5 Ways To Become More Creative

Many people have the mistaken notion that creativity is an inborn quality. Like a widow's peak or the ability to roll your tongue, it's in genes, people believe, and you either have it or you don't. However, it turns out that creativity is not an inborn trait but a skill, and like any other skill, it can be developed and cultivated through hard work, practice, and commitment.

Maybe you feel like your creative muscles have been atrophied, but just like your real muscles, you can build them back up by exercising them. Here are some ways that you can work on the skill of creative thinking.

1. Don't Self-Edit

To start with something small, imagine that you came up with a new design for a package of mint lip balm. Then imagine that you immediately rejected the idea as something that would never work and never sell. If you dismiss your ideas out of hand, you'll never know whether they could work or not.

Now, imagine that you think about your lip balm packaging idea some more and, through analysis, you find out that it really wouldn't work at all. That doesn't mean that it’s a bad idea. Through further revision, analysis, and experimentation, you may be able to develop your original idea into something that does work. This process works with much bigger and bolder ideas than lip balm packaging, but only if you give it a chance by not discarding your ideas right away.

2. Listen and Learn

If creativity is a skill, then one way of learning it is to listen to people who have already mastered it, or who have at least had the success with it that you would like to emulate. Your probably have some people in mind whom you consider creative in a way that you would like to be. Find ways to learn from them. Maybe they have a podcast or have appeared on other someone's. Listen to the podcast. TED Talks are available to view online for free and can also offer valuable insights.

3. Think Like a Kid

Another common misconception about creativity is that children have it but most people lose the capacity for it when they grow up. This is not true. What actually happens is that as many people grow up, they stop opening themselves to endless possibilities like children do, and they start worrying about what others think of them. When you let go of these hang-ups and allow yourself to play and to free-associate the way children do, you may find that your creative juices start flowing more freely.

4. Free Your Mind

Thanks to technology, social media, and streaming services, there are more demands on your attention than ever before. There are so many entertainment options available, probably more than you would ever be able to consume in a lifetime. However, by occupying so much of your attention, these can take up the time and attention that you might otherwise devote to creative endeavors.

This is not to suggest that you give up electronic entertainment altogether. For one thing, that would prevent you from listening to podcasts and watching TED Talks already demonstrated to be beneficial. However, you should make at least a little time every day for quiet and a lack of occupation. Giving yourself a chance to daydream can help you unleash your creative potential.

5. Go Outside

It can be beneficial to the creative process to take a break and go outside for a while, especially if you've been struggling in your creative pursuits. Physical activity and a change of scenery both seem to kick-start the creative process, while spending time in nature can help reduce stress and offer other psychological benefits. If you can't otherwise find a way to unplug as suggested, this can be a good opportunity as long as you leave the devices at home or at least keep the smartphone quiet while you're outside.

To continue the analogy of the muscle, you need to exercise your creativity every day. Becoming more creative is like any other skill in that it takes continuous practice and dedication to improve.