Misconception seems to be creativity’s best friend. Creativity is not a rare talent. Everybody has access to it. It’s like a muscle that needs to be exercised if you want results. Practice and consistency are creativity’s true companions.
It takes more than desire to be creative. If you want an output of creative ideas, you’ve got to increase your input. It’s not difficult. It’s as easy as paying closer attention to your level of curiosity – about everything. Exactly how does the garbage disposal work?
An Open Mind Is Never Bored
Creative people are curious people. Is it a natural thing? Perhaps you’ll never know. It doesn’t matter. Whether it’s by nature or by practice, the creative people you meet get that way because they soak up amazing amounts of disparate information.
The objective isn’t to become a subject matter expert of a million things. It’s to keep your mind from wearing a path in the mental carpet. Some hear this and think, “Whoa, you’re talking about distraction!” But that’s not the case. The exercise is meant to be a reminder that there are many different ways to think. Creative ideas often come when we put ourselves in a different frame of mind.
Creative Exercise Doesn’t Have To Make You Sweat
If there’s any effort involved in the consistent mental practice that gives birth to creativity, it’s remembering to give your mind permission to be curious. Being creative often looks like nothing at all.
Even doodling is a creative activity. Don’t let anything hinder you. According to this article, doodling is a multi sensory activity that helps us process information. Doodle away.
Did you “used to” have a hobby? Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Retrieve the ukulele from the back of the hallway closet. These once were acquired habits. They can give easy access to the consistent mental practice we need to spark creativity.
Permission To Be Crazy
This is the part where you’re supposed to hear it’s okay to think outside the box. Some believe that whole outside-the-box thing is not even a good idea. So, think outside the box – or don’t. Constraints can be a good thing. Limitations challenge you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline. Yes, creativity often arises from discomfort.
Try something new – even if it’s just once a day – and let the experience broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend the afternoon in a museum to which you’ve never been before. Have you ever been to a museum? When was the last time you did something for the first time?
It’ll feel kind of crazy at first. Embrace the craziness. Creativity’s hiding there. Author John Russell wrote, “Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting.” All that’s required for a little creativity is thinking with the new input you collect.
We get a constant influx of new input from our customers. Sure, there are themes. We produce lots of document pouches, sheet protectors, business card holders, and of course conference badge holders. But they’re not all the same. Each customer comes to us with some kind of unique challenge. With over 5,000 dies in-house, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel to find a just-right solution for them. Some creative thinking – often just a slight change that’s sparked by an unexpected connection – proves to be the creative solution.
