Creativity is one of the last remaining legal ways of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.
There will be times when your mind simply goes blank – not one creative thought to be found. Even experts, scientists and artists lose their creative genius at times.
When your creativity seems to disappear, it could be from too much stress or from being too busy or from not being able to visualize a good solution to a problem.
But no worries.
There are many ways you can come up with more creative ideas and eventually solve your problem, but sometimes you have to force yourself to discover new and unique ways to get your creativity back.
Here are 10 powerful ways you can use to be super creative again:
1. Be Passionate
When you’re passionate about your business… you let nothing stand in your way, which forces your creative juices to flow continuously – inventing new goals, experimenting with new solutions for problems, finding new ways to come back from setbacks and failures…
2. Be Curious
Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Keep asking the right questions and follow up with even more questions. Be interested in a wide range of subjects and be open to new ideas. The more curious you are, the more you will be able to connect new information and ideas with what you already know.
3. Create a Creativity-Inspiring Environment
The space you work in should be filled with whatever puts you in a good mood, brings you a sense of calmness or boosts your energy. Try adding plants, pictures, brain games, colored pencils and a big whiteboard… use colors that enhance your mood.
4. Collect New Ideas and Resources
Watch out for new ideas and inspiration within your areas of interest at all times. Read on different topics. Use the internet as a learning tool. Take an interest in what’s going on in the industry around you. Keep a folder on your computer or notes on your phone containing anything you find interesting that you feel you might refer to again.
5. Move on to Another Activity
Often our best ideas come when we don’t even realize we’re thinking about a problem (e.g. showering, driving, gardening or walking the dog). If you move on to another activity, your mind will continue to work subconsciously on the problem you left behind. Embrace this subconscious creative process and make it a part of your workday.
6. Brainstorm Solutions
Brainstorming can be a highly effective way of coming up with new creative ideas. This Idea Generator Challenge is a daily brainstorm practice – “forcing” you to train your creative muscles by coming up with at least 10 ideas for whatever issue, challenge, problem you face. If you’re still with us at this stage – WELL DONE! Acknowledge yourself.
7. Reverse Brainstorm
Reverse brainstorming can help identify possible causes of problems rather than focusing just on the possible solutions. With this method, try to brainstorm actual problems, rather than solutions. By approaching problems this way, you might find new ways to solve problems.
8. Physically Change Your Surroundings
A change of scenery may be all you need to encourage your brain to come up with fresh ideas and get more creative again. Take a day trip to somewhere that can stimulate your senses, venture down to a nearby park, or go for a walk and find somewhere new to do some work without any place in mind beforehand.
9. Spend Time in Nature
Many people find that they get a creative boost simply by being in nature. The fresh air, sounds of birds, waves and wind, sights of sunshine, clouds, trees and mountains, smells of flowers, the ocean, and the earth after the rain… boost inspiration and memory, help overcome creative blocks, increase brain function and improve mental health.
10. Bounce Ideas with Others
Even if you are an introvert (like me), hearing another voice (except your own) is usually a good thing. You become more creative when you generate as many ideas as possible, so you have enough to filter, test and select. This can be the best way to find the most innovative solution to your business challenge.
Now It’s YOUR Turn
For five minutes… come up with as many ideas as you can… what do YOU do (or could you do) to become more creative?
Let's Brainstorm
Please share your ideas (all of them or just one) in the comment box below… and let’s get WOWing.
Live fully, stay awesome,
Nisandeh Neta
Top Commenters – last 30 Days
Let's Brainstorm
Please share your ideas (all of them or just one) in the comment box below… and let’s get WOWing.
Live fully, stay awesome,
Nisandeh Neta
94 comments
Keep reading, news, relevant websites and blogs. Everything is useful at some point and it could generate a good idea. Keep testing using different tools.
409 comments
Combine ideas
Show your own idea to others and ask their idea.
Ask the question: What would you do if you had more time/ money/resources etc
What if you had less time/money/ etc
Start with the end in mind.
160 comments
Mindmapping, with lots of colours. Use lovely smells for focus or relaxation or creativity.
What Ine mentioned as well: change furniture.
Play an instrument, also the ones you can't, just try and have fun.
39 comments
Cook a meal with leftovers in the fridge, and make it tastefull.
Work with things you got already.
Try to give things a second life.
Find out on the internet how things can get reusel again. ( pintetest)
276 comments
Ways to solve problems creatively.
Let's ask some questions:
1. How would someone else solve it? My mother, father, good friend, a teacher.
2. Who can solve it for me?
3. How can I do this using no money?
4. How would I do this if money were unlimited?
5. What if this is an advantage instead of a challenge? (it's a feature, not a bug)
6. What happens if I wait a week?
7. Which aspects can I change? (Can I build a lamp out of just lights? What if some parts were extremely big or small?)
8. Can I use it in a different way? (Spoons make surprisingly good massage tools)
112 comments
Thanks for all the ideas! What works for me is:
1. a walk in nature.
2. doing double doodles. That is with both hands simultaneously mirroring the same movement like a conductor (dirigent). You can do this in the air, on paper and I use it to scrub the tiles in the shower (bonus: saves me time as well)
3. I have a plaything, it is of metal and in the shape of an 8, with two wheels in it. Sometimes I use that as both hemispheres will be actived and have to work together. Great for your creativity.
4. go to another activity.
69 comments
With problem solving I love "the 5 why's". It gets you very surprising insights.
For being more creative in coming up with ideas, I have dedicated myself to this Challenge 😉.. so excercise, excercise, excercise...
47 comments
Brainstorming on getting creativity (again) is already part of a solution. Since my product in "Play with maths" is inherently creative of nature, for me is paying attention to the essential content a creativity boost. This can be done in developing material but also in producing texts for messages or blogs. Finally also reading and crafting with little children is a way to open the flow of creativity.
175 comments
I am a very practical person, so here's some practical ideas:
When you want to be more creative, you should make curiosity and creativity a lifestyle. By doing that, you constantly train your brain to go beyond. It's very simple!
1. When you're on the move, every now and then (switch off your navigation and) choose a different route to your destination.
2. When you buy your groceries, buy something you never tried before.
3. Check out places other people don't - For instance when I'm on a trip and I see a lovely chapel with it's door closed, I always check if it's locked. I discovered so many beautiful things behind doors!
4. Google is your friend - I check everything. This morning I looked up the history of Alexander the Great.
5. When you're in a restaurant, choose your food with curiosity, things you never ate before.
6. Make it a habit to take pictures of the interesting stuff. Whenever you scroll through your phone later, you'll be reminded of the amazing things you've discovered.
7. Ask - Whoever you're meeting, ask them questions. Try to figure out why they do what they do. (Almost) everyone has interesting aspects, there's always something you can learn from them.
8. Have a hands on hobby - Macramé, modelmaking, painting, customizing motorcycles, whatever. It stimulates your creativity in a different way than letting your brain do all work.
Brainstorming:
9. When you're in the middle of a brainstorm, don't judge - Also write down the dull ideas. It will keep the speed in the brainstorming process.
10. Make it a mess - Don't use the lines of your writing pad. Make drawings, no matter if you can draw. This way, it's easier to make associations.
11. Visualize - Situations, people doing things, yourself doing things, fantastic places, you doing things that are not possible, ... Don't limit yourself, it's harmless and it's fun.
When I'm stuck:
12. Sometimes I move around my furniture - I literally change perspective
14. Asking yourself 'What if' is very powerful - Bina mentioned it already
15. When you're stuck, do something else - Your brain doesn't stop working on your 'problem'. When you're doing a different task, your brain will suddenly come up with the solution.
576 comments
here are a few of my favorites.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the 10 ideas lists. It's simple: I jot down a question and need to come up with at least 10 different answers. It's not always working, but often it is and then I get the best ideas. I am very creative, but tend to stop when I have a good idea, and this way forces me to come up with better ideas. Its the difference between a grandmaster and a good chess player. The good chess player makes the move when he sees a good one, a grandmaster will when he sees the good move, look for a better one.
Come up with different angles. A few great questions to boost creativity are:
What if I make the problem 10 times bigger?
What do I need to do to make the problem bigger?
What if I had all the resources in the world? (all the money, or: I could have a genius work for me, or I had all the time- depending on what is the problem)
What if we had NO resources?
What can I let go of?
What can I add?
What if I were in someone else's shoes?
Another tip: give yourself only a certain amount of time. It will force your brain to come up with the best ideas.
Always first try to come up with your own ideas before you get into a brainstorm session with others.
67 comments
Creativity is a gift. Some people simply lack creativity. What helps me;
- Getting inspired by others and learn from others
- Always think 2 steps further or ahead
- Think in terms of enhancement and levers
- Look at things from a different POV
- Find ways to improve e.g. growth hacking and keep an eye out for good ideas
- Talk to my children and ask them how they would do things
111 comments
I REALLY LOVE this one... My whole work is about creativity and yes, obviously there are times when I'm stuck, so some of the things I do have been mentioned above here are some of my ways to get out of that dreadful "Writer's Block" or when I'm feeling stale with my creativity.
1. When I get stuck with ideas - Pintrest is a FANTASTIC source of ideas for me. I have loads of folders for different circumstances on Pintrest where I save images that I love and inspire me
2. WHAT IF GAME - I love playing the game of combining two weird ideas and see what would happen with it... I mean in the end whoever invented the wheelchair - all he had to do is ask herself what would happen if I put wheels on a chair... so playing the IF game is a fantastic source of fun and creativity
3. PROMPTS - when I get stuck with my writing I go to numerous websites who give me weird prompts (beginning of a sentence) which I need to start a story with, that fires up my brain and releases many times the blockage I have concerning my characters or plot
4. NATURE - one of my favorite places to go to when feeling drained and uninspired and when creativity is mehhh...
5. MUSIC & COLORS - I can hardly draw a stickman, but one of my ways to unblock creativity is putting some great music and playing around with colors... no goal or direction just throwing them on a large piece of paper or a canvas... usually naturally dancing is involved together... Trus me, after 30-40 minutes of it creativity is back
6. STACKING PROBLEMS - Another way to unlock creativity is when I have a certain problem with something I try and find as many problems as I can see and try and find one solution that would solve all of them... That doesn't mean it always works but it certainly stretches my imagination