This is How You Can Learn to be Creative

You probably know one: a typical creative. He is always full of wild ideas, can write or draw nice and always knows how to take a different turn in his brain. Some people seem to have an innate talent for creativity. Maybe that's really true. Still, even if you don't consider yourself creative at all, you can learn to be creative. You can trigger and train it. I also have my creative and less creative periods. This has to do with my energy level, but also with what I am doing a lot at the time. Have I spent a lot of time analyzing and writing entire business texts? Then I really have to find my creative self again. But how do you do that?

1. Relax!

You must have had an idea when you were in the shower or on the toilet. Especially in moments of rest you can often think much more creatively. So, don't put too much pressure on yourself and relax! Are you busy with a task and do you get stuck? Then let go of everything and do something else. Once you get back to the task you can look at it in a much more creative way.

2. Move

Research shows that exercise strongly promotes your creativity. Especially if you do that outside. Do you want to come up with something new or do you have a problem that you need to solve? Then give yourself an assignment and then go for a walk outside. You will find that you come up with ideas much easier while walking. Would you rather sit down and draw some things? After your walk, your level of creativity remains just as high.

3. Keep a notebook

The best ideas often come at unexpected moments. Unfortunately, you have often forgotten such a fantastic idea quickly because of the issues of the day. Therefore, write down ideas immediately. For example, in a special notebook or in your phone. By the way, prevent the ideas from piling up without ever getting started. So, plan a moment when you decide which ideas you want to continue with and which ideas were perhaps less great than you thought then.

4. Warm-up

Another fun exercise to train your creativity. Give yourself 3 minutes and fill in as many boxes as possible with sketches. It doesn't matter what kind of sketches. You probably filled the first boxes like this, but the further you go, the trickier it gets. That's when your creative brain is really put to work. Train that brain!

5. Do nothing at all

Bored yourself to death. How long has it been since you did that? Nowadays it is almost impossible to get bored. You can always turn on a Netflix, scroll through your Instagram feed or read some news articles. Do you want to promote your creativity? Then really do nothing at all. Turn off devices, no music on, no book reading, nothing at all. Just sit (or lie down in bed) and be alone with your thoughts. You will see that everything that floats in your head starts to mix and new connections arise. That's where great ideas are born!

6. Do something new

Being creative means breaking through your standard thinking. And how can you do that better than by literally doing something new? You can go to a far, strange country, but you can also find it closer to home. Take a different path home, deliberately get lost in your own city or swap your standard coffee tent for another one.

7. A short brainstorm every day
Have a short brainstorming session with yourself every day. You can brainstorm about something you can really do with, but you can also give yourself a nonsensical assignment. The point is that you activate your brain in a certain way. Think of it as a sports session for your brain. Do this exercise every day and you will see that ideas are getting easier and easier.

8. Go see art

Artists often look at the world with a special view. If you look at their artwork, you will be taken along in their train of thought. That can provide a huge boost of inspiration. So, it's time to visit a museum!

9. Write a fictional story

Write a fictional story of at least 700 words. It doesn't have to be a good story; the spelling doesn't have to be correct. No pressure, no demands. It's about the exercise. Use your imagination! Repeat this exercise occasionally to train your creativity.

Creativity is mainly hard work

The above tips are perfect to get your creativity going. Yet of course you are not immediately the new Steve Jobs. In general, devising and making brilliant ideas a reality takes a lot of work. The great inventors of the past and the pioneers of today have a number of things in common: they put a lot of time and energy into their idea, constantly refined it and, above all, dared to go crazy.