The easiest way to become a creative thinker

A lot of people want to be creative, but it's confusing to learn how. There are so many advise columns that advocate everything from taking a walk in the park to going on a creativity retreat, to having brainstorming sessions, to using a specific thinking technique.

There are exercises to do, mindsets to acquire, books to read, and "creative locations" to visit.  Problem is, nothing guarantees creativity!  You could do every single one of those steps to the letter and still feel completely uninspired.

Realistically, the only way to be able to think of wickedly good ideas is by thinking of ideas all the time.

Great creative thinkers don't spring up overnight.  They practice and practice and practice. However, that practice doesn't have to be hard or take much effort. 

So, if you want to be become a creative thinker, the easiest way to develop your creativity is to start very small. 

Repeat after me: "No idea is too insignificant! Every idea I have gets me closer to becoming a creative thinker!"

It does!  So, next time you need to fix something without the proper tools, or find yourself thinking "wouldn't it be nice if..." or experience a situation  that drives you crazy and you think "why don't they just...", pay attention to the ideas you come up with.

After you learn how to think of solutions to problems you see in everyday life, it's just a short step to using your creative ability for thinking of ideas.

That's it.  There's no special mystery to creativity.  All you need to do is practice thinking of ideas!

Comments

[Cory Garrison]

Katie,

Great observations! Often times it's not the person who pulls the insane and inanimate idea from out of nowhere, but it's the one who experiences the common problem and points out an elementary solution.

I'll use Jerry Seinfeld as an example. The reason he is so creative and hilarious is because he addresses out loud the things we that we recognize everyday as irritations or frustrations but don't take the time to address. He's an unbelievable observer. He's the guy who makes us nod our heads and say, "YES"!

Thanks for the great example, Cory. You're right: Jerry Seinfeld is funny because he points out the funny things that happen everyday. After all, he made an entire tv show about "nothing" and it was hilarious. ~Katie