Dear Amigos,
At the end of this short article you’ll learn 8 easy ways to boost creativity. These exercises will help you enhance your career as a creative, or simply a better human being. But first of all, what is creativity? It is a term thrown around a lot these days. For many, it means adding color and making a loud statement with what you do. For others, it’s about being disruptive or coming up with “innovations” (another overused word in the creative industry). And just so you know, this is an opinion essay, so let’s keep the Oxford dictionary out of this. By the end of this article, hopefully, you’ll gain valuable tips to enhance your creativity skills.
So, what is creativity?
It’s a tough question with many definitions. The one I like best is about creating new combinations. Everything already exists, so don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re the next Thomas Alva Edison. Everything’s out there; now it’s up to us to find new combinations, or at least logical ones. I believe it’s always been this way; nothing comes from nothing. Everything has a root, an origin, an inspiration. Creativity is having a divergent way of thinking: to face problems with a unique perspective. There are several ways to boost creativity, to train and explore this different and unique way of viewing things.
Who can be creative?
It bugs me how “creativity” seems to be reserved for painters and sculptors. Everyone can be creative in their own way. Ultimately, creativity is about solving problems in a clever way. Whether you’re into nonsense and art or inventing the next big thing like the iPhone or a vaccine for Covid, it’s all creativity. It’s a mindset, not just about paint and glitter. You are probably already creative in many aspects of your life. If you want to upgrade that skill, we have 8 easy ways to boost creativity that you can integrate to your life.
8 easy ways to boost creativity. Become a more a creative person:
- Get obsessed. Firstly, educate yourself. Read, study, absorb knowledge from the world. Learn from those who excel in their fields, understand how they solve problems and their mindset. You need to learn to think like an artist, consciously. There’s a great book by Austin Kleon on this subject (Still Like an Artist, check it out).
- Imitate. Before Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, he learned (and copied) from others too. So don’t be ashamed to obsess over other people’s work; studying them closely and imitating their work will help you master the craft. Be sure not to get yourself stuck in the imitating part. Master your craft, and then break or create your own rules.
- Find new combinations. Breaking the rules doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel; it means coming up with new approaches, combinations, and not being afraid to be different, but doing it with logic, awareness, and intention.
- Ask. Be curious about the world around you. Never stop asking questions; and remember there is not such thing as a “stupid question”.
- Don’t be afraid of being wrong. True creativity thrives when fear is absent. It’s okay to fail at first; keep trying.
- Don’t try to be creative; adopt a creative lifestyle. Practice creativity whenever you can, not just at work. Creativity is like exercise; you need to challenge your brain. Practice problem-solving creatively as much as you can, and you’ll develop stronger skills.
- Write. Whether it’s good ideas, bad ones, or ideas in progress, just write without any specific objective. I guarantee you that freestyling with yourself will help you incubate some great concepts and also alleviate the “fear of failure.”
- Get bored. Allow your mind to wander; you never know where it will take you. My best ideas come from moments of pause, like during my commute. When you feel boredom creeping in, steer clear of your phone, or at least social media. My advice is to grab your notebook, sketchbook, or the Notes app on your phone and see where boredom takes you
- Upgrade your toolbox: Just like any skilled craftsperson, creatives need the right tools for the job. Listen to podcasts or watch tutorials of new ways to use your day-to-day work tools, you can never get enough knowledge
- Nurture a creative workspace: Unleash your creativity by designing a workspace that reflects your unique style. Change your setting every once in a while, even a quick desk rearrangement can make the difference.
We found this interview inspiring; hopefully, Steve Jobs’ mindset is as useful for you as it was for us. [Link to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdplq4cj76I]
Thanks for tuning in, amigos. Keep up your creative practice. These tips are personal advice we daily follow in our work and life. Following and practicing these “8 Ways to Boost Creativity” have really enhanced the way of approaching creative projects, and overall the quality of what we produce. “The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin talks about what really means to be creative, I think it will be very useful in this journey. Hopefully, all of these will be as useful to you, as it was once for us.
Yours truly,
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