How do you get creative?

[Peal]

I think creativity is a concept that is largely misunderstood. There is a false assumption that only certain people are creative when in reality, everyone is capable of it. A lot of people associate it with art that has little utility. But I would argue that it is a crucial part of every business, government and everyday life. It can be deployed to solve problems in a way that expertise and knowledge can't. And lastly, I don't think many people know how to enable their imaginations. There are a lot of things you can do to set yourself up for enhanced creativity.

As a marketing consultant, I've learned a lot about the process and approaches through research, trial and error. Here are some of the things I do to get the most out of my right brain:

1. Work in different places. Sitting at the same desk, in the same office yields the same path of thinking. Go for a walk, lay down in the grass, work in a park or a coffee shop.
2. Getting a diversity of perspective. A diverse group of ages, genders, personality types will produce more creative thinking than a group of experts with the same backgrounds will. I find that conversations with 3-5 people is the most productive format.
3. Bumbling. When I have brainstorm sessions, I don't have an agenda... we just talk. Agendas and goals are the enemies of creativity. It's like a bee going from one idea flower to another.
4. Let it breathe. I only do a couple of hours of creative work at a time. Then I do some busy work or errands. You will subconsciously continue to process the ideas, and things will strike you when you least expect them to.
5. Read. Related to letting it breathe, I find that when I'm reading something unrelated to the creative task, ideas hit me.
6. Microdosing. It isn't a magic pill, but microdosing can create new pathways in your brain. I do this once a week and have noticed a improvement.
7. Use a whiteboard. Getting away from the computer helps. Use paper and pens.
8. Weed. I used to think Marijuana made me more creative, but I actually use it to analyze my work. When I'm high, I have a different perspective. Occasionally I smoke at night and read through my work for the day.
9. Willingness to not produce anything. There's a lot of bullshit dressed up as creativity. I see it all the time in marketing; the bar is so low in my field. Frankly it pisses me off. Most of it is just a tweak on something that has already been done. To me, creativity is a willingness to sit for a few hours, not produce anything and then still feel okay about your progress.
10. Always be open to new approaches. I am always on the lookout for new ways to approach this elusive skill.

So I'd love to know, what are some things you do to boost your creativity?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Putt]

1 & 5 are the most valuable for me.

1. Work in different places.
Both on an anecdotal and a scientific level, this is a good one. Location has a huge impact on mindset. That's why we're advised not to work in bed as it impacts our ability to sleep. Getting outside and seeing different things, smelling different things all helps to tweak the way our brain thinks and helps generate new ideas. The brain is just an input-output machine. If we change what is going in, we can generate new outputs. That's the point of creativity.
5. Read.
Same as my last point. Change what goes in and it will change what comes out. Read some different ideas, different authors, different points of view, different ideologies. Not only does this help build your 'cultural capital' but reading a good book will hold your hand as you think through a problem in a different mindset. Let's call it 'guided' creativity.

 

[TarnMcLean]

I think creativity is a concept that is largely misunderstood. There is a false assumption that only certain people are creative when in reality, everyone is capable of it. A lot of people associate it with art that has little utility. But I would argue that it is a crucial part of every business, government and everyday life. It can be deployed to solve problems in a way that expertise and knowledge can't. And lastly, I don't think many people know how to enable their imaginations. There are a lot of things you can do to set yourself up for enhanced creativity.

As a marketing consultant, I've learned a lot about the process and approaches through research, trial and error. Here are some of the things I do to get the most out of my right brain:

1. Work in different places. Sitting at the same desk, in the same office yields the same path of thinking. Go for a walk, lay down in the grass, work in a park or a coffee shop.
2. Getting a diversity of perspective. A diverse group of ages, genders, personality types will produce more creative thinking than a group of experts with the same backgrounds will. I find that conversations with 3-5 people is the most productive format.
3. Bumbling. When I have brainstorm sessions, I don't have an agenda... we just talk. Agendas and goals are the enemies of creativity. It's like a bee going from one idea flower to another.
4. Let it breathe. I only do a couple of hours of creative work at a time. Then I do some busy work or errands. You will subconsciously continue to process the ideas, and things will strike you when you least expect them to.
5. Read. Related to letting it breathe, I find that when I'm reading something unrelated to the creative task, ideas hit me.
6. Microdosing. It isn't a magic pill, but microdosing can create new pathways in your brain. I do this once a week and have noticed a improvement.
7. Use a whiteboard. Getting away from the computer helps. Use paper and pens.
8. Weed. I used to think Marijuana made me more creative, but I actually use it to analyze my work. When I'm high, I have a different perspective. Occasionally I smoke at night and read through my work for the day.
9. Willingness to not produce anything. There's a lot of bullshit dressed up as creativity. I see it all the time in marketing; the bar is so low in my field. Frankly it pisses me off. Most of it is just a tweak on something that has already been done. To me, creativity is a willingness to sit for a few hours, not produce anything and then still feel okay about your progress.
10. Always be open to new approaches. I am always on the lookout for new ways to approach this elusive skill.

So I'd love to know, what are some things you do to boost your creativity?

Thanks for your post. I think Meditating on a daily basis is really good for switching your brain off and allowing intuition to kick in. When we take action based on our gut feelings I find we get the best results for everyone.

 

[sonny_1080]

Eliminating fluoride intake. Fluoride crystallizes the pineal gland decreasing creativity.

Increasing nootropics intake. These boost thought processes and creativity.

Taking breaks to be outside preferably in nature even if its just a walk around the block.

Exercising regularly.

Daily morning meditation is a game-changer.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Ismail941]

A Quiet Place without Noise
A Headphone will help

 

[Andreas Thiel]

I think what is missing in the OP is something that systemizes breaking out of established concepts.

While there is "Always be open to new approaches"... I think actively seeking them out with a bias for low level solutions is the better approach. I am thinking "First Principles" awareness (Elon Musk style) ... figuring out what the basics are and why people do things the way they do them.

When I look at how most people approach game programming, then there is a whole world behind the Unity / Game Maker Studio tutorials that they dismiss as too technical.
Same with a more classical approach to learning how to draw, paint and design ... compared to "How To Draw Manga Style" step-by-step books and the hunt for the best base.

 

[MaxKhalus]

I think creativity is a concept that is largely misunderstood. There is a false assumption that only certain people are creative when in reality, everyone is capable of it. A lot of people associate it with art that has little utility. But I would argue that it is a crucial part of every business, government and everyday life. It can be deployed to solve problems in a way that expertise and knowledge can't. And lastly, I don't think many people know how to enable their imaginations. There are a lot of things you can do to set yourself up for enhanced creativity.

As a marketing consultant, I've learned a lot about the process and approaches through research, trial and error. Here are some of the things I do to get the most out of my right brain:

1. Work in different places. Sitting at the same desk, in the same office yields the same path of thinking. Go for a walk, lay down in the grass, work in a park or a coffee shop.
2. Getting a diversity of perspective. A diverse group of ages, genders, personality types will produce more creative thinking than a group of experts with the same backgrounds will. I find that conversations with 3-5 people is the most productive format.
3. Bumbling. When I have brainstorm sessions, I don't have an agenda... we just talk. Agendas and goals are the enemies of creativity. It's like a bee going from one idea flower to another.
4. Let it breathe. I only do a couple of hours of creative work at a time. Then I do some busy work or errands. You will subconsciously continue to process the ideas, and things will strike you when you least expect them to.
5. Read. Related to letting it breathe, I find that when I'm reading something unrelated to the creative task, ideas hit me.
6. Microdosing. It isn't a magic pill, but microdosing can create new pathways in your brain. I do this once a week and have noticed a improvement.
7. Use a whiteboard. Getting away from the computer helps. Use paper and pens.
8. Weed. I used to think Marijuana made me more creative, but I actually use it to analyze my work. When I'm high, I have a different perspective. Occasionally I smoke at night and read through my work for the day.
9. Willingness to not produce anything. There's a lot of bullshit dressed up as creativity. I see it all the time in marketing; the bar is so low in my field. Frankly it pisses me off. Most of it is just a tweak on something that has already been done. To me, creativity is a willingness to sit for a few hours, not produce anything and then still feel okay about your progress.
10. Always be open to new approaches. I am always on the lookout for new ways to approach this elusive skill.

So I'd love to know, what are some things you do to boost your creativity?

To get creative, I prefer being stress-free, having a routine that works, and have enough free time. It's much easier when I'm just trying to have fun and not force it. Once you're getting some success and being relaxed, it's easy to come up with ideas.

The opposite is also true. Being in a tough spot forces you to innovate and get through obstacles.

Perhaps the best secret was to never be busy and have a lot of free time to think. You get rid of distractions and suddenly feel inspired to do anything.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Peal]

Eliminating fluoride intake. Fluoride crystallizes the pineal gland decreasing creativity.

Increasing nootropics intake. These boost thought processes and creativity.

Taking breaks to be outside preferably in nature even if its just a walk around the block.

Exercising regularly.

Daily morning meditation is a game-changer.

Thank you. I will try Nootropics. I've never heard of the Fluoride theory.