. They’re also usually open-minded and able to think out-of-the-box. In order to increase your creativity, it’s important to start thinking in a more divergent way.
How do I increase my divergent thinking?
There are many ways to increase your creativity and one of the best ways to do this is by increasing your divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the ability to come up with a lot of different ideas and is not afraid of change. It’s also open-minded and able to think out-of-the-box. In order to increase your creativity, it’s important to start thinking in a more divergent way. Maybe take a couple divergent thinking tests to gain more knowledge and focus on the skills required. Here is one offered by Jay Olson, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University.
Some ways to increase your divergent thinking include:
- Practice brainstorming
- Take on new challenges
- Set creativity goals
- Expose yourself to different experiences
- Study creativity
- Play creativity games
Final Takeaway
In order to help develop your creativity, generate inspiration from an idea or just gain more creative knowledge, try implementing these 16 small actions that can help boost your creativity and help you come up with innovative solutions for challenges. These are some of the most common actions creative geniuses take on a daily basis in order to increase their creativity, knowledge, skills and develop inspiration from an idea. It’s important not to give up if creativity takes time because creativity is something which comes from within. When you’re feeling stuck or feel like giving up, remember how valuable creativity is and what it can bring into your life as an individual who wants to make creative things every day!
Go out into the world and gain more creative knowledge, develop your creativity skills even further and generate that new idea! You have the ability, skills, creativity and personality trait to rock your creative journey!
