Thinking creatively isn’t always associated with making art or coming up with great new inventions. It is something that we do every day, guiding how we approach problems, how we change directions, and how we make decisions.
Be it at work, with personal goals, or in the face of adversity, creative thought provides us with the ability to go beyond the most obvious solutions. People often feel that they can’t think creatively. This feeling stems from routines that do not provide opportunities for thinking, testing new strategies, and reflecting. This then leads to a feeling that one’s thinking has become stale and rather robotic.
Engaging in creative tasks isn’t about coming up with an amazing new invention that will change the world. It is mostly about training the brain to maintain an inquisitive and adaptable mindset and stay open to new possibilities. This most of the time leads to an increase in one’s ability to solve problems and subsequently will make a positive change in how comfortable one is with innovation. The following exercises will incorporate seamlessly into your daily routines and will not require any additional materials or time.
Change Your Perspective Through Constraint-Based Thinking
The majority of people will tell you that thinking freely and outside the box is essential for being creative. Unfortunately, a lack of boundaries can actually decelerate the thought process. When someone is presented with a novel situation or a new problem, the human brain has a tendency to go for the tried and true solutions. On the other hand, when thinking is constrained, the brain is forced to work in a new way, leading to the identification of solutions that it otherwise would have ignored.
One useful technique is to actually try and find and solve a problem with fewer resources than you would normally use. For example, what would you do if you had half the time you normally would, or if you only had basic tools instead of advanced tools? Ask yourself how you would solve the problem.
This shows that you can be adaptable and make the best use of the resources at your disposal. This problem-solving is useful in today’s world, where the resources we consider ideal are not always available. This type of thinking fosters problem-solving and helps you devise solutions even in the worst of scenarios. As this exercise is performed over time, the brain is conditioned to, instead of perceiving limitations as obstacles, see limitations as opportunities to exercise creativity.
Use Free Writing to Unlock Hidden Ideas
Free writing helps you to bypass the need for self-criticism and judgment. Many writers get blocked because they are too focused on making everything perfect. Free writing helps you to avoid that.
Set a timer for 15-20 minutes to help you write about a problem, an idea, or a question. Write without stopping. Do not focus on grammar and sentences, and do not think about how useful your writing is. If you feel stuck, write about being stuck or describe the problem that is making you feel stuck.
In this way, every mental connection is made to ensure nothing is lost; however, many unexpected mental connections take place, and many ideas can come to mind, achieving mental control and removing restrictive parameters. Controlling the information may cause mental blocking and can lead to the loss of potentially valuable ideas; therefore, free-writing possesses the ability to unlock even the most hidden ideational assets.
Try Idea Mapping Over Linear Thinking
Although linear thinking presents certain advantages, especially when there is a need to follow a very specific set of rules, when addressing a divergent and/or open-ended problem, linear thinking can greatly impede one’s creativity. One useful way to circumvent such restrictions is through idea mapping.
On each page, write down one central idea in the middle and circle it. Then, draw branches out to related ideas, questions, or possibilities, and even label the lines to provide greater structure if you would like. New connections can even emerge and can be quite liberating in the same way that idea mapping itself can be.
In a similar fashion to the way the mind works, this method encourages free and exploratory thinking without a restrictive conclusion. Above all else, idea mapping is a very valuable method for brainstorming, refining ideas, and understanding complex topics, especially when one does not want to rush to a conclusion. The more you practice idea mapping, the more you will become attuned to making connections and espying systems that linear thinking may lead you to overlook.
Step Outside Routine to Spark New Associations
Routine can provide structure and efficiency; however, it can also hinder one’s creative thinking. When there is no variation in a person’s daily activities, it becomes more challenging for their brain to develop original thoughts and to derive new inputs.
Altering your daily routine can be accomplished in a variety of ways, and it does not necessitate a major life shift. Actions such as taking a new route to work, changing the layout of your office, listening to a different genre of music, or attempting to learn a new topic can be useful.
Altering your daily routine can be useful in stimulating your brain and keeping your thinking fresh and more versatile. This can improve your cognitive flexibility and your ability to think of new ideas.
Ask Better Questions Instead of Searching for Faster Answers
Creative problem-solving is highly reliant on the quality of the questions being asked. When questions focus only on speed or efficiency, the solutions tend to be limited.
Instead of asking how to fix a problem quickly, consider what assumptions must be made for the problem to exist. Then consider how a person from a different industry would tackle this issue and what their assumptions would be.
These questions encourage productive thinking. They help understand the underlying concepts instead of just providing superficial answers. With consistent practice, developing the ability to ask more productive questions becomes an automatic practice that creates a pathway to greater innovation.
Use Purposeful Daydreaming to Associate Concepts
Daydreaming is often seen as a distraction, but it is important for thinking creatively. When the brain is not focused on a specific task, it is able to make connections between different concepts. Purposeful daydreaming is when you allow yourself to think about whatever comes to mind without a specific goal. This can be done when you are walking, doing mindless tasks, or sitting in silence with no distractions.
These types of moments allow the brain to connect information from the previous day, which is often when the mind is most creative. Setting aside time to do unstructured thinking is essential for long-term creativity and problem-solving.
Reflect and Capture Ideas Before They Disappear
Creative thinking is a fleeting process, and without making a record of your thoughts, they will be lost forever. Reflection is the process that allows thoughts that come and go to become something actionable.
Taking note of any outstanding questions, ideas, or observations at the end of each day is a good practice. As a rule of thumb, these notes do not necessarily have to contain a lot of detail, as even a few words can capture an idea.
As mentioned, such practices allow one to have a record of feelings, thoughts, and emotions, which can be referred to at a later time. With time, the process of pondering over one’s own ideas, thus transforming creativity into a process of reflection, is something that should always be ongoing, not just once in a while. It should be understood that this type of thinking has a lot of worth and should be cultivated.
