"Creativity is not a talent. it is a way of operating." - John Cleese. What, where, why, and how? Find your center - a creative place for creative routine. Some people have it in the jacuzzi or sauna. Discover your distractions - read first of all you have done and review it, after this start creating it. Make sure that at some point you improve and if you read stuff that you did before is ideal, if it is code, music lyrics. Know your inspiration - stop for a second and use other people that are better than you. Creative, musical, writers and other inspirations. Establish your routine - check other people creative routines and figure out one for yourself. A lot of ideas in this creativity post are from James Whittaker talk - he is a distinguished engineer in Microsoft.
Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and somehow valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a literary work or a painting).
Creativity techniques are methods that encourage creative actions, whether in the arts or sciences. They focus on a variety of aspects of creativity, including techniques for idea generation and divergent thinking, methods of re-framing problems, changes in the effective environment and so on. They can be used as part of problem-solving, artistic expression, or therapy.
How to think about themselves as a creative person? Creative ideas can be used anywhere if it is MRI machine room for kids or any hospital. Creativity is not the domain of only a chosen few. How to Build Your Creative Confidence by David Kelley in TED Talks?
You can’t become playful, and therefore creative if you’re under your usual pressures. It’s not enough to create space; you have to create your space for a specific period of time. Nothing will stop you being creative so effectively as the fear of making a mistake. The main evolutionary significance of humor is that it gets us from the closed mode to the open mode quicker than anything else.
It’s not enough to create space; you have to create your space for a specific period of time. Relationships that don't end the relationship where people actively learn from each other. Don't let creativity slow down: code, dance, film, design, build, brew, play, cartoon, teach, cook, paint, draw... do something embrace creative sidelines - pick one and do it, embrace profundity and it will embrace you back. "Software is the opposable thumb for the human mind." Once you have achieved a creative life you must live it. Sarcastic people are basically the best people in the office. Pass it on, give back to other people - tell how to be creative to other people, come up with the story. If somebody said something sarcastic just take a moment and enjoy it. Create a lifestyle around creativity and creativity will become your lifestyle.
We need to be in the open mode when pondering a problem — but! — once we come up with a solution, we must then switch to the closed mode to implement it. Because once we’ve made a decision, we are efficient only if we go through with it decisively, undistracted by doubts about its correctness.
These include approaches that have been developed by both academia and industry:
- Establishing purpose and intention
- Building basic skills
- Encouraging acquisitions of domain-specific knowledge
- Stimulating and rewarding curiosity and exploration
- Building motivation, especially internal motivation
- Encouraging confidence and a willingness to take risks
- Focusing on mastery and self-competition
- Promoting supportable beliefs about creativity
- Providing opportunities for choice and discovery
- Developing self-management (metacognitive skills)
- Teaching techniques and strategies for facilitating creative performance
- Providing balance
Here is a simple test of creativity for you: Only 3% of people pass this creative test, can you?
After James talk I started to realize how important is the skill of presenting stuff, he is pretty good at pitching his ideas, probably that is why he is already distinguished engineer in Microsoft. He uses a lot of profanity, but it makes sense in his talks and holly sheet - it provides some charm. Anyway, just think if you have a startup idea it is mandatory to make sure that you understand that presenting it is crucial. If you look at real leaders they are all storytellers, there are a lot of leaders in the past who aced it. You cannot skip first couple minutes, you have to make sure that you control your movements, pitch on the stage. The very good opening line is crucial, usually, you have only 2 minutes max before people lose attention. This is the extraordinary thing about creativity: If just you keep your mind resting against the subject in a friendly but persistent way, sooner or later you will get a reward from your unconscious. “It’s easier to do trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent, like thinking, It’s also easier to do little things we know we can do than to start on big things we’re not so sure about”.
Humor is an essential part of spontaneity, an essential part of playfulness, an essential part of the creativity we need to solve problems no matter how serious they may be.
1. Diverse Thinking:
- Creativity involves making new connections between existing ideas or concepts. Encouraging diverse thinking and exposing yourself to different perspectives can spark creative ideas.
2. Environment:
- Creativity can be fostered by the environment. Spaces that encourage collaboration, provide stimulating materials, and allow for relaxation can enhance creative thinking.
3. Practice and Persistence:
- Like any other skill, creativity improves with regular practice. Engaging regularly in creative activities, facing challenges, and not fearing failure can enhance one’s creative abilities.
4. Cross-disciplinary Learning:
- Drawing knowledge from various fields can lead to innovative solutions and ideas. Engaging with different disciplines can enhance one’s ability to think creatively.
5. Curiosity and Exploration:
- Maintaining a sense of curiosity and openness to new experiences can fuel creativity. Asking questions, seeking new experiences, and exploring unfamiliar territories can lead to creative discoveries.
6. Problem-Solving:
- Creativity is often needed to solve problems in unconventional ways. By practicing problem-solving in various contexts, one can develop creative thinking skills.
7. Feedback and Collaboration:
- Interacting with others, sharing ideas, and receiving feedback can provide new insights and spark creative thought. Collaboration combines different viewpoints and can lead to innovative outcomes.
8. Mindfulness and Reflection:
- Taking time for reflection and mindfulness can clear the mind and lead to greater creativity. Techniques like meditation can help in developing a clearer, more focused state of mind conducive to creative thought.
9. Embracing Failure:
- Viewing failure as a learning opportunity rather than a setback can foster a creative mindset. It encourages risk-taking and experimentation, which are crucial for creative development.
10. Constraints and Limitations:
- Ironically, constraints can boost creativity by forcing one to think within set parameters. Limitations challenge people to come up with resourceful solutions.
11. Inspiration:
- While inspiration alone isn’t creativity, it can spark the creative process. Seeking out things that inspire you, whether nature, art, or literature, can stimulate creative ideas.
12. Rest and Downtime:
- Allowing time for rest and disengagement from work can lead to “eureka” moments. The brain often solves complex problems and generates new ideas when we’re not actively focusing on the issue.
Understanding that creativity can be developed empowers individuals to enhance their creative abilities through practice and adopting the right strategies. It democratizes creativity, making it accessible to everyone, not just those perceived as "naturally" creative. By adopting this mindset, individuals and organizations can foster an environment where creative skills flourish, leading to innovation and growth.
Reference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity_techniques
http://www.famousscientists.org/7-great-examples-of-scientific-discoveries-made-in-dreams/
Summary
Don't focus just relax, think outside of the box. Take more risks. Sleep on it, when a taking a nap you can get insides. Melody for the song Yesterday came to Paul Mccartney while dream, also Mendeleev Dmitri Mendeleev was obsessed with finding a logical way to organize the chemical elements. It had been preying on his mind for months. “In a dream, I saw a table where all the elements fell into place as required. Awakening, I immediately wrote it down on a piece of paper.” The subconscious mind is very powerful. Provided the conscious mind absorbs plenty of data while awake, the subconscious mind can process and make sense of the data while asleep. Creativity is a skill that can be improved.