17 Fun Ways to Boost Your Creativity

Commit Yourself to Creativity

The first step to increasing creativity is to devote yourself to developing your creative abilities. Research suggests that intentionality matters. In one study, researchers indicated that there are four critical components to creativity:

• The ability to create
• The intention to create
• The context for creativity to occur
• The novelty and usefulness of the generated product
  

For example, if you are interested in painting, schedule time regularly to learn and practice your skills.

Boost Creativity by Becoming an Expert

One of the best ways to develop creativity is to become an expert in this area. By having a rich understanding of the topic, you will be better able to think of novel or innovative solutions to problems.

One way to develop expertise is to read about a topic, learn more about creative people, and listen to them speak. Engaging in discussions and collaborative projects with others in your chosen field or subject area can enhance your understanding and inspire new ideas.

Reward Your Curiosity

One common roadblock to developing creativity is the sense that curiosity is an indulgence. Rather than reprimanding yourself for following an internet rabbit hole, reward yourself when you are curious about something. Give yourself the opportunity and the time to explore new topics.

Take Risks to Build Creativity

When it comes to building your creative skills, you must be willing to take risks to advance your abilities. Although your efforts may not lead to success every time, you will still be boosting your creative talents and building skills that will serve you well in the future.

For example, sharing your work in a creative writing course might feel intimidating. But the critique you receive from classmates and teachers can be invaluable.

Build Your Confidence

Creative self-efficacy refers to your belief in your ability to be creative and solve a problem in original and useful ways. Having confidence and high self-esteem, particularly in the specific area you are working in, has been shown to increase creativity.

Insecurity in your abilities can suppress creativity, which is why it is important to build confidence. Note your progress, commend your efforts, and always be on the lookout for ways to reward your creativity.

Make Time for Creativity

You won't be able to develop your creative talents if you don't make time for them. Schedule some time each week to concentrate on some type of creative project.

Sometimes, it might even involve asking others to help with tasks or take care of childcare and other household duties so you have some free time for your creative pursuits.

Overcome a Negative Attitude

While research has shown that negative moods are sometimes associated with greater persistence in creative tasks, positive moods are more strongly linked to cognitive flexibility when coming up with new solutions.

Focus on eliminating negative thoughts or self-criticisms that may impair your ability to develop strong creative skills. Recognize these as roadblocks and work to overcome them.

When you find yourself dwelling on negative thinking, make an active effort to challenge those faulty ideas and replace them with more realistic or positive ones.

Fight Fear of Failure

The fear that you might make a mistake or fail in your efforts can paralyze progress. Whenever you find yourself harboring such feelings, remind yourself that mistakes are simply part of the process. While you may occasionally stumble on your path to creativity, you will eventually reach your goals.

Brainstorm New Ideas

Brainstorming is a common technique in both academic and professional settings, but it can also be a powerful tool for increasing creativity. It's based on the idea that producing lots of ideas can be the key to finding good ones.

Start by suspending your judgment and self-criticism. Then, start writing down related ideas and possible solutions. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible in a relatively short span of time. Next, focus on clarifying and refining your ideas to arrive at the best possible choice.

Explore Multiple Solutions

The next time you approach a problem, try looking for a variety of solutions. Instead of simply going with the first idea you have, take the time to think of other possible ways to approach the situation. This simple activity is a great way to build both problem-solving and creative thinking skills.

Keep a Creativity Journal

Start keeping a journal to follow your creative process and track the ideas you produce. A journal is a great way to reflect back on what you have accomplished and look for other possible solutions. This journal can be used to save ideas that can later serve as future inspiration.

Use Mind Maps and Flow Charts

A mind map is a way to connect ideas and look for innovative answers to questions. Evidence suggests that mind mapping helps to stimulate divergent thinking (aka "thinking outside the box") rather than convergent thinking (which involves relying on a single, often obvious solution).

As you start to develop a new project, create a flow chart to track the project from start to finish. Look for various paths or sequences of events that might occur. A flow chart can help you visualize the final product, eliminate potential problems, and create unique solutions.

Challenge Yourself and Create Opportunities

Once you have developed some basic creative skills, it is important to continually challenge yourself to further advance your abilities. Look for more difficult approaches, try out new things, and avoid always returning to the same solutions you have used in the past.

Try the Six Hats Technique

The "six hats" technique involves looking at a problem from six differing perspectives. By doing this, you can produce more ideas than you might have had you only looked at the situation from one or two points of view.

• Black hat: Use a negative perspective. Which elements of the solution won’t work?
• Blue hat: Think broadly. What is the best overall solution?
• Green hat: Think creatively. What are some alternative ideas?
• Red hat: Look at the situation emotionally. What do your feelings tell you?
• White hat: Look at the situation objectively. What are the facts?
• Yellow hat: Use a positive perspective. Which elements of the solution will work?

Find Inspiration to Boost Creativity

Never expect creativity to just happen. Look for new sources of inspiration that will give you fresh ideas and motivate you to generate unique answers to questions. Read a book, visit a museum, listen to your favorite music or engage in a lively debate with a friend.

Use whatever strategy or technique works best for you. Do you enjoy video games? Research indicates that playing video games can help increase your creativity.

Consider Alternative Scenarios

When approaching a problem, ask "what if..." questions to consider each possible scenario. If you take a specific approach, what will the outcome be?

By looking at these alternatives beforehand, you'll be better able to develop creative solutions to problems.

Try the Snowball Technique

Have you ever noticed how one great idea often leads directly to another? You can take advantage of this by using a "snowball technique" when you are generating ideas for a project. If an idea isn't appropriate for your current work, set it aside to work on later, or implement it in a future project.