As beautiful as creativity is, not many people attain their maximum power of creativity. Thankfully, if you are one of such people struggling to get creative but you are unable to do so, these mind-bending ways would help you boost your power of creativity to unimaginable levels.
Creativity is one’s ability to use existing resources and knowledge to create something new. Your ability to turn the dry sticks into fire when you do not have access to cooking gas is a demonstration of creativity. This is an ability we humans developed since the Paleolithic era.
The ability for creativity is required for successful adaptation in this world as humans because we don’t get all the resources and tools that are necessary for the performance of every task. Through creativity, we can turn things around despite what we have or don’t have.
Despite the importance of creativity in our everyday lives, innovation, and productivity, many people do not seem to be able to work creatively even when they make efforts to be creative. This article will open your eyes to 5 mindblowing tips that will bump up your power of creativity.
Applications of Creativity
The power of creativity affects a wide range of human activities. The application of creativity is what birthed some of the greatest innovations we see today, ranging from technology to arts, science, and communication, etc.
Irrespective of any field you are in, creativity is what sets you apart from other people. Some examples of areas where the power of creativity is highly required include but are not limited to the following:
- Music creativity and creative expression
- Artworks
- Competitive advantage from business innovation
- DIY home crafts
- Daily improvise for faulty or absent tools
- Food, as in creating a new recipe
- Writing, etc.
The list is inexhaustive but I am sure you can figure out more areas where creativity can be applied to make the difference between someone who is exceptional from others who are not.
Mindchanging tips to enhance your Creativity
You don’t require any special school of creativity to develop your creativity. As a matter of fact, going through the highest degree of education does not make you a creative person. You require a set of mind-changing skills. The aim of these is to change the way you see and think about life and your surroundings.
1. Get the understanding that everything you need is all around you
If you are looking too far for a solution, understand the solution is right where you are. It is within you. It is around you. You just have to look a little closely.
Without a proper understanding that all you need is already around you, you might not be able to harness your inner power of creativity. And even though there are a lot more tools and resources you might never be able to find looking around, you can easily turn them into what you need through your power of creativity.
2. Weigh the value of things before discarding
The principle of recycling is one that is based on the power of creativity because it looks at how a product or object can be put to use after it has been exhaustively used the first time. The same applies when you weigh the value of things before discarding them. You could reuse some for the same or a different purpose, thus boosting your creativity.
It is important to note that weighing the value of things before discarding them does not mean you have to hoard broken items without any intent to use them. It means you are able to think ahead of a waste item if it could be potentially useful to you in the future, and if not, you are willing to give it to someone who can make use of it.
3. Be solution-oriented
Asking yourself simple questions like “What is the way forward”, and “What is the solution”, can boost your creativity greatly. People who are more focused on finding solutions are often more creative than those who lurk around only worrying about the problem.
What do you do when there are lights out in a resource-poor country/community and you have some LED lights and a battery? Creativity is straightforward, and it asks the important questions – what is the problem, what is the solution, and what do I have? It does not ask what you don’t have.
When you deliberately train your mind to focus on solutions, a time will come when any problem you see will automatically trigger a reflex in you to search for a solution. It becomes a part of you.
4. Curiosity about new methods and information
The solution can be staring right in front of someone, yet they may not see it. But in the eyes of an experienced person, the solution is not hidden.
Being curious about new methods and information broadens your mind about what is possible and what can be used. This can be through reading books on innovation, watching DIY videos, and curiously learning from someone who is more creative than you at a point in time.
5. Reduce your propensity to buy or hire
If you buy or hire for everything, you will end up spending more than you should but knowing less than you could. To be creative, you should reduce your propensity to pay for everything.
Get some things done by yourself, especially when you are still in the beginning phase of your project or pursuit. That way you sharpen your creativity, and get a basic understanding of things pending when you are buoyant enough to hire or buy for your new innovations.
Look at some of the biggest tech giants in the world today, they had some basic ideas of what made them rich. They were involved, and even when they stopped applying themselves physically, they still found a way to introduce their learned creativity into the products/services.
The levels of Creativity and Innovation
According to an article published in the HuffPost, there are three levels of creativity and innovation. Understanding these makes us see the extent of the power of creativity.
1. Discovery
The most basic form of creativity is discovery. This is the process of discovering what is already there but hidden from other people. Discovery takes into consideration the human element of patience, perseverance, and determination, in finding what is generally hidden.
For example, finding a piece of archeological art under the rock, or a treasure chest hidden somewhere outside reach, are examples of discovery.
2. Invention
Invention goes a level higher than discovery, where it implies the process and ability to fabricate something out of other items, usually referred to as raw materials. For example, the invention of the steam engine by James Watt from the earlier Newcomen’s engine is a type of invention.
3. Creation
Creation is the highest level of innovation and creativity. It is the ability to derive something sophisticated from minimal or no raw materials.
Creativity is derived from the word “Creation” because it basically aims at bringing something out of nothing. Only that, those “nothings” are usually things that are already produced or manufactured.
Creation is seen as nature’s exclusive ability but depending on how much raw materials one puts into the finished product, one can still be called a creator even if it wasn’t totally out of nothing.
Signs of Highly Creative People
Creative people possess a certain willingness and desire to do something when it seems like a dead end. Here are some important signs that you or someone is a creative person.
- They are curious about new methods and skills.
- They believe there is always a way.
- They have a mindset of responsibility about what is needed. They don’t rely so much on others for everything.
- They are given to continuous learning.
- They prefer to get tools that can enhance creativity, rather than spend on goods that don’t add creative value to them.
- They seek to understand the basis.
There are definitely other signs of creative people but the most important thing to note here is that everyone has creativity in them.
As long as you have been able to devise an alternative approach to solving a problem in your home, work, school, or elsewhere, you are creative. You just have to boost your creativity with the mind-bending methods above.
Why you should care about being creative
Many people don’t care to develop their creativity. They just believe they will always get the resources, money, or technology to make things work without having to worry about the procedure. This is however not the best approach.
Creativity spans beyond simply using tools and raw materials. It also involves mental creativity, or being able to organize people to achieve a certain result. If you do not have the basics of creativity, you will stumble even when you have all the tools in the world.
Lastly, your power of creativity is what would make you super-relevant when others need your knowledge and skills the most. These are usually situations when nothing much is available, and it can make a difference between how much you will be celebrated and how much you will be mocked. It’s all about creating value for the world around you.