5 Ways to Enhance Your Creativity

We're born creative. However, this innate characteristic becomes buried as we get older. Our logical left brain usually takes the driver's seat. Here are 5 ways to help you unearth your creative self.

1. Surprise Your Mind. List laughable, ridiculous, outrageous and bizarre ideas. Don't limit yourself to ideas that other people consider "sane," "reasonable" or "logical." The best and most creative ideas stem from silly ones. When you're in a creative mode, you're suspending judgment on ideas you generate. You simply list them all down and never worry whether they make sense or not. Allow yourself the freedom to think outside the box.

2. Aim for Quantity. Generate loads of ideas for you to go through later. It's normal that your first few ideas won't really be fresh. The gems will come out later so it's important to keep going. With a large list of ideas, you'll have more to choose from, adapt or combine. Creativity is not coming up with something new from nothing; creativity is the ability to create something novel from ideas/things that already exist by combining, improving or refining them.

3. Be Playful. A relaxed and playful attitude fosters creativity. Those creative juices flow best when you're not restrained by your logical, left brain. Toy with ideas and forget about being too careful. Be a child again and play.

4. Believe that Everything has a Solution. An optimistic outlook always leads to solutions, no matter how impossible a problem or task may be. Often when a solution can't be found, all that's needed is for the problem to be redefined. Or when you think you're stumped, surprise your mind with silly solutions then work backwards, leading to the original problem. Cultivate an attitude of continuing search for solutions.

5. Let Go of Your Fear of Failure. Don't expect to do something perfectly for the first time. Thomas Edison tried about 1800 things for the perfect filament for the incandescent lamp. Fear of failure is one of the major factors that can hinder your creativity. Instead of looking at failed attempts negatively, look at your failures as learning opportunities. Failing isn't fun, but neither is doing nothing.

Copyright © 2003-2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

About The Author

Shery is the creator of WriteSparks! - a software that generates over 10 *million* Story Sparkers for Writers. Download WriteSparks! Lite for free - http://writesparks.com

---

Improve Your Bottom Line, Kens Idea Saved over $100,000

Engaged employees can show us the way to continuously improve.... Read More

What is Creativity?

Here in England September represents the end of Summer and... Read More

How Do You Paint New Age

About once every year or so, I take a critical... Read More

Innovation: Wake Up Your People?s Creative Genius

Successful companies have innovation in their blood. The single most... Read More

Magic In Your Spice Rack

Variety is the spice of life, but spices, historically are... Read More

Attraction: What We Attract With Our Creative Choices

I used to be a jazz singer. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah... Read More

Forget Thinking Outside The Box....GET Outside The Box

I happened to overhear a conversation the other day between... Read More

Three Ways Journaling Can Boost Your Creativity and Your Business

I have a friend who has struggled with her creativity... Read More

Why Creative Visualization Works

Experience has shown that creative visualization works. It is quite... Read More

Unlock Your Creative Secret Weapon

It seems like this week a ton of people have... Read More

What Open Stage is Teaching Me About Life

After many years of performing as a vocalist, I switched... Read More

How To Get In The Zone And Blast Your Marketing To A Higher Level

This may come as a surprise... but many marketers are... Read More

Dare to Dream

Have you ever thought of this? When you were young... Read More

Creativity Management ? Artists and Creativity

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Courage and Creating

Doing anything creative often brings up fears, anxieties, insecurities. Courage... Read More

The Elements of Creativity: What-ifs?

What if there is no toilet paper and I am... Read More

Revenge of the Sith ? Creativity and Structure

The common belief is that lack of structure and randomness... Read More

3 Clever Creative Strategies!

I've got a confession to make... there are many ways... Read More

Mindfulness and Poetry: Delicious Word Awareness

Everyone's a poet.Of course, everyone's a critic, too! This means... Read More

Macrovision

These days it's all about breaking things down into manageable... Read More

Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney

When you think about the legacies Walt Disney left us,... Read More

Top Five Reasons to Cultivate Your Creativity

Cultivating your creativity is more than spending time with a... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management : Why Products Fail!

There is no sure fire route to commercial success but... Read More

Why Teach Thinking? Why Not ?

The word 'creativity' has so many diverse meanings and interpretations.... Read More

Tap the Creative Inside You

Imagination is the source of creativity. It's a place where... Read More

How To Increase Creativity... Set Deadlines!

Deadlines are something all of us face from time to... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Think Creatively

You may have heard of Roger von Oech's book, A... Read More

The 7 Simple Steps To Harnessing Your Creative Power And Achieving Incredible Success

Let me repeat what I believe is the most powerful... Read More

How To Master Your Game

Learn how to master your area of endeavor the right... Read More

Creativity Management ? Intellectual Cross Pollination

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Think & Grow Rich

All wealth is a product of mind. Some economists will... Read More

Theres A Light At The End Of Your Tunnel, Called Imagination!

Imagine this. You've got this huge dream you just turned... Read More

Finding A Little Adventure

I have had more than my share of exciting times... Read More