We all hit walls in our creative process,\u00a0especially when coming up with new ideas and executing on them are apart of our standard every-day work life. Whether you’re focus is more in design or writing or both, ideas on demand are tough.<\/p>\n
Boxes are everywhere. Same with foxes. Want to be more creative? Think like a fox out the box. (See what I did there!)<\/p>\n
And not just because Apple tells you to. While inspiration can happen instantaneously, consistently being able to think creatively requires practice. Here\u2019s where the process of divergent thinking<\/u><\/a> can be beneficial, with common activities like mind-mapping, role playing, and brainwriting (think written brainstorming) taking precedence.<\/p>\n This mindset of sorts, known as \u201ccreative cognition,\u201d can be further developed through lateral and parallel thinking \u2014 for example, imagining six \u201cthinking hats<\/u><\/a>\u201d to sidestep problems from multiple angles or figuring out preconceived assumptions about a particular topic. Basically, try to be less vertical (sequential and boring) and more horizontal\u00a0in your thought process.<\/p>\n A wandering mind is one of the best outlets for creativity. Einstein, Newton, and Edison alike were notable daydreamers, crediting the phenomenon for some of their greatest works. And it\u2019s not hearsay either \u2014 an fMRI study<\/u><\/a> revealed that a wandering or reminiscing mind is a pretty complex event, employing both the default network (the self\/interpersonal\/memory wandering part of the brain) and executive regions (the problem-solving and planning part) concurrently.<\/p>\n This is most pronounced right before one becomes aware that they\u2019re in a daydreaming state, so dream on, space cadets.<\/p>\n An interesting study published by the Journal of Consumer Research<\/u> found that a modest 70 decibels of noise boosted creativity in participants, which is equivalent to a conversation from 1-1\u00bd meters away (3-5 ft).<\/p>\n A separate study by Steidle and Werth<\/u> found that dim lighting conditions are ideal for idea generation in that it \u201cheightens perceived freedom from constraints.\u201d While these results are intriguing, if you find brainstorming in a brightly-lit anechoic chamber<\/u><\/a> works best for you, have at it.<\/p>\n Children seem to have an endless supply of imagination \u2014 much to the awe and amazement of us boring, unimaginative adults. But while these miniature brain sponges seem to have cracked some mysterious code, how much of it is derivative?<\/p>\n A child remembers a scene or character from a story, combines that with a new word they learned that day, and poof, there\u2019s a magical porcupine king on a sky train to Alderaan. Kids also ask lots of \u201cwhy\u201d questions \u2014 try \u00a0this behavior. Better yet, play the Would You Rather game<\/a>, which is one of kids favorites!<\/p>\n Hitting a wall? Try talking through your ideas with others. A different perspective can offer new insight that would not have been conceived otherwise.<\/p>\n It may seem like an obvious suggestion, but encouraging an open, Planet-Fitness-like judgement free zone where idea sharing and collaboration is encouraged is significant.<\/p>\n2. Daydream<\/h2>\n
3. Adjust Your Environment<\/h2>\n
4. Think Like a Kid<\/h2>\n
5. Talk It Over With Colleagues and Friends<\/h2>\n