It’s a new year, a new decade, and a new push towards trying to improve your creativity.
With life becoming ever busier, and in many areas, more dangerous, creativity seems to be the last thing anyone wants to focus on.
But the world was built because of the creativity of humanity, and no matter how difficult things get, suppressing our imaginations is the worst thing we can possibly do to ourselves and our people.
And one could argue that humanity’s ability to be creative is needed now more than ever.
With climate change, violence, and the constant threat of war looming, we need to pool our resources and use our minds to make things better.
Whether we are learning how to make an infographic or to stop global warming, creativity is necessary in every aspect of human life.
So, how does one boost their imagination in this time of strife and fear? We look at a few simple hacks that can enhance your creative juices.
Read and Listen More
One of the simple pleasures of life is reading a good book, or listening to an audiobook. But there seems to be little time to do that these days.
However, reading and listening can help expand our minds in ways that we often discount—they don’t just give us new ideas, but help us think in new ways.
In 2020, even if you can’t make time to read a new book, why not head on over to social media and read up on the latest lead generation services to expand your horizons?
Or visit some of the numerous podcast hosting sites and listen to a podcast from a news outlet or from an expert in a field of interest to you? It will help you think about the world differently.
Learn New Skills
There is absolutely no doubt that learning new skills is a great way to improve your career—but it can also improve your creativity.
If your area of interest is in social marketing, you can take up a course on marketing for law firms. They’re different enough to keep you engaged, but in a similar field so you won’t feel out of your depth.
For the more ambitious among us, you could try something completely out of your comfort zone, but this may not work for everyone.
Some people find that doing something with their hands, or partaking in strenuous physical activities helps them think better, so you could take up outdoor sports even if you are a writer.
The point is to explore new avenues and increase your options for taking in new stimuli.
Don’t Ignore Any Ideas
Ideas come to us at all times of the day and in the strangest of places. I have found that my mind becomes abuzz with activity when I am people-watching, for example.
When these ideas come to you, don’t ignore them, or think that you can engage with them at a later time—chances are that you will immediately forget about them when you have a new task to do.
Instead, the moment something comes to your mind, write it down either on a notepad or on the Notes app in your phone.
And it doesn’t matter how silly or far-fetched it is—the strangest ideas could help with your work creating membership sites, or improve your linkbuilding strategy.
Your mind is constantly finding new ways to solve problems—when you listen to it, you will find amazing ideas. But you need to take note of it as quickly as possible.
Try Mind Mapping
A mind map is a great way to take one idea and expand it into something more tangible and actionable.
For instance, if you have access to a LinkedIn video maker but don’t know what videos to make for your crisis management plan, a mind map will help you organise your thoughts and ideas.
Mind maps are great tools to engage your brain and make intangible ideas come to life—use a simple mind map to explore your ideas and you could come up with something amazing.
Be Curious
We’ve all heard that saying: curiosity killed the cat. But do you know what the rest of the saying is? ‘But satisfaction brought it back’.
Being curious is a wondrous thing and most people lose that as we get older. A curious mind is inquisitive and ready to learn, and thus more knowledgeable.
And curiosity is well-suited to the modern age—we have access to so much information right at our fingertips.
Have a question about blog writing? You can Google it instantly. Want to know the origins of a term? Google is there for you.
You can even go on social media and ask people questions and someone will answer. Don’t be afraid to be curious and to learn more—it will vastly improve your creativity and your mind.
Play Games
Honestly, as an adult, it’s almost impossible to make time to play games. I, for one, plan to do so every weekend but end up spending so much time on chores that it never happens.
For most people, videogames are the only source of play we have access to now—that is, when you aren’t inputting data into your invoicing software or finishing up chores.
But gameplay is a great way to boost your creativity—yes, your mind is engaged but you are also problem-solving, trying to complete puzzles, or dodging villains.
A simple mobile app game can be just as effective—but don’t get so involved that you forget to do the rest of your work.
Spend Time Outdoors
As we have reiterated, life is busy for everyone—people have children to take care of and email scheduling plans to work out. Going outdoors can seem like a chore, particularly in winter.
But fresh air and sunlight are excellent for your body and your mind—the combination of natural elements with doing something a little different than sitting in an office will make you feel better.
And it will have the desired impact on your creativity—seeing other people not related to work will help your mind gather up new resources to become more imaginative.
Take the time to go outside for a while and you will open up your mental resources.
Improve Your Creativity in 2020
This year, find new and exciting ways to improve your creativity. We have outlined some simple techniques to do so, none of which take up too much time but will have lasting effects on your imagination.