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Tips for How to Improve Creative Thinking
Rev. Dr. Kitty Boitnott, NBCT, RScP
Heart-Centered Career Transition and Job Search Coach | Stress Management Coaching
There may be times when you find yourself feeling like you have no creative abilities. It happens to everyone on occasion. We've all heard of writer's block, right? Artists sometimes suffer from "dry spells," during which time they don't create for lack of an idea or the inspiration to act on an idea that they do have.
If you start to feel like you aren't feeling particularly creative at times, it might be because you haven’t been using your creative muscles often enough to keep them active. Your creative spark can become stagnant. The good news is that there are ways that you can take matters into your own hands and improve your creative abilities.
One of the best ways to keep yourself inspired to create is to engage in daily rituals that spark your creative juices. Engage in these rituals in a place that you use regularly and routinely. Having routines that inspire you conditions your brain to tap into your creativity. Some examples of a ritual might be to engage in one or more of the following activities:
· Reading something inspirational in the morning
· Listening to inspiring or motivating music every day
· Meditating for 5-10 minutes
· Practicing deep breathing throughout the day
Build your creative muscles by creating something every day.
Even if you only have 5 or 10 minutes, do something. It will help keep your creativity alive and inspired.
You don’t have to create a masterpiece. Write a short article. Draw mind maps in meetings. Re-arrange and organize your files. Take photographs of the sunset.
Anything will do if it works that creative muscle within you.
It is also a good idea to take breaks as often as you can. This is especially important when you feel stuck with a problem, and you can’t easily find the solution. Taking frequent breaks. That allows your mind to focus on something else while getting inspiration from within. It’s also good to take a break from all the digital chatter in our lives regularly. Get outside and unplug to build your creative thinking muscle.
Whenever you feel inspired, make a list of your ideas in a small notebook or a note app on your phone. Use these ideas as launching pads for new ways of doing things, new products, or whatever inspires you.
Make time to have fun! Visit with friends. Even in this time of COVID, you can visit family and friends virtually. Taking time away from your routine can help you relax so that inspiration can find its way into your mind.
Use these “Three Ifs” to ask questions to inspire your thoughts on a concept. Build your creative thinking by asking yourself:
1. What would happen if I change it (the object, system, etc.)?
2. What would I change or improve about it if I wanted to use it in 10 years?
3. What would I do if I had a one-million-dollar investment to improve it?
These questions--or questions like them--can be powerful tools to help you think differently and be more creative. You may use the three questions test in all types of situations.
Ideas can begin to flow just from looking at things slightly differently.
It would help if you also took advantage of the peak hours that you feel most productive and creative when finding a solution to a problem. Some people are more creative in the early morning hours. Others get their inspired ideas late at night. Whatever the time is for you, use it to let your creative juices flow. Put on some music, surround yourself with inspiring things, and allow yourself to be creative.
I would also recommend that you find and interact with creative and inspiring people regularly. They will help inspire you, and you will be surprised at your new, fresh ideas and the varying perspectives of others. These interactions and the exchange of ideas can help you re-focus on the creative ideas that work best for you. And they will help you narrow down your options.
Finally, don’t be afraid to take risks to improve your creative thinking. When you avoid taking risks, you end up suppressing your ideas. Risks give you permission to think outside the box and embrace your more creative ideas. Some people are naturally more creative than others. But everyone can be a creative thinker. Build your creativity in ways that help you become and stay inspired.
Until next time.
P. S.
If you want to use your creative abilities to help you find a new job or career in 2021, you don't want to miss the upcoming series of Masterclasses that I will be offering starting Thursday, January 21, 2021, at 7:00 PM EST (4:00 PM PST). The second presentation will be on Saturday, January 23, 2021, at 1:00 PM EST (10:00 AM PST). And the final presentation will be on Monday, January 25, 2021, at 7:00 PM EST (1:00 PST).
In this Masterclass, you'll learn:
1) The #1 challenge EVERY job seeker or career changer faces when starting a new job search or undertaking a career transition into a new field.
2) The must-have tools every job seeker needs along with the job search rules and protocols that must be followed to save time and money in your search.
3) How to avoid the mistakes that most rookie job seekers make because they just don't know any better–until they learn from me!
If you want to change your job in the next year or two, this is the perfect time to start getting yourself ready. The average job search in this time of COVID is 6 to 9 months, so the sooner you start to learn what you need to know and do to be successful, the better.
Join me at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/26/27l48aml
Kitty
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