Sparking creativity, whether it be to create a new app, propose a different business model, or rethink your social media strategy, is sometimes one of the hardest things to drum up during times where you feel uninspired.
I know that for a fact (take this blog post for example. SO. MUCH. COFFEE).
Joking aside, we all go through times of feeling stale in our creativity. And a lot of times, this staleness occurs at points where it’s very important for our creativity to flourish!
If you’re like the millions of working people out there who has trouble being creative and productive, we’ve got some helpful tips to get your innovative juices pumping to that all important creative muscle: your brain.
Listen To Some Tunes
I love listening to music. I try to fill up as much of my day with music as I can. In the shower, in the car, in my occasional quiet evenings alone, on my long commute back and forth to work, and most importantly, at work. Music has the amazing capability of sparking some of my most creative moments. I’ve found that listening to upbeat, pop or rock music helps me to push out ideas faster while deep instrumental post-rock tunes almost always help me to think about a goal more clearly and on a deeper level.
This idea is backed up by research from Glenn Schellenberg, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, who found that when a person is listening to a type of music that they enjoy, they are far more likely to be more creative. Be sure to utilize whatever type of music sparks your creativity the most.
Besides the mood-boosting effects of music, it can also help you to focus on one sound: the music. It blocks out potentially distracting sounds if you work in a busy and loud environment.
Get Another Opinion On An Idea
Your ideas aren’t always the most creatives ones, and it certainly isn’t a good idea to always take your own word for something. If you’re stuck on an idea and find yourself simply unable to see it from a different angle, reach out to a trusted friend or colleague and see what they have to say. Their idea might be worse than your own, but it’s always better to combine creative minds to create something that’s even more imaginative than what one mind could accomplish by itself.
Do Some Research
I get stuck on ideas for blog posts a lot. It always feels like there’s something out there I need to be writing about, but I just can’t think of a subject! In those times of writer’s block, I usually seek out articles on the Internet that can help to fuel my creative writing abilities.
The same strategy can be used for business owners who are stuck on what to do about stagnant sales leads, or a lack of brand advocates, or even how to get more people to follow their social media accounts. There are hundreds of thousands of articles out there from marketing experts who know how to get results. You just have to do a little research to find them!
Do Something Uncomfortable
Here’s an interesting idea that I came across while practicing what I was just preaching in the previous point. According to an opinion column by Inc. Magazine columnist Tanner Christensen, one of the best ways to spark creativity is to get uncomfortable. That’s right. Purposefully put yourself into an uncomfortable position.
The reason behind this thinking is simple: we get stuck creatively because we get used to the routine of everyday lives. This includes a routine of working through problems in the same way, and thinking about them through the same lenses, that we always have.
If you want to stimulate your brain into a more creative mindset, you need to shock it through unpredictable, sometimes uncomfortable, situations. Steve Jobs, Picasso, and Edison all practiced this and look what they accomplished.
Make yourself a little uncomfortable, and watch the creativity flow!
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