Methods to Spur Creativity

Methods to Spur CreativityFire Up Your Creative Side With These Tips and Tricks

Sometimes our creativity flows endlessly, providing our work with a constant stream of new and innovative ideas that benefit our business and our lives. Other times, creativity feels more like a slow drip than a rushing river. If you’re in a creative slump consider giving some of these tips and tricks a try, and watch your creative side come back to life.

Engage the right side of your brain

Our left brain is responsible for being organized and analytical, so let it take a break when you’re trying to think of new ideas and angles. Making a list might seem like a logical thing to do when you’re having a creative slump, but it’s certainly not the best way to spark your creativity.

Instead, try creating a mind map when you have a problem that’s in need of some creative solutions. Take a large piece of paper and write down your original problem in the center of it. Next, brainstorm different solutions, with lines leading out from your central issue. Feel completely free to begin with the most obvious solutions, and work out from there.

Get moving to induce creativity

If you’ve been sitting at your desk trying to think of a way to add a creative edge to your next project, but you aren’t gaining any traction, maybe it’s time to take your brainstorming to go. Changing up our scenery is one excellent way to put our brains in a new environment that promotes creativity.

If you’re at the office grab a notebook and a pen and try going for a walk outside. If you’re able to take it a step further, consider going to a yoga class, taking a long jog outside, or engaging in any other physical activity that lets your mind wander freely. You could be surprised by how much moving your legs also allows your mind to move around and explore different ideas.

Turn to your cellphone for creativity help

Technology can stifle our creativity, especially when we’re mindlessly browsing social media sites or reading one clickbait article after another. But, what if you could use your phone to help put your mind in a more creative place? You’re in luck, because there’s an app (or six) for that. Cnet covered six fantastic apps that can help you think more creativity, and they’re worth a try if you’re in a creative slump. From virtual pottery to colorful doodles, these apps coerce you into thinking creatively. Fire one up, use it, and then return to your work to see if you’re able to come up with innovative new ways of completing your tasks.

Tap into the expertise of a “reverse mentor”

As we get older it can become increasingly difficult to “think outside the box” and to come up with creative solutions that utilize new technology and trends. One way to combat this is to connect with a “reverse mentor,” or someone who is younger than you are. These people could be more aware of trends in your industry, or have a skill that you don’t possess, and their expertise could help you frame your work in an entirely new mindset, paving the way for creative ideas that you may not have come to on your own.

You could even team up with other employees within your company, and offer to mentor them in return. A fresh perspective could be just what you needed!