Creative thinking is one of the important elements in solving problems and innovating. Even so, sometimes we have difficulty thinking creatively. Lack of creativity can be frustrating and can sometimes limit career advancement or personal life. But don't worry, with a little effort and a few helpful tactics, you can nurture your creativity and find new approaches to innovating and solving problems.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Feed Your Brain
Step 1. Read more
One way to become a creative person is to get to know the world more deeply in order to understand how things work. Also, if you know more, your point of view gets wider and you can connect previously unthinkable ideas. Reading is one of the best ways to broaden your basic knowledge and point of view.
- Enjoy diversity. Start reading about things. This way, when it's time to show your knowledge and creativity, you'll be able to apply your knowledge to any field and topic.
- Read imaginative material. Don't just focus on scientific papers or textbooks. Try spending time reading fantasy books, science fiction, or some genres that will help broaden your horizons.
- Start reading about things you didn't know before.
- Make reading a habit. Avoid forcing yourself to read one book a week or a month. Instead, find books or reading material that you can enjoy and place them everywhere. Use free time and rest time to explore this world of knowledge.
Step 2. Cooperate with other people, especially if you are able to work well together
Sometimes just talking to each other or brainstorming with other people will help develop ideas that have been stuck in your brain for a long time. In this opportunity, find people who understand the problem or issue you are trying to solve, they may have a different point of view that will enable you to solve it in a creative way.
Step 3. Talk to lots of people
Use any opportunity to broaden your perspective by approaching new and different people. There are many interesting and different people around us. Who knows, these people may influence your creative instincts. Take advantage of opportunities like:
- parties.
- Business meeting.
- Community events.
Step 4. Avoid activities that are not challenging or only reinforce what you already know
Many people simply increase their routine or spend a lot of time doing the same activities they always do. These activities are not really challenging for creative thinking and often don't help to develop. Think about minimizing the time you usually spend on:
- Watching television, especially television programs that you often watch.
- Play a game or sport that you are very good at. If you're so good at chess or checkers that you beat the computer or friends a lot, those games aren't helping you grow. Try switching to another game or sport.
- Hang out with people who bore you or engage in social activities that limit your creative passion.
Step 5. Go to places that spur creativity
Sometimes we need stimulation to spur creative desire. There are lots of fun and interesting ways to get stimulated. Consider:
- Art museum, art exhibition, or festival. You will see a lot of unusual things and maybe it will generate new thoughts.
- Attend a concert, symphony, or music festival.
- Watch a theater or opera performance; visit museums.
- Attend a public lecture, discussion, or presentation.
Step 6. Spend time outdoors
Just a walk on the beach or a walk in a nearby park; the power and beauty of nature can help to contemplate and see the outline of things. When the mind is positive, you can see paths you didn't think of before.
Part 2 of 3: Train Your Brain
Step 1. Accept your failure
Failure is a necessary part of being creative and as a learning experience. Accept it and promise yourself to learn from those failures and mistakes. In this way, each failure can be seen as an opportunity for improvement and change, not as an obstacle or a limit to achieving success.
Step 2. Draw a picture that can help describe your thoughts
Sometimes we get an idea but it goes away before it can even be recorded. Lots of random and unrelated thoughts. Try to draw all these thoughts on a piece of paper. Now that everything is written and visible, it's easier to understand and relate to.
- Make a list of randomly generated ideas.
- Choose interesting ideas, write them down on paper, and put them in several places. Group all the papers based on related ideas.
- Draw lines to connect ideas.
- Draw branch lines from important ideas and connect them to smaller ideas.
Step 3. Take some personal time so you can think
Pause to reflect or to think of something that will help broaden your perspective. Spending time alone can also enable you to review the problem at hand and come up with new solutions that you had never thought of before.
Step 4. Dedicate to having an open mind
Having an open mind will allow you to think about things you didn't think of before. You will also be able to use ideas or methods that you previously had doubts about.
- This includes accepting the fact that there are many ways to solve a problem or achieve a goal.
- Accept that there are many ways to see the world. You will then see that there are many ways to be creative and solve problems.
- Understand you don't know much and every activity is a lesson.
- Considers unwelcome or even “weird” ways of looking at things or solving problems. Unusual ideas or viewpoints will give you a creative spark.
Step 5. Work with your hands and/or head to create something new
Creating new things is the best exercise to train the creativity of the brain. Many things can be done to train the brain, such as:
- Draw. If you like drawing, do it. It doesn't matter if you're not an expert.
- Write. If you love to write, write. Writing (fiction or nonfiction) is a great way to hone and develop your creative mind and passion.
- Create. If you like creating something, be it abstract art or even basic carpentry, go for it. This will stimulate creativity and may even result in something super cool!
Step 6. Reconceptualize your problem
Try to get out of the safe zones and “boxes” that limit you. Think of the problem you are dealing with in a different way. Accept a different perspective and maybe try to see a problem as an opportunity. As an example:
- If your goal is to build a fence, think about the purpose of building a fence. Then focus on the expectations to be achieved by building a fence. If you want to keep your favorite plants from being disturbed by neighbors' pets, maybe you can consider other ways, such as spraying the plants with organic soap so they don't bother the animals.
- If you're trying to solve a car's fuel efficiency problem, you might think transportation is the problem. Instead of trying to build additional engines to make them more fuel efficient, you can reduce the size of the car or even identify alternative modes of transportation.
- Don't be afraid to redo everything if an investigation or something else fails. Start over and create a new concept.
Step 7. Distinguish between creativity and productivity
Remember, being productive and being creative are two different things. Consider when you need to be creative and when you need to achieve productivity, or both.
- A person can be very productive when not being creative at all.
- Creativity is needed to find new ways to solve problems and create or create unique things.
- Productivity is necessary to produce something, but it can often be done in a way that is neither creative nor efficient.
Part 3 of 3: Finding Creative Time and Space
Step 1. Take time to think
This can be done before or while working. Having “thinking time” can help, especially when it comes to finding creative solutions to protracted problems.
- Take a moment to think before starting work.
- Take a moment to think about what you are doing.
- Whenever you come across an unexpected challenge, take a moment to think about it. Maybe you'll consider a solution you didn't think of before.
Step 2. Work at the best time for you
Research has shown that a person's optimal time for cognitive capacity can be different. Find out when you can think clearly and try to work and think creatively at that time. Other studies have shown that some people are more creative when they are less productive in the usual sense. Experiment and try to find out when you feel most creative and inventive. This can be different for each person.
Step 3. Create a work environment that fosters creativity
Often an overly structured and orderly environment does not promote creativity. Try to create an environment that fosters your personal creativity.
- Post pictures or posters that show a creative push.
- Create a relaxing area at work, like putting a sofa in the office.
- Move while you work. Some people like to stand while working. Others like to walk slowly on the treadmill while they are reading, writing, or thinking.
Step 4. Take time to be creative, but don't try to “plan” creative time
Sometimes a new and innovative idea pops up while you're busy doing something else, you may have to take some time to think and let the idea out.
- Take half an hour before bed to think if this is working for you.
- Take a little time during your lunch break to think about your problems.
- Whenever you feel your creative brain flowing, stop what you're doing (if you can) and explore the idea.
Step 5. Avoid structured and routine time
While structured and regular time can help increase productivity, it can also smother creativity if it dominates too much. So set aside a structured and regular time when you need to be productive and allow yourself to be free at other times to cultivate your creativity.
Step 6. Enjoy every limit while being creative
Constraints, in terms of time and material availability, can spur creative solutions to a problem. When it comes to problem solving or the creative process, accept the fact that you are limited by time and/or materials. Think of other ways to achieve your goals that could save you time or capital.
Tips
- Don't be afraid to fail. A number of well-known creative people have also experienced repeated failures. Failing is part of the creative process and will provide insight as you move forward.
- Do not stop. Keep working. Creative solutions may be all around you.
- There's nothing wrong with creative thinking. There are only different ideas, all can be issued and then several ideas are selected based on the strength of the idea to be applied. Cultivating the brain and writing anything without fear of being wrong is a pleasure that must be nurtured so that "crazy" but possible ideas can arise so that they can be learned and perfected.
