According to cognitive psychologist Robert J Sternberg, creativity can be defined as “the process of producing something that is both original and worthwhile.” It is about exploring new ways to solve problems and tackle situations. Here are some tips to develop it:
COMMIT YOURSELF: Be determined to build your creative skills, therefore set goals accordingly and plan your schedule. Develop inspirational rituals for getting motivated such as meditating in the morning, reading daily or listening to music etc.
CREATE SOMETHING NEW: Try to adapt to something new every day even if it is for a few minutes. For instance writing daily, sketching, painting, playing or even cooking. Ingenuity breeds creativity.
BE SELF-DEPENDENT: This means trying to complete your work by yourself rather than depending on others. Heed others’ advice, respect them, but be independent in your actions. This elevates confidence and contributes to creativity.
DEVELOP IDEAS: An idea is merely a new combination of old elements. Travelling is a good time to put your brain to work. Let ideas develop and allow them to flow freely. This will enhance imagination and in turn creativity.
ENLIST THE IDEAS: Big ideas crop up at odd hours, and then vanish quietly. So the wise thing is to jot them down as soon as they are born. Never mind if they appear crazy, note them down. Peruse them when free; work on their outcome and course of action.
GATHER INFORMATION: Information is the raw material from which ideas are born. There are two types of information: general and specific. General information is about everything and anything and is a lifelong process requiring voracious reading, keen observation and absorbing knowledge from sources all around. Specific information, on the other hand aims to collect topic related facts and figures.
FILTER THE INFORMATION: Once accumulated, filter the information as per requirement. Trim the materials and sync them with your ideas. Jot down more ideas as they occur to you. Strike a chord between your ideas and information to give a concrete shape.
PREPARE TO TAKE RISKS: Be prepared to take risks; some plans may fail but by undertaking risks, creative thinking gets boosted. Don’t let failures demotivate you; rather proceed for another chance. Risks allow you to think out of the box; look for the unconventional and embrace the difference.
WORK ON YOURSELF: Adopt curiosity, clear your doubts, strengthen your confidence and fight your failures. Keep depression at bay and remain unaffected by negative thoughts. Brainstorm new ideas and never stop thinking of new and innovative ones. Plan out your daily chores productively and assign free time to thinking.
ENJOY WORK AND BREAKS: Enjoy your work, be happy, and spend time with family and friends. Take breaks from work to relax and de-stress yourself. Remember the best and the most creative ideas take birth only in a cool and creative environment.