The 14 keys to enhance creativity
One of the most fashionable aspects when talking about personal development is creativity.
In our societies, the progressive mechanization of work has been displacing the need for low-skilled labor. The workers who once carried out hard and heavy tasks have been disappearing due to the appearance of machines, robots or technologies that could execute the same work more quickly and efficiently. For this reason, companies are changing and tend to demand and promote other more qualified professional profiles .
Creative profiles: increasingly valued
Among the many virtues that companies claim, one of the most requested is creativity. People with creative profiles tend to seek original solutions to concrete problems , they are able to see a little further. And this has a reward, and I do not mean only the best chances of finding a good job (that too), but the ability of these people to create works of art of great value or business ideas with an impact on society.
It may interest you: "The 7 personality traits of creative people"
Boosting your creativity in 14 simple steps
So that, It is interesting that we become aware of the importance of being creative . That's why I wanted to write this post with the brilliant marketologist Maria Jordà, to explain some keys to enhance creativity and originality.
We must remember that, although traditionally the creative spirit has been related to the world of the performing arts (theater, cinema, music ...) and creative (sculpture, painting ...), the truth is that it can be expressed in very different ways. And it's not always shown in a positive way: have you seen the movie 'Se7en' or the first chapter of 'Black Mirror'? Sometimes, creativity can take frightful forms when, for example, a criminal uses his wit to perpetrate crimes. So, It should be made clear that creativity is not a good thing per se , and that can be used for very diverse purposes. It depends on you to use your ingenuity in an area in which you contribute something interesting to the world.
Creative spirit: how to improve it step by step
After this introduction, we are ready to start knowing the fourteen keys to develop creativity . Let us begin.
1. Take time to think and imagine
It seems an obvious point, but we should not overlook it. It is necessary to devote time to develop creative thinking, away from obligations, tasks and sources of stress . It is not bad that, from time to time, let your imagination fly, addressing topics that interest you particularly, or others that worry you.
Do not feel pressured to draw logical or excessively rigid reasonings about what you think, just let your mind flow, enjoy the moment and do not resist daydreaming.
2. Think beyond tradition and the usual
That something is traditional does not mean it's good. In fact, Many people act in a routine way only out of laziness, because they do not dare to value reality from other perspectives . If the habit is no longer useful, why not try to change it with a little creativity? If the traditional is only a form of immobility, it may be time to innovate.
3. Curiosity: power
Curiosity is, in my opinion, the basis of the creative mentality . If you are able to raise doubts about many aspects of reality, it will be easier for you to feel a genuine interest in what you intend to do. This curiosity will lead you to inform yourself and to think for yourself, generating a positive dynamic that will ultimately enhance your creativity.
Creativity requires a thinking mind, free the senses and be aware of the artist
- Maria Jordà (@jorda_maria) May 5, 20164. The importance of games
There are many games (practically all, in fact) that can help you boost your creativity. The game can help you when looking for new ways to tackle problems and challenges . If you have some construction games at home, try going back to your childhood for a few minutes and try to build a castle. It is a good way to let the mind flow, something that enhances your creative and imaginative version.
5. Pose hypotheses and ask yourself for abstract possibilities
Most writers of the genre of science fiction they manage to spin fantastic stories based on hypothetical situations in which the laws of physics are more flexible than normal. If you try to imagine an ordinary situation but modifying one of its essential aspects and that we all take for granted, you will see that reality changes dramatically and opens a wide range of possibilities.
6. Read fantastical stories
In the previous point I mentioned a genre that I personally like a lot: science fiction. Science fiction stories propose parallel realities in which nothing is impossible. This is one of the creative literary genres par excellence, but it is not the only one. I would say that any reading (as long as you have minimum quality, of course) can enhance your creativity . Knowledge is not a condition sine qua non to be creative, but it's very likely to help you improve your creativity.
7. Give your thoughts time
Your ideas and previous judgments about things may be more or less accurate, but they should not be disregarded. The ideas that some aspect of reality gives you are a good raw material It needs time to develop and reach a good port. Grant the necessary freedom to your intuition, since with time it can metamorphose or crystallize into concrete ideas.
8. It assumes some risks
The creative mind is not exempt from vacuum jumps and circle turns . It is normal in any creative process that this happens, and it is also one of the ways that our brain has to structure ideas. Making mistakes just means that you are closer to having an accurate idea.
9. The creative process, better in flow
Do you know the state of flow? We enter this mental state when we are so immersed and interested in the task at hand that we lose track of time and we are motivated one hundred percent. The state of flow comes to us when we are passionate about what we do. Consequently, our creativity will have a much greater potential if we dedicate efforts to what really motivates us. Enjoy the process and the flow will play in your favor.
10. Do not give up
May inspiration find you working, as the great Pablo Picasso would say. Notice that there are people who, when putting on their overalls, always expect that all the elements are perfectly aligned in their favor. This is a gross error that only leads to ineffectiveness.
If you want to find inspiration and creativity, you have to take risks (we go back to point number eight) and keep in mind that You can only aspire to perfection if you dedicate many hours of effort and genuine interest in what you have proposed . Nobody is born taught, you must travel your own way. Creativity is a complex skill that you will develop over time. Patience ... and luck.
11. Think without thinking
Let your imagination fly, aim everything that comes to your head, do brainstorming or brainstorming exercises. Ideas without meaning, words, colors, emotions. Try to make a thread of each of them, that one word will lead you to another. Write it down in a list and then look for it .
12. Forget about taboos
To be creative, the last thing you have to have are social conditioning factors . Open your mind, and let yourself go. There is much to learn from other cultures and from people who do not fit social standards. Creativity can arise at the most unexpected moment.
13. Look for trends
It is always good to learn from others, what is worn or what is fashionable. One idea can lead to another .
14. Listen and analyze your environment
Ask yourself: Do you need something? Answer yourself: If I had ... everything would be easier ... Or have you never imagined something that would save you from what you really hate? Sometimes simply Looking around, analyzing your unmet needs, creativity emerges !
