Edward Prince Furniture Design - Creativity - How to be more creative

 

Creativity - How to be more creative

Creativity and innovation are currently enjoying popularity seen as the trend of the moment. We are urged to be more creative because this will create economic prosperity and competitive advantage. This talk of creativity and innovation sounds great, So how can we be more creative?

Creative people like designers, artists, theatrical and musical types are sometimes assumed to inhabit the heart of creativity. Every person however is creative to a greater or lesser degree irrespective of their occupation or personality. History books are filled with examples of creativity from science, technology, engineering, business and the arts. It is mankind’s universal desire to create that has formed our 21st century’s landscape, technology, economics, leisure and the activities we all enjoy. 

Stepping back from popular notions of creativity we see something of our human nature in which creativity lies at the heart of what we are all about. A creative urge motivates most of our lives. Whether this is through a child’s first painting or an adults desire to decorate both themselves or their homes. At a basic level there is something creative in meeting any challenge presented to us through relationships or a new path, these cause us to grow and create something within us.

At the heart of creativity are three powerful forces; The desire to develop ourselves as individuals through self reflection, forming connections internally and externally and stimulation from the environment. To move from personal to cultural creativity requires talent, training and good fortune. Without access to a domain and support of the field recognition will be elusive. Creative growth must happen holistically developing in the big picture containing the following: 

• The physical environment. How do physical spaces stimulate the mind, how do we become more attuned to the vast amount of multi-sensory information presented to us. 
• The social environment. How do friends and work colleagues motivate us, how a culture allows us to develop as a creative individuals or groups.
• The biological and sensory body. What we can do to stimulate the bodies electro chemical and sensory processing. 
• The processes of the mind. How to strengthen the mind-body connection; improve thinking, overcome blocks and habits. Accessing tools to broaden and deepen our conscious and subconscious mental operations.

People who display creative ability display some of the following characteristics. The principals being the belief you are creative the motivation to grow and the energy to commit. Creativity is a state of being, the reward of which is to make day to day experiences more vivid, enjoyable and rewarding. Which traits can you foster to develop your creative potential? 

Original	Energetic	Sense of humor
Self actualising	Self disciplined	Self Knowledgeable
Specific interests	Divergent thinker	Curious
Open ended	Severely critical	Independent
Non-conforming	Risk Taker	Confident
Persistent	Unmotivated by money	Sensitive
Sense of destiny	Tolerant of ambiguity	Adaptable
Observant	Perceive differently	See possibilities
Ask questions	Able to fantasise	Synthesise intuitively
Flexible	Fluent	Imaginative
Ingenious	Intuitive	Healthy

9 Simple activities to increase creativity. 

Use thinking tools
Actively use tools associated with all the stages of the creative process; problem identification, idea generation and implementation. Practice broad and rigorous questioning, mind mapping, challenging assumptions, making novel connections, random input, analogy, and metaphor, visual, perceptual and sensory languages. 

Build a brain trust
Surround yourself with inspiring people or artefacts from diverse fields, Read very broadly, visit shows, exhibitions, go on trips, try new hobbies, Exercise your brain by reading with diversity, disagreeing with smart people, playing puzzles and intelligent activities. 

Capture daydreams
Meditation, relaxation provides access to the subconscious a vast source of insight; daydreams appear as metaphor how can these be interpreted to show a fresh perspective. Keep a daily journal for self reflection and exploring blocks, always carry a small notebook and record your ideas. An idea not recorded is an idea missed. 

Play with passion 
Have fun, a sense of humour, recapture childhood joys and bring this into your work, do the things you enjoy, a fulfilled person is a creative person. Slow down and see the world through a child’s eyes.

Make sure you exercise
Exercise = glucose = increased brain activity. Exercise increases oxygen, releases endorphins, increases nerve connections, and helps spatial awareness. Go for a walk or play a game. A change of environment and exercise is good for you. 

Eat brain foods
Fish, Omega 3, Ginkgo Biloba, Vitamin B strengthen neural connections, increase speed of thought and blood flow to the brain. Eat fresh, natural, diverse foods. Drink lots of water. Don’t do drugs. People on drugs think they are being creative to everyone else they seem like people on drugs. 

Listen to music
Slow and high frequency music stimulates neural connections, theta waves and biological rhythms connected with thinking. 

Use Aromatherapy oils
Smell stimulates the brain, particular odours are suited for particular activities, relaxation or stimulation, Basil is the best all round odour for creative thinking, in addition you need a stimulating smell like Orange and a relaxing smell like