No, creativity is not just about a guru coming out with that earth-shattering idea or product. We are talking here about creativity for ordinary people. How does an ordinary person create difference and innovation in their average day at work or at home? So whether you are an executive, an entrepreneur or a housewife, here are some techniques for you to unleash your creativity…
1- Write all your ideas down as soon as these come to mind, no matter how unrealistic these might seem at first. Creativity is not about seeking out logic; it is about ignoring logic and conventional wisdom. A great tool for jotting down your ideas is Evernote. It is available as a desktop application and can also be downloaded as a mobile app.
2- Just change one little thing first because a small change can make a big difference. So for example rather than trying to change the entire structure of some process at work, start by removing a small element or modifying a component of the process and see what the end result is.
3- Don’t over-think or over-plan – focus on getting out a first version of your idea or prototype out there. Creativity is a process sometimes of iterating from an imperfect place to a more effective solution. The act of iteration itself provides guidance on what to change and how best to improve.
4- Search for ideas all around you in places, sights, sounds, color, conversations, the internet, etc. Inspiration can come from any direction and spontaneously.
5- Switch off to switch on – sometimes you just need to switch off and go do something else that has nothing to do with what you have been focusing on. Maybe this is a walk in the park or a good restful nap. When you let go of thinking, the surprising thing is that your subconscious mind starts to work in over-drive and the ideas start to flow again.
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