Imagination is one of the most useful tools that humans have. The most innovative and successful people tend to have creative minds, and imagination is certainly one of the factors that influence the way they think.
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Part 1 of 2: Building the Imagination
Step 1. Daydream
Daydreaming is a process that helps make connections and remember information without distraction. Compared to activities that do not benefit anything, daydreaming actually helps develop brain abilities. In fact, sometimes a brilliant idea just pops up when you're daydreaming and imagining something.
- Avoid distractions like computers or video games, the internet, movies, and the like. Your brain can't focus on your daydream if you're distracted by other things you see or hear.
- The best time to daydream is in the morning when you just wake up, or right before you go to sleep. Traveling without distractions like cell phones or music is also a great way to start daydreaming.
Step 2. Find new experiences
Being open and open to new experiences can develop an openness to emotions as well as fantasy, and stimulate curiosity. Gaining new experiences also provides a greater opportunity to daydream and imagine something broader and unique.
You don't have to travel the world looking for new experiences. Just pay attention to the area and the people around you. Take a course or workshop you've never attended. Or most simply, go to places and areas you've never been to in your city
Step 3. Observe others
Come to a cafe, or sit in any public place. Then for some time, observe the people who pass by you. Try to make up stories about them in your head, cultivate curiosity about them, and develop your imagination from there while developing your empathy for others. Some of the best and most creative ideas you come up with may just come up when you do this.
Step 4. Create the artwork
The art form is free as long as it allows you to express yourself. Don't limit yourself to anything while you're making it. If you're painting for example, and want to paint the sun green, go for it. Use your imagination to take you out of the ordinary.
You can create works of any kind, from writing poetry, performing a poem, building miniatures, and so on. Remember, you don't have to be a master at making art. What you want is to develop your imagination, not create world-class masterpieces
Step 5. Avoid excessive media information
Although the content available on the internet, TV, movies, and more is great fun, consuming too much and receiving media content can reduce your creativity and imagination.
- If you consume too much media content, you will eventually become a user or consumer, not a creator, because you only accept what other people create and show you.
- In essence, limit your media consumption. Don't turn on the TV or computer right away when you're bored. Take your time to be quiet and let your imagination run its course.
Part 2 of 2: Using Imagination
Step 1. Find creative solutions
Once you get used to using your imagination, you can just use it to come up with creative solutions to the problems you face. This means you have to think of an unthinkable solution.
- One of the problems that most people face is "functional constancy" or how their brain can only think of one function of an object or objects. In one experiment, for example, a sample of people was asked to make a rope hanging from the ceiling touch both sides of a wall, and the only tools available were pliers. Most people can't find a solution, which is to tie the pliers to a rope and make a ballast and then swing it.
- Practice giving different functions to objects in your home. When you are facing a difficult obstacle, let your imagination try to use the objects around you in different ways and functions. Remember, just because an object is made for a specific function, it doesn't mean it doesn't have another function.
Step 2. Get rid of the fear of failure
Sometimes it's hard to get your imagination out of the way, especially if you're not very good at imagining, or aren't used to using your imagination. There are some tricks you can use to make your imagination more 'flow' so you can think creatively.
- Ask yourself what kind of approach you should take to a problem if the problem is sure to be solved. Try taking a slightly riskier solution because in the end the problem will be solved.
- Ask yourself what you would do first if you had a lot of resources to tackle a problem.
- Ask yourself who you would turn to for help with a problem if you asked anyone for help.
- Answering the questions above will free your mind from the possibility of failure, and you will be open to using the many possible solutions that have come up from your imagination. Not every solution you come up with is doable, but you will be able to increase your imagination and be surprised at the solutions that pop into your head.
Step 3. Visualize
Using your imagination to visualize anything will really help your life. You can use this for things like imagining yourself getting the promotion you want before asking for it, imagining what will happen if you win the next marathon, and so on.
