Creativity is a quality that we all share, though it is not a thing you can hold onto or pin down - is an ever-changing, unpredictable, fleeting flow. Even so, it is a state of being which we can all attain in our own way. Most commonly, creativity is something we use every time we face and solve a new problem.
Unfortunately, creativity is often portrayed as a rare gift or something that just happens randomly. Of course, some people might have an intuitive knack for being creative on command (think of improvisation performers), and we may also have the unexplained eureka moment once in a while. However, it is important to remember that there are ways to train yourself to be creative. As Pasteur said, ”Chance favors the prepared mind”.
Here are some ways in which to consciously awaken your creative side and to apply it in your everyday life, as explained by Ernie J. Zelinski:
Decide to be creative
Imagine different solutions to the same problem
Write your ideas down as you go
Analyze those ideas carefully, especially the ones you think aren't good
Define your objectives
See problems as opportunities
Look at the obvious
Take risks
Have to courage to act differently than others
Be unreasonable
Have fun and allow yourself to be a little crazy at times
Be spontaneous
Work in the present
Rethink the way in which you see others
Question rules and ready-made ideas
Slightly delay your decisions
Be tenacious
Ignore all principles of creativity that don't apply to your life
Furthermore, Creativity is not just full of paradoxes, it thrives on them. As Michael Michalko points out:
To be creative, a person must:
Have knowledge but forget the knowledge
See unexpected connections in things but not have a mental disorder
Work hard but spend time doing nothing
Create many ideas yet most of them are useless
Look at the same thing as everyone else, yet see something different
Desire success but learn how to fail
Be persistent but not stubborn; and
- Listen to experts but know how to disregard them
Creativity does not belong solely to the good artist, but also to the innovative scientist and the hilarious comedian. It is touching like the great work of art, useful like the new technological advancement, and exhilarating like the good joke.
So, no matter what, stay creative! As Edward De Bono said, “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.”
