Creativity is the adaptation of the mind to reality’s ever-changing conditions. It allows you to find unexpected solutions to any problem you might encounter and it’s crucial for art, business and survival. Creativity is more than a human trait: it’s one of life’s innate features. Nonetheless it can be taught, learned and exercised. Here are my 2 cents on how to achieve greater creativity.
Don’t wait for inspiration to strike
The key to making something really creative, is making something.
Do what you gotta do, then do some more. Try to do your best every time. If you succeed to do your best, continue! If you fail miserably, redefine it as “a practice” or “an experiment”. It’ll allow you to do your best next time.
Take good care of your body
Your body is where your brain is, and you need that functioning for creativity. Keep it in one piece, maintain it well nourished and active. How? Try this very supportive personal trainer app for people with no athletic aspirations who want to stay fit.
Forget everything you know
Things are not what they seem, not what they’re called, and not what they’re intended to do.
Look at the world from a newborn’s point of view, before labeling our surroundings.
Don’t follow the rules blindly
Only obey laws of nature. You can’t escape thermodynamics, mechanics and relativity. The rest are man-made, imaginary rules. This is not a suggestion to blindly disobey – that’s how you punk, not how you create. This is only a reminder that man-made rules can be overpassed, interpreted and rewritten. Don’t let them limit your imagination.
Do something different every day
Let the electrons is your brain travel in pathways different than the usual. Brush the dust of your dormant synapses. If you’re used to think theoretically, try solving a mathematical problem. If you’re a performer, try expressing yourself via pen and paper. If you’re a cook, try to learn a new dance move. Break a habit once a day. Actively push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Change your point of view regularly
Get out of your own head.
Examine situations from perspectives different than yours.
Add empathy to your thinking and feeling.
Avoid TV
Many people have asked me “how do you get so much accomplished?! Balance between career, school, family and social life?!” My answer is “easy! I just don’t watch TV.”
While video is one of my favorite forms of creative expression, the way it’s used on mainstream tv is highly destructive. All cable channels broadcast is content that makes you worried so they can sell you cosmetics for your new wrinkles. Don’t let a TV enter your home, and limit your televised content to the bare minimum necessary to know what’s the zeitgeist and be able to indulge in a water cooler chat.
Be original
No, really, I dare you. In a reality where everything was said and done, there’s no chance any thought that’s running through your head is exclusively yours. Every movie is a sequel, every story is basically a variation on Cinderella. It’s a lost cause, but try to make something that doesn’t exist yet anyway.
Brace yourself
Creativity might be rewarding and fun but it’s not always easy or pleasant. You’ll be criticized and ridiculed. Creativity is entropic in nature, raising the level of disorder, inviting errors and failure. Creativity is a brave choice and most successful when backed up with confidence. So get ready to protect your precious original ideas from all the haters jealous of you.