75% of people wish to maximize their creative abilities and believe they are not living up to their creative potential.
People have different reasons for seeking more creativity. Here’s my list:
They desire the results achieved by implementing creative ideas.
They desire the feeling that occurs when creativity is flowing within them.
They want to believe they’re a creative person because they see that as empowering.
When they feel more creative, they feel more actualized and fulfilled.
Those are good reasons!
When I speak about the topic of creativity (or the related topic of innovation) after the talk, I’m frequently asked “How can I become more creative?”
The short answer and the good news: If you want more creativity in your life, you need to find and use creative tools. Even one tool could make a big difference. You will see short-term positive results. The tools should fit into your context and projects.
This whole discussion presumes you genuinely desire to be more creative. Your brain believes you when you care. The first step is to start thinking you can be more creative. You need to believe that it’s possible. Once you have that in your brain, you must start taking action to make it happen.
It’s easy to change your mindset, you just have to decide. It’s a kind of positive thinking to say to yourself, or outloud, “I am creative.” Your ears need to hear you say it, and your brain needs to receive that message. That’s the first “tool” — belief.
The longer answer and the “bad” news: Becoming more creative is a lifetime quest. It’s not one tool. It takes many tools. Sorting out which ones to use and in what situations is a skill in and of itself. It’s an exciting journey to take on. I highly recommend it! It requires motivation, which can be difficult to sustain. It sometimes requires difficult changes to your thinking habits and beliefs. The tools I keep mentioning require active and consistent hands-on practice. You’ve got to be in it for the long haul. For instance, a tool like the Improv concept of “Yes + AND” used in Improv comedy is easy to describe, but it takes time to build into how you respond. So, the results happen over a more extended period. Trust me, the cumulative results of a long-term effort to be more creative are worth the trouble.
Work An Applied Creativity Personal Plan
Part of the challenge of becoming more creative is sorting out just what to do first, and what to do next. You need your creativity self-improvement program. In this program or plan, you’ll be integrating new tools and behaviors to adopt and use and becoming better at applying them to projects. It’s fascinating work. You’ll be better off if you make a deliberate effort, that is, plan it. Yes, you can learn a lot about creativity randomly. But random things are always going to cross your path. Don’t waste time. Learn as much as possible, implement as you go, and work on an applied creativity plan.
As a career creativity and innovation facilitator, I always search for and try out new tools. I have a virtual binder that is chock full of what I’ve found. I’m working on a book containing a summarized version of the best tools. Stay tuned, there’s some cool and crazy stuff in my manuscript.
Some creativity tools are straightforward, such as using a notebook to log ideas, challenges, and sketches. Notebooks also enable tools like observational research, Mind-Maps, sketching, and doodling.
Some tools are easy to describe but hard to implement. Thinking concepts like keeping an open mind and becoming a better listener (to collaborators, consumers, and clients) is powerful, yet it’s a constant battle to do it well. Learning to listen is a lifelong practice.
Some tools for creativity are easier than others to rationalize or prove. You can measure things like new products and services you introduce. You can even put hard numbers on the revenue they generate. It’s harder to measure the energized thinking in your mind and the good feeling in your heart when you make a practice of walking a meditation labyrinth.
It will take a few days to see the impact of a creative tool on your life. It can take years to see the more profound results of integrating creative tools and practices into your life.
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