Ways to Enhance Your Personal Creativity

This post is a continuation of my two previous blog posts about ” Innovation: The Catalyst of Continual Improvement and Lean” and ” 15 Ways to Spark Corporate Creativity and Make Your Lean Journey Better“. In this blog entry, I will explore ways people can improve their creativity. What can you do to stimulate your creativity flowing?

1. Be a better watcher. Observe people, locations, and situations. Be more conscious. If you are struggling with emotional self-awareness, it can improve when you focus on this. Quick exercise: In the absence of looking, write a description of the home page of your phone and other pages. What color, icon, arrangement, and so on? What were you able to accomplish? How often do you glance at your smartphone? Do you really look and perceive?
2. Be more aware of your surroundings. When you start to look around more, you will begin to observe things around you in a completely different way. Try this activity. Please make a list of the things you can see in the room and say their names out loud. Example: chair, table, desk, computer, monitor, etc. Point at different objects around the room (they may be similar objects) and then name the last thing you aimed at. For example, point at a the chair, then point to tables and repeat “chair”, point at desk and say “table”, point at computer and say “desk” or “computer,” point to the computer monitor, and finally use the word “computer”. Then, point to all the objects that are in your room (it may be the same things) and then name them whatever you’d like to name them. This is followed by reading the report.
3. Do you remember having “rules” with your pointing and naming objects? Most people do not. Did you follow one rule in place that said you could not identify what it was? Did you follow the rule of naming it as a category, like animals or fruits? Did you follow the rule that you needed to be creative and imaginative in choosing a name? Did you have a requirement to excel in this? Maybe you were following certain guidelines. The first thing to remember is that this activity creates greater awareness. Your brain is aware of the meaning of a chair, but it does not process the information. However, when you point out and refer to something other than that, your brain is obliged to process the information. This creates a state of hyper-awareness. The brain has been awakened from a deep sleep. Check out the space and observe if there are things that you did not notice when you first started the exercise.
4. The third reason is that there are rules for everyone and limitations. Do not automatically place things into categories or set up rules. Be open to all ideas. If you are planning to take an end-of-course test, make sure you draw a line and label things around the room. Make it a stream of consciousness. Be sure to name the items as the very first thought that pops up in your head. Be at ease and open. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
5. Make time for reflection each throughout the day. There are hundreds of stories of “eureka” moments in the shower or while sitting beneath the shade of a tree. This helps your brain process information and connect.
6. Take a break from the routines you have. Drive a different route to work, dry off after showering in a different way or dress in an entirely different style and use the opposite hand for the entire day long, as well as tie the shoes a bit differently (don’t make use of the thumb). Try anything to help get your brain out of the unconscious fog.
7. Learn more about HTML0. Know a little more about different subjects. Creativity arises from the fusion of ideas. The more thoughts you have floating around your brain there are more possibilities for connections and innovative thinking.
8. Play like a kid. Play. Make mistakes. Make mistakes. Dance. Pretend. Create things up. Spend time with children.
9. Stop connecting to all the internet. I encourage everyone to disconnect completely from the world. No television, no email, phone, no internet, and tablets. Then something amazing happens on three days. Everyone begins to free their brains and receiving incredible insights and ideas. Try it!
10. Go a little insane. Do something weird and yell loudly at your voice, or speak in a weird voice.
11. Try something that isn’t in your home. Join a dance class, acting class or an improv class. Discover new things like rock climbing or chess, or writing computer code.
12. Be aware that everybody is imaginative. Creativity is like muscle and is a skill that can be cultivated. If you examine the typical profile of most construction workers, they score very well on the test of reality (black as well as white-thinkers) and problem-solving, but are not flexible enough. This isn’t the ideal one for creative thinking, but the good news is that people are able to change.
13. Accept that heads can be better than just one. Bounce ideas off other minds. Create a brainstorming group with diverse members without restrictions. The diversity of perspectives can lead to extraordinary ideas.
14. Begin writing down things. Make lists. When you come across an idea, write it down. Write it down, even if you’ve exhausted all options.
15. Reframe the issue. Create an unusual solution, and then ask yourself, “Why is this a great solution?”
16. Utilize a bizarre correlation. Randomly put your finger into an old book, locate the closest noun, and then ask yourself “How is this problem like a [fill in the blank]?” Thinking using this method will give you a better understanding of the issue.
17. Do not say “no” or “yes, however, …” instead say “I tried this before, but it wasn’t working.” Speak “yes in addition …” create upon the ideas you’ve generated.
18. Utilize your subconscious. Plant a problem in your head before going to you go to bed, and observe what your subconscious thinks up with in the morning. Imagine a problem that you’re struggling with, and then go for an excursion in the nature and don’t think about the issue. When you return, look at what your mind can come up with.
19. You are distinct. Your brain is the only brain to think the way you do. Recognize that, and spread the word about it and be confident that you will surpass any obstacle. Inexperience can be an advantage. Sometimes, masters aren’t able to look past the way they’ve always done it.
20. Do something physical. While you are thinking, engage in a physical activity like walking stomping your feet, dancing, or running. It can help your brain function more efficiently.
21. Answer the appropriate inquiries. Instead of asking “paper or plastic?” Ask, “how would you like to carry your groceries home?” A canvas bag could seem like your “right” answer. Try this activity: Get the 9 dots. Connect the dots by drawing the four lines straight. Then, look at the answer.
22. Improvisation Drive. When driving, be aware of bridges, roads or overpasses as well as highways that are that are named for people. You can take the name of that person and create a narrative about them. It is possible to do this collaboratively or by yourself.

An infamous experiment in creativity asks participants to join nine dots by using four straight lines without taking the pencil out of the paper. Take a look and discover what you can get up to. Do not look down to find the answer!