I get my best ideas driving in the car. Or half-dozing just before the alarm goes off. Or walking the dog. Creativity flashes typically don’t come to me when I’m sitting in front of the laptop desperately searching for inspiration.
That’s because when I’m driving or walking the dog, I tend to let my mind wander and do its own free-association thing. No pressure, no assignment, no deadline.
That sounds lovely – and unrealistic. I don’t know about you, but I have assignments and deadlines. I can’t wait for creativity to float in when I least expect it. I need my best ideas to come to me on demand.
I decided I needed a plan to strengthen my creative muscles, so I started where any curious person starts. I googled it. After scanning the search results, I quickly focused in on where creativity comes from and how best to harness it.
Where does creativity come from anyway?
Would it surprise you to learn that research shows that everyone is creative? I was a little surprised because I feel like I’ve met some remarkably uncreative types through the years. Yet, there’s scientific proof that human beings are all creativity-capable. Of course, like all abilities, there’s a spectrum. Some people are more naturally creative than others. Still, everyone can cultivate and maximize their creativity.
In her book, Hustle and Float: Reclaim Your Creativity and Thrive in a World Obsessed with Work, author Rahaf Harfoush examines how our 21st-century work ethic prioritizes productivity and effectively squelches the creativity that we’re all born with. Another factor that’s only making it worse? All those devices that beg us to pick them up and scroll whenever we have a free minute. Our minds rarely wander freely. All the over-scheduling, productivity planning, and social media posting take the creativity right out of us.
The explanation makes complete sense to me. My level of creativity has ebbed and flowed over the years. And, hindsight being 20/20, I can see why.
In the beginning…
There are creative geniuses among us. Every little thing they do is original and outside the norm. I was lucky enough to work for one once. He had 12 different ideas before noon. And 70 percent of them were amazing. (Unfortunately, we worked for an insurance company, so most of them never saw the light of day.)
Here’s the thing. Because he was so spontaneously creative, he sparked creativity in others. Not only did I have to get creative figuring out how to make his ideas work in real life, but my own ideas also flowed more freely. Heck, he even made actuaries and underwriters into creative thinkers! Looking back, I came up with and executed plenty outside-the-box ideas of my own during that time. Creativity was welcome, so the ideas came easily.
After that job, as my career progressed, success was defined less and less on creativity. There were pockets of creativity through the years. Teams that just naturally fostered creative environments. Projects that required creative problem-solving. But, the day-to-day flexing of creative muscles went by the wayside.
It’s not that surprising when you think about it. You have to exercise your creativity regularly in order to stay in shape so that you generate ideas as you need them – and more importantly, so that you recognize all the ideas you have.
Feeling hopeful that I could amp up my creativity, I turned my attention to putting together a work-out plan for my imagination.
Be like an orangutan in captivity
My googling turned up an interesting article about a study involving the creativity of orangutans. (You read that right.)
In the wild, orangutans aren’t terribly inventive. Their focus is justifiably on surviving. However, in captivity, where almost all threats are removed, orangutans have free time on their hands.
The research found that when food was provided and predators were out of the equation, orangutans became significantly more curious and downright creative. They lost their fear of the unknown, tried new things, and grew up to be much better problem-solvers compared to their counterparts in the wild.
In effect, curiosity is the gateway to freeing your creativity. Forget about the unfortunate cat in the old proverb. Allowing yourself to explore new topics, learn about new subjects, and try different ways of doing things creates an environment that inspires creativity. The more you make a habit of indulging your curiosity, the more receptive you are to your own creative thoughts.
3 resolutions for cultivating creativity
Curiosity is at the heart of my plan for reclaiming my creativity, which didn’t really disappear. Sure, it’s gotten pushed aside in favor of other things, but I’m bringing it back to the surface with a little focused effort.
In my quest to understand creativity, nurture it, and tap into it, here are the three resolutions that are helping me get my creative juices flowing.
1. Go ahead, be curious.
My mom always told me that I never asked why when I was little. I waited until I was a pre-teen, and then I never stopped questioning things. I do like to know why things are the way they are, what causes something to happen, and, ideally, what it all means!
But life often seems too busy to find the answers to all the questions that arise. When the emphasis is all about getting things done, spending a few minutes exploring a related subject or a sidebar discussion can seem self-indulgent.
Yet, when I look back to earlier times in my career, I was more proactive about seeking out learning opportunities. I was reading publications and books about business and marketing on a regular basis. I remember having a mentor tell me if you’re not spending part of your typical 9-to-5 day reading about your industry or your professional craft, you’re doing yourself a great disservice. For a while, I took it to heart. Then, life got in the way, and I started to ignore my curiosity.
Research shows that exploring unfamiliar topics, even if – and perhaps, especially if – they’re not directly tied to your job or your interests, fosters new ideas. You’ll be surprised at the connections you’re able to make and the ways you’re able to apply what you learn in “real life.”
As I shifted careers from the corporate world to the gig economy, I didn’t just give myself permission to be curious. I built in the time to consume content that’s clearly connected to my work as well as stuff that’s not so obviously connected. I’m letting my curiosity take the lead, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
2. Do nothing on a regular basis.
Getting things accomplished and, frankly, earning a viable living as a freelancer requires discipline and structure. It’s a business, after all.
However, if I want my creativity to come along for the ride when I’m writing an article on a deadline or crafting a killer campaign for a client, I have to take time to cultivate it. And, what that really means is giving your brain time to just be.
Don’t reach for the phone when you’re standing in line or hanging out at the airport. Instead, spend the time people-watching and following your thoughts wherever they go.
Get up, take a walk, and let your mind wander. Choose a comfortable spot, close your eyes, and meditate. Don’t do it to think about a specific topic, just do it regularly as an exercise for your mind.
Go to a museum, a play, or a concert. Even better, go outside your comfort zone to try new exhibits or new music genres. (Okay, this one’s not exactly about doing nothing. It’s about making time to try new things.)
The most important part? Do NOT feel guilty.
3. Practice individual brainstorming.
This is going to seem random. I recently switched from a ruled notebook to one with blank sheets of paper. As I talk with clients about their projects, I find myself taking notes differently. Without the lines on the paper, I tend to be a little more free form. It seems natural to draw connectors between thoughts. Then, when I start working on the project, I continue to write ideas in the notebook as they occur to me. I draw pictures or ideas for supporting visuals. I doodle.
The blank sheets of paper have become an effective individual brainstorming tool for me. In effect, I’ve created my own form of mind mapping, which can be a helpful way to capture your thoughts and structure your brainstorming. For mind mapping, write your idea or topic in the middle of a page. Then, start adding related ideas around it as they come to you. The intent is to capture your ideas without judging them. (For example, here’s how I use mind-mapping to cure blog topic-itis.)
Summoning your creativity through brainstorming takes practice. I’ve found it gets easier when I make it a routine part of how I start a project. In other words, I don’t just jump in and start writing even when the assignment seems straightforward. I spend time upfront playing with words, connecting dots between ideas, and even getting a little silly. It works. New angles jump out at me. I’ll come up with a word combination that makes an intriguing headline. Or the big idea comes from putting together several smaller ones.
Here’s the bottom line. Research shows that if you focus on boosting creativity, you can. And, you can essentially train your brain to make creativity a repeatable and “normal” approach to how you tackle both work and life. How cool is that?
Let’s collaborate on your next creative project. Tap into Write Hand Ann for one-of-a-kind blog posts, compelling campaigns, or outside-the-box white papers.
