How To Be More Creative
Whether you're an artist, student or business executive, the amount of creativity you channel on a daily basis can greatly determine the types of opportunities you find yourself with..
Think about it. If you continually come up with unique, creative ideas, people will notice and you will get more fans of your work (think about social media marketing funnels). If you’re a student for example, taking creative risk can differentiate your essay from classmates, or you might land the dream prom date because of your creative invitation. Even in business, the amount of creativity (or innovation) you demonstrate can move you from providing phone support to leading a R&D team.
If you’re like me though, creativity comes and goes in waves. Below are several proven ways (both personal and academic) to become more creative.
- Write Down 5 Ideas Every Day
- Eat Chocolate
- Exercise
- Engage Creative Content
- Know Your Creative Schedule
Write Down 5 Ideas Every Day
Try pushing yourself to write down 5 genuine ideas every single day, no matter how random or silly they may seem. Like any muscle, creativity can be trained and developed. After several days of painstakingly squeezing out ideas, you'll start to feel them come more naturally. Or, if you're already the godfather of creative ideas, you'll find yourself coming up with more unique ones.
Eat Chocolate
While writing this article I hit a creative block and spent an hour moping around my apartment trying to get stimulated. I ended up eating some Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate and voila- I was once again a creative machine! I thought it was the sugar at first, but according to The Alternative Daily, chocolate has high amounts of flavanol, which is good for boosting cognitive skill. Just watch out for that sugar crash!
Exercise
If you’ve been sitting at a desk all day and are struggling to get the creative juices flowing, there’s another juice that you need to get flowing first- your blood! Moving helps develop convergent thinking, which is what our minds need when trying to solve a problem. Physical movement also stimulates our muscles, allowing us to feel stronger, healthier and self-confident. There's a reason why exercise is such an integral part of productivity.
Engage Creative Content
If you find yourself short on creative juices, try to collect from the creative work of others. As an artist, much of my work is inspired by other great art around me. Turn on your favorite fantasy movie (Star Wars?) or perhaps take the plunge into a new musical genre to see if it resonates with you. Music can also help you get focused. Gathering power from others creative work is the basis of Austin Kleons book, How to Steal Like an Artist which, despite its controversial title, is a great book for anybody trying to be creative.
Know Your Creative Schedule
When we wake up, our minds are in the most creative state. However, studies have shown that routines and habits could trump the clock. So ask yourself- are you are a Lark or an Owl? Whichever you are, realize the best times for you to be creative and use that information to your advantage.
If you’re having a hard time being creative, know that you are not alone. Aside from the methods above, I've found that consciously deciding to negate other peoples opinions also greatly helps! Have any questions or ideas about creativity? Let me know on Twitter!
Aleksey Weyman
Aleksey Weyman is a web designer, artist and creator of Millennial Moderator
