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.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts
Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.
You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.
- Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
- MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
- Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
- Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."— User Richard Peck
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?
