“Creative thinking – in terms of idea creativity – is not a mystical talent. It is a skill that can be practiced and nurtured.” – Edward de Bono
Since the beginning of the year, I have spent a large chunk of my time creating a new course from scratch. This has been an extremely rewarding time, not yet in monetary rewards, but in expanding my brain capacity! I did not realize the creative process was a rather challenging process. This is firstly because we were not taught how to think, and be creative in school (at least I was not taught that). And then for years, I labeled myself as not the creative type (You become what you say you are). My statements were “I am more analytical and a left-brain individual”. That statement is really a myth. Research indicates that creativity occurs in both the left and right side of the brain.
How creative are you and how do you apply yourself creatively? Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something.
Most people think being creative applies to only those in the arts and entertainment industry but that is also a myth,. Applying your creative mind in your everyday situation – work, home, play can be extremely rewarding. From creativity comes new ideas which transforms into products and services – Just think of Facebook, Uber, Amazon, the wedding party movie (which I really enjoyed watching). These were all new ideas that sprung up from within. Of course, make no mistake it is hard work – transforming an idea into reality, but with it comes fulfillment and rewards of different forms.
If you are not a creative person, like I believed I was, you can take the following steps to become more creative:
- Ask a lot of questions – to yourself and others. Some of the questions you can ask yourself everyday include – How can my day be more productive and be your best day? Why did I fail or succeed in a particular activity? Come up with a minimum of 10 questions and be consistent about this. Ask yourself questions and answering them compels you to really think and come up with solutions.
- Be physically active (walking) – Research from Stanford University show that walking stimulates creative thinking. Hippocrates said famously, “Walking is the best medicine.” No wonder some of the world’s best creative thinkers made walking a part of their daily routine.
- Become open and aware – Creative people are always on the lookout for possible solutions. You can do this by becoming more aware and being fully present in every situation. You should make a conscious effort to be fully present in meetings, conversations, because it is easier for your mind to just wander.
- Engage with people who are different from you – In most cases, we are usually around people who are like us or in the same profession. But by engaging with people who are different from you, you can see things from a different perspective. In recent times, I have engaged a very experienced adult learning specialist who is coaching me on creating a high value course. It was through our engagement, that I learned about the four adult learner types and how to incorporate that into my course. Now if I had not engaged with her, my course will have been very narrow focused to those who are similar to me.
It’s one thing to be creative and get ideas, the second step is to do something with the ideas that have come from within!
Question: What is the one creative idea you are currently working on to transform to reality?