Many people think of creativity as an inherent quality that only some people possess. However, everyone has the capacity to think differently. People are imaginative in different ways and also have varying degrees of creativity.
You could be someone who has bursts of creativity but can’t seem to draw on it when you need it. Maybe you think you’re not very creative but would like to become more so.
There are several useful psychological tricks to help you think more creatively. Let’s take a look at five ways you can boost creativity.
Avoid perfectionism
Perfection is the death of creativity. It’s possible you aren’t as creative as you like because you desire for perfection.
When you set rigid expectations about the creative process and solutions, you create mental barriers. Creative thinking only happens when you allow your thoughts and ideas to flow unconstrained.
Creativity, by definition, is about thinking outside the box. By letting go of perfectionism you give your mind free rein to pursue your ideas wherever they go.
Once you’ve generated your ideas you can always evaluate them and cull the ones that don’t work. Avoid looking for perfect ideas and processes.
Psychological distance
People often struggle with a problem because they’ve been too close to it for too long. There may be an obvious answer that isn’t visible to you due to the proximity.
When you’re concentrated on a single problem and going over the same ideas over and over again, you can get a sort of mental tunnel vision.
Creating psychological distance adds a new perspective that can give answers that you won’t see otherwise. You do this by imagining your problem from a distance. You can observe it and study it as impartially as a stranger. Try viewing it from a bird’s eye view as well for a different perspective.
There’s even a study of spatial distance and problem-solving. It found that participants that viewed problems as far away showed more creativity. They showed twice more problem-solving abilities and creativity.
Problem Reconceptualization
It is quite common to jump to finding answers when you have a problem in front of you. However, it is helpful to spend time focusing on the problem or question itself before looking for answers.
A great way to produce creative thinking is by reconceptualizing the problem. Spend time understanding the issue and try to frame it in different contexts. Reword the problem or change some aspect of it so that it is slightly different. Approaching a problem in this way can lead to fresh insights.
Freewriting
Freewriting is a creative writing method where you to write without stopping or editing. During a freewriting session, you ignore grammar, punctuation, and sentence structures. All you do is write non-stop for a period of time
When you freewrite for a while, you get into a flow-state. After the initial rough thoughts and writing, creative and authentic thoughts will emerge.
Mark Levy, in his book Accidental Genius, said that he used freewriting to create great copy. He also discovered that freewriting could bring up solutions to business problems.
Freewriting works because you stop censoring yourself. It creates a space where you allow your thoughts to flow uninterrupted. You can always edit your writing later. With freewriting, you’ll finally be able to create a blog and come up with plenty of content for it.
Doodle away
There are many who consider doodling to be a meaningless activity. But there’s research showing that doodling is creative and engaging. It can actually help you become better at creative thinking and problem-solving.
There are many well-known people who were or are doodlers. They include Einstein, Walt Disney, Marie Curie and the CEO of Nike, Mike Parker. Doodling has practical applications for problem-solving. For example, a business can use doodling as a group to figure out how to improve their email marketing.
Sunni Brown, the author of The Doodle Revolution states that doodling helps access different parts of the mind. You can use doodling in different ways.
Try doodling pictures of two unrelated concepts to find common areas and themes. You can understand complex concepts by breaking it down into simple doodles. You can take a natural habit and use it to solve business problems. It can help you create a new product or figure out how to get subscribers.
Boost creativity with psychological principles and work
Creativity is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. You’re far more likely to become more inventive if you make creative activities part of your daily routine.
Set aside time to freewrite or doodle every day. You can also join a membership site platform for sharing your creative work and getting feedback. Doing so will make creating fresh and unique thinking more accessible when you need it.
You can apply creativity to personal issues or work problems. You can also apply to your business problems. Once you exercise your creative skills, you could start your own business, create a website, and come up with innovative solutions.