How To Be Creative!

Understand how you can bring yourself to the world of creative imagination

Nearly all the great ideas follow somewhat similar criteria which are creative thinking and lateral thinking. Understanding creative thinking is an important thing because it will surely benefit you in the future.

Anyone can be creative by using these five simple steps. That's not to say creativity is easy, it requires more than hard work and courage to learn.

To explain how this process works, let me tell you a story:

A young man walks into a hardware store looking to buy a hammer, but they are sold out. “What did you need the hammer for?” asked the proprietor. The man looked at him quizzically. “To hammer in some nails of course. Why else would I want a hammer?”

The store owner persists with another question. What were you trying to hammer in with the nails? “A shelf,” the man replied. “Good,” said the proprietor. Maybe these will be of use instead — we have a nail-free wall glue in stock as well as free hanging shelves — would either be useful instead?

“Sometimes it pays to dig a little deeper to find out what your customers really need.”

It is clearly evident from the above that you need to understand the concept in-depth and interpret new ideas.

So, now let's dig into the process:

STEP 1:

Set aside time for relaxing and brainstorming. To be creative, your mind should be at ease and free from distractions. Schedule quiet, uninterrupted time to relax and let your mind wander. Once everyday stress and worries have left your mind, you will be apt to imagine and cultivate new ideas.

• Schedule this time on a day off from work, or during a part of the day when you have no commitments.
• Avoid scheduling this time right before an important deadline or appointment, which may distract you.

Research has shown that over-usage of digital appliances leads to overstimulation which will hinder your brain's capability to be creative.

STEP 2:

Go for walks outdoors to encourage creative thought. Getting outside is an excellent way to stimulate your senses and clear your head. This, combined with the cognitive benefits of exercise, can enable creative thinking. Take walks outside for 15 minutes or more to get the creative juices flowing.

• Walking on a treadmill indoors or simply sitting outside does not have the same effect as a walk outdoors.

STEP 3:

Listen to TED talks or other inspiring lectures. Motivational speeches can be catalysts for creativity by drumming up your optimism and incentive. Hearing about other people’s experiences and creative efforts can be a great push to pursue our own artistic goals. Look online for TED talks pertaining to your creative interests, or attend lectures at a local college or university.

• Browse available TED talks at https://www.ted.com/talks.
• Visit the websites for educational institutions in your area to look at upcoming events.

STEP 4:

Read as much as possible to discover new ideas and themes. Read as many books as you can about a particular niche that interests you. Research the history of a certain topic, or read memoirs or studies about it to understand it better. Knowing the subject inside out and reading different perspectives will make it easier to be creative about it. [17]

• Gain access to books for free by getting a membership card at your local library.
• Access peer-reviewed scholarly articles online to get reliable information about different topics.

STEP 5:

Seek both sides of your brain. Don’t fall for the myth that right-brained people are more creative while left-brained people are more analytical. True creativity comes from using both sides of your brain.

• The most imaginative brain must be logical and rational in order to work. The most scientific and analytical must still be unique, thoughtful and indigenous.

“Creativity is often defined as the ability to come up with new and useful ideas. Like intelligence, it can be considered a trait that everyone has — not just creative “geniuses” like Picasso and Steve Jobs — possesses in some capacity.”

It’s not just your ability to draw a picture or design a product. We all need to think creatively in our daily lives, whether it’s figuring out how to make dinner using leftovers or fashioning a Halloween costume out of clothes in your closet. Creative tasks range from what researchers call “little-c” creativity — making a website, crafting a birthday present or coming up with a funny joke — to “Big-C” creativity: writing a speech, composing a poem or designing a scientific experiment.

If you cultivate a mind that is imaginative, open to all possibilities, balanced, full of knowledge, and refreshed frequently, your genius and creativity will start to flourish.

As a high schooler, this process has definitely helped me to learn how to engage in creativity. Never believe myths, Watch motivational speeches, Read a lot of books, and most importantly reduce your gadget time.