When I have a new project or challenge, for example, finding topics for blogs or creating a workshop, I want to think creatively. This is not a state that I can turn on as if it were a water faucet. Creativity needs to be cultivated; it is a process.
First, consider impediments to being creative. I think of three because I have experienced all of them. The first is negative thinking. I make an assessment of the external situation: it’s impossible to do anything differently because… Or I think I’m not that creative on this topic because… If I fall into either of these traps I have already limited any results and set up the self-fulfilling prophesy that no creative, new idea or perspective will emerge.
The second is a demand for a creative idea. For example I realize that I need to figure out a new blog topic – today. I automatically introduce some pressure into the situation. Not good. A sense of urgency enters my thinking. Some people may find this helpful, a spur for creativity, but I do not. For me, the urgency tends to narrow my focus. I know that I am not unique in this regard.
The third impediment is related to the second. I remain at my desk or my computer grinding away. I am researching, reading, and searching for inspiration. When I recall how I feel during these times, I realize it’s as if I am slogging along in a tunnel. During these experiences I rarely find inspiration or creative ideas.
If I am able to set aside negative thinking about the situation or my capabilities, free myself from time constraints, and from tunneling along at my computer, what works for me? A few simple steps are helpful.
- First, time must not be a constraint. To allow for creative ideas start a project well ahead of when it’s due.
- Next, know how you best learn and retain information. For example, do you need to write things down, visualize, or move physically?
- If writing works best, write everything that you can think of about the situation and what you would like to achieve. If visualization works for you create a mind map or a representation of the same information. For those who learn and retain kinetically, go for a walk reflecting on the problem and what you want to achieve.
- If you can, talk about your project and ideas to a trusted friend or colleague. They may have some additional suggestions.
- And last, stop, do something else in a different location. Take a break; make a cup of tea or coffee. If you wrote everything out or created a mind map, take a walk. Take a nap!
The stage has been set for new ideas. The brain keeps processing the information even though you have no awareness of this. This process is not a guarantee of world-shaking, breakthrough ideas, but it will at least lead to new perspectives. Allow thoughts and ideas to emerge and write, draw, or in some way capture them as they occur to you. The above process can continue as you build new idea onto new idea.
There are sites that offer additional strategies for cultivating the creative process. One that I especially like is www.jpb.com/creative/creative/php. The blogger, Jeffrey Paul Baumgartner suggests ten steps for boosting creativity. He includes listening to music, getting enough sleep, and exercise. He also includes some don’ts: no drugs, no TV watching!
Learn to cultivate the creative process; we are all creative!