Some see trash, I see treasure
What is creative thinking?
How do creative people come up with their clever, innovative ideas?
How can I be a creative thinker?
Is creativity a gift? Do some folks have it and others not? Why does it seem that some people seem to have a constant flow of innovative ideas while others seem to struggle to come up with one original idea? If you've ever wondered about any of the above questions, read on for my 10 tips and suggestions to help boost your own creative thinking.
10 Ways To Boost Your Creativity
1. Perspective is Everything.
Creative people are open-minded. They give themselves permission to stray from a straight and narrow line of human thought and branch out into uncharted territories. They train their minds to look at things (whether it be materials or situations) from a variety of different perspectives. Be open minded. Practice seeing things from different points of view.
2. Develop Patience.
Creative thinkers don't quickly rush to find a solution or an answer to a problem. They patiently consider different options and give equal weight to different possibilities. They give themselves the gift of time to weigh out different options (they give themselves time to consider different perspectives, as in #1 above!)
3. Be Optimistic.
An optimistic mind is an open mind. It's also a positive mind. Besides helping to boost creativity, being optimistic is good for your health. If you tend to be a negative thinker, banishing negative thoughts from your mind can take some time and practice, but you can do it!
When you feel a negative thought coming into your mind, recognize it for what it is, label it as a negative thought, and then replace that negative thought with a positive one. Make yourself get into the habit of doing this and after a while it will become second nature. A well-balanced, optimistic, open mind is more welcoming to new and different ideas than a negative, closed mind. Make sense?
4. Be Grateful.
Gratitude is directly related to optimism. When you slow down and relax your body and mind and open yourself up to feelings of gratitude, anxieties disappear and the mind becomes a clean slate. What are you grateful for? Make a list. Better yet, start a gratitude journal. Every day write down something that you are grateful for. Review your list constantly.
5. Read.
Read! Explore other worlds through reading books. Reading not only helps boost your creativity by opening your mind to new worlds, but it also helps expand your vocabulary, stimulates your brain, and makes you smart. Reading also helps develop concentration and focus, not to mention it's just plain awesome.
6. Teach yourself to relax.
When life gets busy we tend to get stressed out. Do you know how to relax? Always know that you have the power to comfort yourself. Everything you need is already inside of you. Be confident in your abilities to comfort and relax yourself. Once you realize that you have this amazing power, use it frequently! Even the simplest exercise - such as deep breathing - is a powerful tool that YOU own. Use it! I find that my own creativity blossoms when I am relaxed.
7. Believe in your personal magic.
Every single person in the world has their own special magic. I think that lots of people get so caught up in day to day life that they either ignore their magic or they never take the time to foster it and allow it to grow and blossom. Or maybe they have allowed pessimism and negativity to bury their magic so deep down inside of themselves that it remains hidden. What talents do you posses? How can you use your talents to help other people? Find those talents and use them for good. Help other people live better lives.
8. Play.
Play games, listen to music, play with your children, play with hobbies and things that are fun and bring you joy. Imaginative play and games that require you to think and use your imagination are great ways to get the gears in your brain moving and spark your creativity. Know how to have fun! I love to play games!
9. Know who you are.
Spend as much time as you can surrounded by nature and without distractions. Leave the phone at home. Listen to the sound of your footsteps on a woodsy trail. Look around at all of the colors and shapes of life. Use all of your senses to take it all inside of you. Just as there are rocks beneath your feet and trees around you, realize that you are a part of all of that life. Just as you look at a tree and take in an impression of that tree, realize that all that you say and do to other people is your own legacy. Make it a good one.
10. Give.
This is one of my personal favorites. Give. Share your ideas. Give them away. I firmly believe that it is in the process of giving away what we know that allows us to be open to receive more, brand new ideas. Some people think of ideas or creative ideas as being sacred secrets - what I mean by this is that they think they have some sort of secret formula that they need to keep hidden to themselves and that that is their power, when in actuality the opposite is true. It is in giving away that you increase your power. It is in giving away that you make room for brand new ideas. By helping other people you are releasing goodness into the world that will come back to you twofold. Give!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, so be sure to leave a comment below!
Is creativity a gift? Do some folks have it and others not? Why does it seem that some people seem to have a constant flow of innovative ideas while others seem to struggle to come up with one original idea? If you've ever wondered about any of the above questions, read on for my 10 tips and suggestions to help boost your own creative thinking.
10 Ways To Boost Your Creativity
1. Perspective is Everything.
Creative people are open-minded. They give themselves permission to stray from a straight and narrow line of human thought and branch out into uncharted territories. They train their minds to look at things (whether it be materials or situations) from a variety of different perspectives. Be open minded. Practice seeing things from different points of view.
2. Develop Patience.
Creative thinkers don't quickly rush to find a solution or an answer to a problem. They patiently consider different options and give equal weight to different possibilities. They give themselves the gift of time to weigh out different options (they give themselves time to consider different perspectives, as in #1 above!)
3. Be Optimistic.
An optimistic mind is an open mind. It's also a positive mind. Besides helping to boost creativity, being optimistic is good for your health. If you tend to be a negative thinker, banishing negative thoughts from your mind can take some time and practice, but you can do it!
When you feel a negative thought coming into your mind, recognize it for what it is, label it as a negative thought, and then replace that negative thought with a positive one. Make yourself get into the habit of doing this and after a while it will become second nature. A well-balanced, optimistic, open mind is more welcoming to new and different ideas than a negative, closed mind. Make sense?
4. Be Grateful.
Gratitude is directly related to optimism. When you slow down and relax your body and mind and open yourself up to feelings of gratitude, anxieties disappear and the mind becomes a clean slate. What are you grateful for? Make a list. Better yet, start a gratitude journal. Every day write down something that you are grateful for. Review your list constantly.
Read! Explore other worlds through reading books. Reading not only helps boost your creativity by opening your mind to new worlds, but it also helps expand your vocabulary, stimulates your brain, and makes you smart. Reading also helps develop concentration and focus, not to mention it's just plain awesome.
6. Teach yourself to relax.
When life gets busy we tend to get stressed out. Do you know how to relax? Always know that you have the power to comfort yourself. Everything you need is already inside of you. Be confident in your abilities to comfort and relax yourself. Once you realize that you have this amazing power, use it frequently! Even the simplest exercise - such as deep breathing - is a powerful tool that YOU own. Use it! I find that my own creativity blossoms when I am relaxed.
7. Believe in your personal magic.
Every single person in the world has their own special magic. I think that lots of people get so caught up in day to day life that they either ignore their magic or they never take the time to foster it and allow it to grow and blossom. Or maybe they have allowed pessimism and negativity to bury their magic so deep down inside of themselves that it remains hidden. What talents do you posses? How can you use your talents to help other people? Find those talents and use them for good. Help other people live better lives.
8. Play.
Play games, listen to music, play with your children, play with hobbies and things that are fun and bring you joy. Imaginative play and games that require you to think and use your imagination are great ways to get the gears in your brain moving and spark your creativity. Know how to have fun! I love to play games!
9. Know who you are.
Spend as much time as you can surrounded by nature and without distractions. Leave the phone at home. Listen to the sound of your footsteps on a woodsy trail. Look around at all of the colors and shapes of life. Use all of your senses to take it all inside of you. Just as there are rocks beneath your feet and trees around you, realize that you are a part of all of that life. Just as you look at a tree and take in an impression of that tree, realize that all that you say and do to other people is your own legacy. Make it a good one.
10. Give.
This is one of my personal favorites. Give. Share your ideas. Give them away. I firmly believe that it is in the process of giving away what we know that allows us to be open to receive more, brand new ideas. Some people think of ideas or creative ideas as being sacred secrets - what I mean by this is that they think they have some sort of secret formula that they need to keep hidden to themselves and that that is their power, when in actuality the opposite is true. It is in giving away that you increase your power. It is in giving away that you make room for brand new ideas. By helping other people you are releasing goodness into the world that will come back to you twofold. Give!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, so be sure to leave a comment below!
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I hope you have a creative week!
Laura
Laura
My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns
article and images ©Laura Beth Love 2016