While many believe creativity is all genetics, creativity is a learned skill. Increasing your creativity requires grit and practice. Like learning a new instrument, if you do not practice inventive thinking, your skill will not grow. Creativity is integral to business, as Steve Jobs explains for Apple: "It's in Apple's DNA that technology alone is not enough. It's technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing." Creativity benefits problem-solving skills, innovation and intellection. Here are three ideas to boost your creativity:
Doodle—Many of us were punished in school for doodling on our notes, but now it is encouraged. Doodling can improve memory and attention span. Use doodling to your advantage by visually brainstorming. This can force your brain to think in a foreign way, producing many new results.
Think Inside The Box—Don’t start with a blank page. This often creates a roadblock to solving a problem. Instead, provide structure to spur creativity. Thinking inside the box is not a limitation to creativity. Shakespeare’s creativity flourished within a sonnet form. Pick a due date for a project or create a general timeline to bloom your creative thoughts.
Get Up And Walk—Whether inside or outdoors, walking produces more creative thinking. Walking is proven to activate endorphins which, literally, gets the creative juices flowing; while sitting stagnates innovative problem-solving.
