In this very competitive culture we live in, the requirement for creative thinking is soon more in demand higher than ever. Both the corporate and organizational landscape requires creativity from their staff and employees, may it be to come up with superbly packaged products, enticing marketing campaigns, innovation breakthroughs, or as small as solving regular difficulties in the workplace. Creative thought is not for the artistic people only. People that work in other areas need to fire up their Improve Your Creative Thinking to get out of the rut called “original block.”
Creative block is a phase when an individual seems not able to conjure an original idea, or because he thinks not unique. That’s not true! Everybody can be creative, only like everything, you want to practice it. To work out your brain and to get out of this stagnation, applying a few but useful tricks should get your creative juices flowing.
Creative thinking is not a talent; it is a skill that can be learned. It empowers people with adding depth to their natural abilities which improve teamwork, productivity and where appropriate profits
– Edward de Bono
1 – You need inspirational rituals
One of the best ways to inspire yourself and create every day is to develop routines that you begin to use regularly and routinely. This will condition your brain for better creativity. For instance, your ritual strength is reading in the morning, listening to music, meditating for a few minutes, or taking several long breaths.
2 – Try to create something each day
Create something every day, even if it’s only for 5 or 10 minutes. I try to write articles, draw mind maps in meetings, develop business models, concepts, and I also collect and generate hundreds of ideas. I always have three projects in the pipeline; lots of them are not developed, but they inspire me. My core business is digital transformation discussing and Lean Six Sigma training, but I work on projects that are not related to my expertise. Here are some examples:
- In 2010, I was in the Himalayas to produce and direct a long featured documentary called Introspectus. I did also working on a collaborative filmmaking platform, a change benchmarking software, Fab Lab project…
- In May 2013, I did breeding insects to develop food protein solutions. I finished because it remained not profitable.
- In June 2013, I didn’t know how to develop and manage a blog; here you are reading this article.
- In July 2013, I created the Startup Shelter ( web site in french) to help people or start-ups launch and fund their ideas.
- In February 2014, with three partners, I launched Lean Six Sigma Belgium and Lean Six Sigma France to use Lean Management principles to identify waste and design faster and responsive processes. We also use Six Sigma principles to improve customer satisfaction by delivering perfect products and services consistently.
- In July 2014 I co-founded a coaching and team-building project related to activity and happiness to work: Agile & Scrum Belgium & Team Building Spirit
- In May 2015, I launched the copywriting and ghostwriting agency called Ghost Writer Hub.
- In September 2016, with one partner and ADNEOM, we launched World of Digits, a company specialized in Digital Transformation.
All those Improve Your Creative Thinking ideas are inspiring each other and generating new ones. It’s a beautiful feeling. Some people call this luck or planned serendipity.
Now it’s your turn to challenge yourself to create for the next two weeks.
3 – Instead of discipline, think devotion
Luciano Pavarotti, one’s said: “People think I’m disciplined. It’s not discipline, its service, and there’s a large difference.”
4 – Take breaks
If you feel stuck, including an idea, and you have nowhere to go. You want a breather. Forcing yourself to gain a solution will only start to exhaustion. Try standing up on your desk, walk outside about to the vending machine, grab a coffee, talk to people, and look at the scenery outside your workplace. Some inspirations will strike you at the most unexpected places, and you’d be surprised when you get them when you’re not working. I get most of my revelation when I’m cycling in the woods or communicating with friends.
5 – Create a list and select your ideas
Sometimes the opposite of creative block happens – you have too many ideas! While it’s right, it can also make you confused. You can sort thoughts up by keeping a list. List down each sense that comes to mind and determine which one you think is the best. You can also bring a pen and a small notebook wherever you go so you don’t forget the ideas that come to you when you’re riding a bus, having lunch, reading a book or watching videos on the internet.
6 – Ask the right questions
When you need to start a creative session, always start with why, how, what, when matter, and try to answer it.
7 – Have fun among your colleagues or friends
Having fun with your colleagues or friends is a proven and successful way to create ideas. It’s a great moment to open up to views of others, so you can make your thoughts more consolidated. The best way to do it is to listen to ideas without judgment. Passing experience, even externally hearing the full concept, will breed humility and hostility within the group. Moreover, the goal of that kind of team building is to create as many ideas as possible, so make every body’s contribution count. Here is an article showing how some companies have created this fun and creative corporate culture.
Another way to have fun with your colleagues is to go out for a beer a generate ideas. article
8 – Take advantage of peak hours
Some people are more Improve Your Creative Thinking and productive at certain hours of the day, while others are more creative at the height of their emotions. Work your soul out at these specific times, and let your creative juices stream freely. Creativity can also be improved if you put yourself in a particular place in the room or if you surround yourself with certain music. This release of creativity works from person-to-person. There’s hard and fast rule what time of day, emotion, about surrounding you should be to become original. Just do what works for you.
9 – Build a network
Get Improve Your Creative Thinking and inspiring people into your social circle and interact with them regularly. Listening to fresh perspectives and seeing your issues from different angles may help you reconstruct your ideas. The re-focus will support you in substantiating the problem and narrow down resolutions. Here is a list of 10 profiles you should work or talk with and another article with an explanation on How to Build an Innovation Group in your community?
10 – Take Risks
A risk may be a double-ended sword; however, the more you avoid it, the more you are leaving ideas unturned. Chances permit you to think out-of-the-box, look for the original, and embrace the difference. Creative thinking doesn’t necessitate you to conform all the time; in fact, most of the ingenious concepts are born from deviating.
11 – Forget talent
We tend to think we either have it or we don’t. Ability is an overloaded word, don’t focus on what you can do; just do it. Learn by doing. Show up, work hard and support yourself. It’s how you’ll make things happen every day.
To Improve Your Creative Thinking , you need to know how to get your creative juices out. You can do this by:
- Build inspirational rituals
- Try to create something every day
- Instead of discipline, think devotion.
- Taking a break and find creative inspirations.
- Make a list and select your ideas.
- Ask the right questions.
- Have fun with your colleagues or friends.
- Working on your most productive hours.
- Building a network.
- Taking risks.
- Forget talent.
Some people are born to think creatively, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative if you’re not showing signs of creativity in the workplace. Creativity can be harnessed as you grow in your organization. Given the best venues, mindset, and resources, it is reasonable to fuel your creative thinking actions.