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 because machines, robots or technologies have appeared that could perform the same work more quickly and efficiently. For this reason, Companies are changing and tend to demand and promote other more qualified professional profiles
Among the many virtues that companies claim, one of the most requested is creativity. People with creative profiles tend to look for original solutions to specific problems, they are able to see a little further. And this has a reward, and I’m not just referring to the greater chances of finding a good job (that too), but to the ability of these people to create works of art of great value or business ideas with an impact on society.
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 Jordato explain some keys to enhance creativity and originality.
It must be remembered that, although the creative spirit has traditionally been related to the world of performing arts (theater, cinema, music…) and creative arts (sculpture, painting…), the truth is that it can be expressed in very different ways. And it’s not always shown in a positive sense: have you seen the movie ‘Se7en’ or the first episode of ‘Black Mirror’? Creativity can sometimes take gruesome forms when, for example, a criminal uses his ingenuity to perpetrate crimes. Therefore, It should be made clear that creativity is not a good thing. per se, and that can be used for very diverse purposes. It’s up to you to use your ingenuity in an area where you contribute something interesting to the world.
After this introduction, we are ready to start getting to know the fourteen keys to developing creativity Let us begin.
1. Spend time thinking and imagining
It seems like an obvious point, but we should not overlook it. It is necessary to dedicate time to developing creative thinking, away from obligations, tasks and sources of stress It’s not bad that, from time to time, you let your imagination fly, addressing topics that particularly interest you, or others that worry you.
Do not feel pressured to draw logical or excessively rigid reasoning about what you think, simply let your mind flow, enjoy the moment and do not resist daydreaming.
2. Think beyond tradition and the usual
Just because something is traditional doesn’t mean it’s good. In fact, Many people act routinely just out of laziness, because they do not dare to evaluate reality from other perspectives If the habit has outlived its usefulness, why not try changing it with a little creativity? If traditional is only a form of immobility, it may be time to innovate.
3. Curiosity: enhance it
Curiosity is, in my opinion, the basis of the creative mindset 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 propose to do. This curiosity will lead you to inform yourself and think for yourself, generating a positive dynamic that will ultimately enhance your creativity.
There are many games (virtually all, in fact) that can help you foster your creativity. The game can help you when looking for new ways to address problems and challenges If you have some construction games at home, try going back to your childhood for a few minutes and try putting together a castle. It is a good way to let your mind flow, something that enhances your creative and imaginative version.
5. Raise hypotheses and ask yourself about abstract possibilities
Most writers of the science fiction genre They manage to spin fantastic stories by considering 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 that we all take for granted, you will see that reality changes spectacularly and a wide range of possibilities opens up.
6. Read fantasy 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 dare to say that Any reading (as long as it has a minimum of quality, of course) can enhance your creativity Knowledge is not a condition sine qua non to be creative, but it is very likely to help you improve your creativity.
7. Give time to your thoughts
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 provokes in you are good raw material that needs time to develop and come to fruition. Give your intuition the necessary freedom, since over time it can metamorphose or crystallize into concrete ideas.
8. Take some risks
The creative mind is not exempt from leaps into the void and turns in circles It is normal in any creative process for this to occur, and it is also one of the ways that our brain has to structure ideas. Making mistakes only means that you are closer to having an accurate idea.
9. The creative process, better in a state of flow
Do you know the flow state? We get into this state of mind when we are so deeply immersed and interested in the task at hand that we lose track of time and we are one hundred percent motivated. The state of flow comes to us when we are passionate about what we do. Consequently, our creativity will have much greater potential if we dedicate efforts to what really motivates us. Enjoy the process and the flow will work in your favor.
May inspiration find you working, as the brilliant Pablo Picasso would say. Note that there are people who, when it comes to putting on their work overalls, always expect that all the elements are perfectly aligned in their favor. This is a gross mistake that only leads to ineffectiveness.
If you want to find inspiration and creativity, you have to take risks (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 No one is born taught, you must walk your own path. Creativity is a complex skill that you will develop over time. Patience… and luck.
11. Think without thinking
Let your imagination fly, write down everything that comes to mind, do brainstorming or brainstorming exercises. Senseless ideas, words, colors, emotions. Try to make a common thread from each of them, so that one word leads you to another. Write it down on a list and then make sense of it
12. Forget about taboos
To be creative the last thing you have to have are social conditions Open your mind, and let yourself go. There is a lot to learn from other cultures and from people who do not fit into social standards. Creativity can arise at the most unexpected moment.
13. Look for trends
It is always good to learn from others, from what they wear or what is fashionable. One idea can lead to another
14. Listen to yourself and analyze your environment
Ask yourself: Do you need something? Answer yourself: If I had… everything would be simpler… Or have you never imagined something that would save you from what you really hate? sometimes just Looking around you, analyzing your unmet needs, creativity emerges! !
