How to develop creativity
How to develop creativity? Creativity is usually called the creative potential of a person. His ability to generate and implement new ideas. Or look for a non-standard solution to urgent problems, etc. It is believed that creativity is largely dependent on the structure of the brain. And from the mobility of mental processes and other physiological characteristics. All of these options are innate.
However, creativity does not depend entirely on them. To a large extent, this characteristic is determined by the mental "baggage" of a person. His life experience, knowledge, decision-making episodes, etc. The brain is plastic and many of its parameters can be changed with regular training. Therefore, there are ways to develop creativity on your own.
Why is this needed?
Of course, the ability to be creative is a wonderful quality. But when reading this article, many may be skeptical. Like, I am a simple person, I work at work, I don't aspire to become artists, why should I know how to develop creativity? How can this quality be useful to me if I am not a person of art?
The answer is simple: creativity is not only about art. A developed ability to find non-standard solutions can be useful in almost any profession. And in everyday life too. It is this quality that allows you to improve the existing algorithm of work, open a promising business, impress others with your resourcefulness. And to show other amazing qualities of human nature.
What to do?
Of course, given the specifics of quality itself, it is impossible to find a single way for everyone to develop creativity. It is impossible to single out any criteria of “correct" creativity with certainty. However, psychologists give several recommendations. And they will allow developing the so-called "applied" creative potential, which can be successfully applied in practice.
Limit your funds
“An artist must be hungry” is about such cases. This advice does not imply the lifestyle of an ascetic or a poor man, it concerns the means of solving a specific problem. For example, you have a task: to draw a circle. Remove the compass and you will have to use a lot of creative ideas to get out of the situation.
Music is for the weak!
Many put off work or creative projects under the guise of “lack of inspiration.” Of course, we all sometimes need a rest so as not to exhaust ourselves at work, but most often the rule of “appetite while eating” works. The main thing is to be patient and not too demanding of yourself in order to bring the matter to the end.
The end matters, not the means
If you're taking on a project, focus on what you want to achieve, not what tools you use to get there. Of course, we are not talking about a "dirty game" here – we mean the tools of work.
abstract
If you are faced with a specific task that does not have a familiar solution, imagine it as something distant, or even better, schematic and abstract. The less you think about yourself, your benefits, and your prospects for a project, the more effectively you can solve a problem.
Create an environment
Of course, choosing quirky places to work is often the privilege of prominent writers or hipsters. However, sometimes sitting with a laptop in a coffee shop helps a lot: this way you will not be able to take on side unimportant tasks, and the average level of background noise will allow the brain to tune in to the business wave.
Keep your brain active
In order for the brain to work properly, it needs water, oxygen and glucose. Therefore, it is important to eat a balanced (but not excessive) diet, maintain physical activity and drink enough fluids. Physical activity causes not only the acceleration of metabolism in the brain, but also the stimulation of both hemispheres of the brain, which leads to an increase in the activity of thinking.
Approach the problem from a different angle
For example, it is customary to write stories from the beginning. But if the beginning is not thought out at all, start from the middle or from the end. The same with business projects – it is not necessary to do everything in order, the main thing is to work, even if inconsistently.
improvise
Carry a notebook with you or keep "notes" ready on your phone – a sudden insight can solve your problem in the best possible way.
This is not the whole list of possible ways to qualitatively develop creativity. It is not necessary to use all of the recommendations listed here – the point of developing creative thinking is to approach any problem inventively, and ingenuity is never the same for everyone. Much in creativity is solved intuitively, with the help of an “inner feeling”, therefore it makes a lot of sense to build a program of one’s own development on one’s own, thinking about whether another method has “responded” in one’s soul.
How to learn creativity quickly?
Above were presented general approaches, principles of creative thinking. They require thoughtful attitude and gradual integration into daily life tasks, and this process usually does not happen quickly. What to do if you want to learn a non-standard approach as soon as possible? Here are some exercises to quickly develop creativity:
"Synthesis"
For this exercise, you will need a dictionary. Open it on a random page and with your eyes closed choose any word. Then scroll again and repeat the selection again.
Before you are two random words, and your task is to connect them by meaning or by another sign. You can write a short story about the connection between these two concepts, or you can analyze the concepts in depth.
The more incredible and fantastic your arguments sound, the better!
"Associations"
To do this exercise, you need to briefly close your eyes and then look around with a fresh look. The very first object that the eye catches on will be the base for the exercise.
To complete it, you need to write 5 (or more) words that are most suitable for this subject, and then the same number of words that are least suitable for it.
"Customer and Architect"
To complete this task, you do not need the ability to draw or draw at all. Its principle is as follows: you first act as a customer, naming any 10 words that evoke pleasant associations in you.
Write these words down on a piece of paper. Then you try on the role of an architect and design a house based on this set of words. The main thing is to please the customer so that the associative array with all ten words is “read” in your home design.
Outcome
This is just a small part of the creativity exercises. Many of these lessons can be found in special creative collections or in the public domain on the Internet. But how do you know if you have coped with the exercise or not? The answer to this question is up to you. Over and over again, doing the same exercises, try to make the next solution more original and unpredictable than the previous one.
Adapt tasks to your main activity, introducing new conditions there. Enjoy the process of thinking and free creative work – and the result will not be long in coming!