Enhance your creativity to experience more of those moments where ideas just seem to randomly pop into your head and less of those moments of dread when it is time to brainstorm and your mind goes completely blank!
In children, playfulness, creativity and the ability to come up with original thoughts seems to be the natural state of being. However, sometimes in life it can seem hard to be that creative and unrestrained. However, there are ways to find that creativity again.
Creativity has been defined by psychologists as “the process of producing something that is both original and worthwhile”, and it is linked to personality through scientific studies. People who like novelty and are open to change tend to be able to come up with original ideas, and prefer innovative methods of doing things instead of following convention and well tried ways. They are also inclined to be more self-reliant, independent and have a higher tolerance for ambiguity than average. Creative personalities are not necessarily introverted or extroverted; studies show they are likely to have a mixture of both. People with those traits tend to thrive in creative professions such as musician, artist or designer. But there are also other professions suitable for the creative personality, such as scientist or architect.
Consider how your personality influences your creativity. PersonaBubble offers a free personality measure that can help. However, even though creativity has a base in personality, it is not fixed and is also heavily influenced by environmental factors. Just like a muscle or fitness, it needs exercise and training. There are practical methods to help become more creative, here are a few tips:
- Pay attention to your habits of thinking- Scientists talk about two different kinds of thinking, called convergent and divergent thinking. Convergent thinking aims to bring information together focusing on a single correct solution to a problem, whereas divergent thinking focuses on finding multiple solutions to a problem. Be aware of the ways you tend to look at things, and if you are likely to get stuck in convergent thinking, as you may miss out on the many possibilities that might be available.
- Monitor your environment- Context plays a large part in creativity. Many creative people through history seem to have been in a non-hierarchical environment without too many restrictions and with an encouraging atmosphere. To boost your creativity, make sure to surround yourself with inspiring, creative people and seek out environments where thinking out-of-the-box is welcomed and not frowned upon.
- Relax and be happy- When we are relaxed and in a positive mood creativity increase, whereas stress, anxiety and negative thoughts inhibits creativity. There are many ways to enhance your happiness; here is an inspirational website with a few tips.
- Find inspiration- Openness to change and embracing novelty are traits that make people curious and motivated to seek out new environments and experiences. Even if you do not have this strong urge by nature, you can actively decide to try new things, gain new perspectives and break old habits. For example, visit a museum, an art gallery or perhaps just take a stroll through a different side of town.
What are the constraints and obstacles to your creativity? Why not challenge yourself and sign up for a course in creative writing, photography or perhaps, for the brave, improvisational theatre? Get your inspiration going!
