What is one ritual or technique you use to help you enhance your creativity?
Here is what 11 thought-leaders had to say:
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- Stop Trying So Hard
- Create Mood Boards for a Week
- Get Your Blood Flowing
- Spend Time With Other Creative People
- Try Negative Brainstorming
- Solve Problems That Aren’t Your Own
- Play Focus Music
- Use Midjourney and Dale
- Browse Specific Subreddits
- Meditate
- Follow the 5W’s Rule
Stop Trying So Hard
This is going to sound crazy, but the best way for me to amp up my creativity is to take some downtime. In particular, I like to meditate every morning before I hit my desk as it helps me clear my head and approach the day fresh. Sometimes I don’t even make it all the way through the meditation before my creative juices start creeping in.
The same goes for taking a breather at night, in that I often wake up with the most ingenious ideas after a solid night of rest. What’s the connection you ask? I think it’s that creativity is a spontaneous thing that can’t be forced.
Also, the mind works in mysterious ways. Mine, in particular, weaves magic whenever I’m not trying to do so. So, the next time you feel stuck creatively, I suggest you try shifting gears completely. Do whatever it is you like to do that gives your mind a break and see what happens!
Amy Zwagerman, Founder & CMO, The Launch Box
Create Mood Boards for a Week
I like to keep myself inspired, as I believe that’s a key factor in enhancing creativity. The thing is, I find inspiration all around.
That’s why keeping my ideas organized is very important for me. Over time, I developed the strategy of creating week-to-week mood boards with the things I liked or enjoyed. I use Pinterest for that purpose and then name each board with a specific date.
Natalia Brzezinska, Marketing & Outreach Manager, US Visa Photo
Get Your Blood Flowing
Exercise can be a great way to clear up the mental fog of an early morning or a hard day. When you can’t think, or you find your mind being bogged down over the course of a day, it’s a good idea to get up from your desk and move your body.
If you have the office space, consider doing some light exercise. Just five minutes of mindless, easily reached exercise goals can get your blood flowing and refocus your thoughts.
If you don’t have any free space to yourself, consider taking a walk during your lunch break, doing some stretches, or just getting up and stretching your legs after a few times during your work day.
Once you shake out your cobwebs you can come back to your project or task refreshed and better able to think. Flexing your muscles turns out to be a great precursor to flexing your brain power.
Max Schwartzapfel, CMO, Schwartzapfel Lawyers
Spend Time With Other Creative People
The best way to enhance my creativity is to spend time with other creative people. Being around other creative people helps to stimulate my own creativity.
I am constantly inspired by the things they are doing and the ideas they share. We often have lively discussions about creative projects we are working on, which helps to generate new ideas and ways of thinking about things.
Additionally, seeing the creative process in action helps me better understand my creative process and how I can improve it.
I am constantly inspired by their ideas and their passion. Seeing the creative process in action also helps me better understand my process and how I can improve it.
Hilary Kozak, VP of Marketing, LivSmooth
Try Negative Brainstorming
One technique I use to help enhance my creativity is negative brainstorming. I came up with a list of “bad” answers and solutions to the issue. Using this technique, I recognize difficulties and work to overcome them, which can result in innovative solutions.
For instance, I recently wanted to increase sales in my organization, so I thought of “poor” ideas and wrote them down that might boost the cost or reduce the usefulness of the final product. Ultimately, I reversed these bad ideas into good ones, and BOOM! Problem solved.
Sometimes, I set a timer and write down as many ideas as possible during the brainstorming session, then think about them and decide how to transform them in my favor.
Shaun Connell, Founder, Writing Tips Institute
Solve Problems That Aren’t Your Own
Creativity is all about finding new ways of thinking and doing. But it’s hard to break out of our own boxes. That’s why when I need a creative burst, I’ll look for problems to solve that aren’t related to anything I’m doing.
I realized I am usually too close to my own problems, which prevents me from seeing obvious solutions. It helps me to think more objectively, test different ideas, look for obstacles, and put myself into experiences that would have otherwise been off my radar. It’s like a change of scenery, but for the mind.
Alli Hill, Founder & Director, Fleurish Freelance
Play Focus Music
Yes, I listen to music while working. There must be something playing in the background. It is part and parcel of my life whenever I write or do something creative. It has been with me since I was young. It helps me build an invincible wall, to help me thrive and exist in my own world.
Focus music is very helpful to have those ideas flowing in my head. It has been a proven technique for me. I am more productive when there is a tune. The world may seem to be a better place when there is music. I have heard the same story from many artists. They say that it can enhance their mood and allows for the creative juice to flow.
Laura Martinez, Consultant & Content Writer, PersonalityMax
Use Midjourney and Dale
One technique I used to improve creativity is to work with Midjourney or Dale. These two image-generating systems using artificial intelligence can generate photorealistic images based only on the description a human enters.
This often results in paintings or quasi-photos depicting things, not of this earth. These range from simple things, such as a chair in the shape of an avocado, to cityscapes from the future or spaces made up of non-spherical geometry in dimensions greater than 3.
This method allows me to hang up areas of my brain that I perhaps don’t use very often.
Lukasz Zelezny, SEO Consultant, SEO Consultant London
Browse Specific Subreddits
Browsing specific subreddits on Reddit can be a great way to find new and interesting ideas for creative projects.
For example, /r/InternetIsBeautiful is full of stunning websites, /r/GetMotivated is perfect for finding inspirational quotes and stories, and /r/WritingPrompts can be a great source of plot ideas.
There are endless possibilities for finding creative inspiration on Reddit, so take some time to explore and see what you can find!
Burak Özdemir, Founder, Online Alarm Kur
Meditate
Meditation helps me immensely in so many areas, but especially with my creativity.
Meditation centers me and allows my mind to be creative and block out all the noise from the outside world. When I am centered, I can be the most creative and let my mind create and imagine many fun things.
I credit my morning meditation to why I have been able to create so many successful startups that all required innovative and creative business ideas.
Scott Krager, Founder, YouTube Thumbnail A/B Split Testing
Follow the 5W’s Rule
One effective technique for supporting your creativity and facilitating the creative process is following the 5W’s rule. With this method, you identify the problem and answer the questions of WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHERE, and WHEN. To enhance mental processes, you can also add HOW to the list.
Then, the job is to answer those questions, having in mind your creative objectives. As a result, you create a checklist showing, for example, who your target audience is, why you’re doing this, what value it would bring, or how you can achieve your goals. Your notes form a plan, a basis for the creative process. The very creation of such a checklist should support the germination of ideas and visions in your head.
Answering vital questions directs you toward your goal and allows you to focus on finding relevant solutions. In this way, creative work becomes more enjoyable while ideas are more accurate.
Nina Paczka, Community Manager, Live Career
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