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:
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Read. Related to letting it breathe, I find that when I'm reading something unrelated to the creative task, ideas hit me.
- 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.
- Use a whiteboard. Getting away from the computer helps. Use paper and pens.
- 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.
- 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.
- Always be open to new approaches. I am always on the lookout for new ways to approach this elusive skill.
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