Want to up your creativity?

idea_lightbulbNo matter what you do for a living, you need to be creative.  Innovative and fresh thinking are always in demand, whether you’re a cop, a plumber, or a marketing pro.

Unfortunately, on the job, we can’t wait for the muses to strike.  We need to be creative on demand because there are clients, deadlines and projects waiting.

Want to up your creativity?

Having a career that demands creativity every day has forced me to find ways to keep that particular saw sharp.  Here are some of my favorites:

Exercise your brain: My goal is to keep my brain cooking at all times, so if I need to call on it, it’s already fired up.  I love brain teasers, word games like Scrabble, games of strategy and even lumosity.com which is like a brain obstacle course.

Simmering: When I’m stuck or every idea I come up with seems tired and overdone, I tuck the challenge in the back of my mind and let it simmer.  I do other things, concentrate on something else entirely and just let my subconscious work out the knots.

Blood, sweat and tears: Okay, skip the blood and tears part.  But sweating really works.  When we move our bodies, all kinds of endorphins are released.  Those magic chemicals put us in the perfect state to create.

Hang out with creative people: This is not only effective, it’s great fun. Actively look for opportunities to talk to creative people about creative things.  Listen to the language they use, the stories they tell and even how they use their body to enhance their tales.  If you live in Central Iowa, you have the perfect opportunity this Thursday.

The Iowa Creativity Summit is Thursday night from 6 – 8:30.  Come hear from David Burkus, the author of The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas.  Check out the event here.  I promise — you’ll get your creative juices flowing for sure!

If you’re like me, your creativity is a tool you rely on.  Like any tool, it’s my job to keep it in tiptop condition so it is ready when I need it.

So how about you — how do you keep your creativity flowing?

 

 

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7 comments on “Want to up your creativity?

  1. Marc Cobe says:

    A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

  2. Madcom says:

    ALSO make sure you surroundings inspire you. I have a modern office for the admin and a book-lined office where I do the “creative” stuff.

  3. I often try a mixture of orchestral music and/or white noise ambiance when writing and that seems to work just fine. In terms of getting more content, I like to stay updated on current events by reading articles of all sorts and talking to people when I can. And finally, I’ve learned a long time ago that two heads is indeed better than one.

  4. Paul Beswick says:

    It very nice to read your blog post on improving your creativity. Indeed, playing mind games like what you stated above will improve your creativity and mental allertness and reading everyday would boost your brain system as well. But, enough sleep is also a big factor to improve your creativity.

  5. Tai Madream says:

    I feel music plays a big part in creativity, well it does for me anyway. I think creativity is improved by using the senses, touch, smell, hearing, sight. I like to surround myself with images related to what I am trying to work on. Just print related images and let your imagination run wild.

  6. Daniel King says:

    To true, I always feel like I write better material when I’m with my funny friends. And brain teasers are a must have for anyone with spare time between work. Good article, I don’t think people take enough time to exercise their brain.

  7. Jacob Roig says:

    Being creative in my own opinion, comes naturally to a person. Planning everything you do is a big factor to smoothen everything you want to do. It will eventually keep you away from stress.

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