Creative Notions
People seem to have the misconception that only a
select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That is not
true at all. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be
exercised in order to consistently give out great results. If you don't practice
harnessing creative thinking, this skill will very much atrophy into
inexistence. But keep working and this skill will soon come to you in a snap.
So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become
a human leech. No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood out of every
living being available, we're saying that you should take in as much knowledge
and learning you can find. Read everything available -- good and bad, and keep
your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know,
the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be
exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color into
your life.
Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it's an effort. Even doodling is a
creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative
activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of
creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete
evidence, that, "hey, what I'm doing is getting somewhere." So why don't you try
it. Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera
and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write
in it religiously. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with
your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and
"delicious." Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio,
and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those
works of art. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do
everyday. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be
addicted to these creative exercises.
Think out of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good
thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to
be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce
discipline.
Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective.
Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum to
which you've never been before. Chat up someone on the bus. Open up to the
people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more
each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life. Think
about it. When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it's
been a while, I tell you, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences
that could've added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or
spiritually. Why don't you try bungee jumping today? Not only will you learn,
but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your
storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.
Embrace insanity. No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself into
the mental ward. As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but madness is more
interesting." Exactly! Every creative thought was once deemed insanity by other
"normal" people at one time or another. Luckily, that didn't stop the creative
geniuses from standing by them. The thing is, sanity or being normal confines
people to think... well, normally. Withink limits. Creativity is essentially
breaking through barriers. Yes, this includes the bizzarre and the downright
strange. I'm not saying that you yourself should develop a creative personality.
That might go haywire. An example of a creative personality would be George
Washington, who often rode into battle naked, or James Joyce, who wrote
"Dubliners" with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein,
who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in
this case, the term could probably be "archnemesis.") It's important that your
creativity doesn't get you detached from the real world completely.
I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your "limits." If
you follow these steps pretty soon you'll be living a life full of interesting
adventures. Unleashing your
creative thinking will bring about a new zest for
living life.
