Some people think you are either a creative person or you are not. Some people may be more inclined to think creatively than others; creativity is often compared to a muscle that can be strengthened with practice. Here are some ways to improve your creative thinking.
Creativity isn’t like a lightning bolt that strikes rarely or unpredictably. Maybe you have a job that needs a lot of creative thinking—or maybe you would like to sharpen your creative skills for future job opportunities and business ventures. If you can’t get your creative ideas flowing, you may feel stuck.
Ways to Improve Your Creative Thinking
1. Consume Content That Is Outside Your Comfort Zone
We all love to read about things in our industry and of our interest, but usually, this doesn’t boost creativity. In some cases, it may provide motivation or inspiration.
If you are trying to stimulate your creative thinking, consume the content you wouldn’t normally consume. Read blogs and articles outside of your industry or interest. Read books outside of your favorite genre of choice. Try to learn more, regardless of the topic. It is hard to say which element will help to unleash your creativity.
2. Make Your Own “Three Ifs”
Many good creative thinkers take an existing object or situation and ask thoughtful questions to modify the very concept of it and make something new. Steve Jobs is often cited as someone who improved existing ideas rather than starting entirely from scratch. He thought about an existing cell phone and asked a simple question: how can we develop it to make it better—or even the best?
Let’s be clear: there are no complete recipes for creative thinking, and each person should grow their own approach based on subject, interest, type of thinking, or even the type of team they are a part of. You can try to build creative thinking around “three ifs”:
- What can happen if I modify it (the object/system/social relationship/value, etc.)?
- What would I alter or improve about this thing if I wanted to use it in 5 years?
- What would I do if I came across a million-dollar investment to develop it?
3. Write a Short Article with No Fixed Topic
This is a fun exercise and one of the best ways to improve your creative thinking. You can open a blank document and start typing or take a diary and start writing. No headline, no topic, no rewriting, and most significantly, no self-critiquing.
Just let your fingers start typing, or move the pen, and let your brain decide what words come next. Usually, you will end up with something unusual or unexpected you will never share, but you will feel a boost of creative energy afterwards.
4. Watch a Movie in a Movie Theater
Yes, you might have a Netflix subscription and stream movies at home on a large screen, but movies on a big screen remain one of the few places you can have a fully immersive sensory experience.
The enormous bright screen, state-of-the-art surround sound, familiar cinema snacks, and comfortable seating create an immersive experience. After you leave a movie theater, your mind may continue to spin with thoughts and ideas.
5. Try to Imagine Alternate Endings
You read a book or watched a movie but didn’t like the ending. Sounds familiar? It happens to all of us. Based on the characters and story of that book or movie, try to imagine an alternate ending. Make your mind a movie theater in which you will watch the ending that suits you best.
For example, Marvel’s animated series What If…? presents alternate scenarios to familiar storylines. For instance, what if Peggy Carter received the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers?
Alternatively, what if Yondu kidnaps T’Challa instead of Peter Quill, or in a universe where Thanos is not the real villain but rather the Gamemaker? Try to think like that and create your own story.
6. Take a Break
While creativity is totally a skill you can train yourself to be better at (rather than the concept of simply waiting for creative energy to flow), it’s vital also not to put too much pressure on yourself. If you are sitting at your desk for hours desperately trying to get new ideas and solutions and coming up with absolutely nothing, you should take a break.
Change the scenery, go for a walk or have a cup of coffee, clear your head, and take your mind off the job at hand: when you come back to it with a fresh set of eyes and a fresh mind, you may suddenly find the idea you have been waiting for was right in front of you all along.
Read More: 9 Tips for Effective Workload Management
7. Do What You Love
When you genuinely love your job, you are obviously going to be more inspired and enthusiastic about creative problem-solving and presenting new ideas. A job you don’t love is challenging to approach with a positive and creative attitude.
You can find a hobby that allows you to be creative and that you love to do, like playing an instrument, gardening, painting, or even a sport that places you in the present. Having a hobby is one of the best answers to the question, ‘how to develop a creative mind.’
8. Minimize the Distractions
When you need your creative energy to flow (though you can’t force it), sit quietly with a calm mind and try to minimize the distractions. Try to turn off your mobile phone’s data to ensure you don’t get disturbed by constant alerts of emails or messages or notifications from social media.
When you are trying to get your creativity flowing, a notification of a photo of your friend with his spouse eating in a fancy restaurant is not going to help.
Some studies suggest that moderate background noise, such as in coffee shops, may support creative thinking, mainly because, in nearly all coffee shops, the noise level is modest. Too much noise can be distracting, but a lack of “acceptable” noise can also be demotivating.
What are the benefits of creative thinking?
Creativity is an exceptionally helpful skill, regardless of your aspirations and objectives in life. Creative thinking can be useful when playing word games with friends or family, taking up a new hobby like learning an instrument, or solving unexpected problems at work.
It is especially valuable when building a career where creative thinking is an essential skill. If you can’t unleash your creativity, there are certain ways to improve your creative thinking.
FAQ
Q: Is creativity linked to innovative thinking?
A: Of course it is. Creativity inspires innovative thinking.
Q: As a kid, I was never creative. How to get the power of creativity?
A: Regardless of age, it is never too late to hone the power of creativity. There are several ways to improve your creative thinking.
Q: Does creativity have any application in the corporate or IT field?
A: People with creativity are welcomed in all fields where offering new ideas and troubleshooting capabilities are highly appreciated.
