People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to
unleash a steady flow of creative genius.
That is not true at all. The
fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised
in order to consistently give out great results.
If you don't practice
harnessing creative thinking, this skill will very much atrophy into
inexistence. But keep working and this skill will soon come to you in a
snap.
So how do you unleash your creative thinking?
Well, the first thing is to
become a human leech.
No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood
out of every living being available, we're saying that you should take in
as much knowledge and learning you can find.
Read everything available --
good and bad, and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the
universe.
The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more
your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little
facts that add a bit of color into your life.
Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it's an effort. Even doodling
is a creative activity.
Don't let anything hinder you.
Mindlessness may be
a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a
little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and
encouraging to have concrete evidence, that, "hey, what I'm doing is
getting somewhere."
So why don't you try it.
Practice drawing for a couple
of minutes each day.
Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos
like crazy.
Keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously.
Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five
senses.
Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and
"delicious."
Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny
portfolio, and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after
amassing all those works of art.
Who knows, you might actually take to
liking those things you do everyday.
Pretty soon those things will become
a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises.
Think out of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a
good thing.
Limitations discipline you to work within your means.
It
enables you to be more resourceful.
Creative freedom is great, but
limitations enforce discipline.
Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your
perspective.
Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an
afternoon in a museum to which you've never been before.
Chat up someone
on the bus.
Open up to the people around you.
As you thrust yourself out
of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows
and so does your zest for life.
Think about it.
When was the last time you
did something for the first time?
If it's been a while, I tell you, you've
been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could've added to your
growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually.
Why don't you
try bungee jumping today?
Not only will you learn, but you will also have
plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling
skills and making you the life of the party.
Embrace insanity.
No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself
into the mental ward.
As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but
madness is more interesting.
" Exactly! Every creative thought was once
deemed insanity by other "normal" people at one time or another.
Luckily,
that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by them.
The thing
is, sanity or being normal confines people to think... well, normally.
Within limits. Creativity is essentially breaking through barriers.
Yes,
this includes the bizarre and the downright strange.
I'm not saying that
you yourself should develop a creative personality.
That might go haywire.
An example of a creative personality would be George Washington, who often
rode into battle naked, or James Joyce, who wrote "Dubliners" with beetle
juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat
was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the
term could probably be "archnemesis.")
It's important that your creativity
doesn't get you detached from the real world completely.
I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your
"limits."
If you follow these steps pretty soon you'll be living a life
full of interesting adventures.
Unleashing your creative thinking will
bring about a new zest for living life.
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