Have you ever watched Robin Williams do a stand-up routine? Could so much creativity and spontaneity result from a highly organized approach? Definitely. Wild and funny thoughts dont come from nowhere. Comedians have habits of mind, and even the most spontaneous ones get better with practice, because theyre training their brains to find the humor in situations.
You can do this too. Creativity in all areas can be improved by cultivating the right habits in your mind. You can start training your brain today, with some simple techniques.
Train Your Brain
If you want the mind of a creative inventor, start redesigning everything you see. Imagine a better light bulb, a faster way to serve food, or a better lamp. Do this for three weeks, and it will become a habit. Its also a good way to pass time while driving or waiting for an appointment.
How about systematic creativity in poetry? Write a word on each of 40 cards; 10 verbs, 10 adjectives, 10 nouns and 10 with any words. Shuffle and deal out four cards. Write a 4-line poem using one of the words in each line. My wife has had poems published that were created with this technique. Your mind will begin to find a poetic use for any word if you use this method often.
Would you like to be the person who has something unique to say about any topic? Train your mind to look at things from other perpectives. What would Ghandi say about this? How would a martian view our habits? If a dog (or a cat) could think, would he say about humans?
The point isnt to ask other people silly questions, but to ask yourself, just to see what new ideas they suggest. If you consciously do this for a few weeks, you will do it out of habit thereafter, and youll always have something interesting to add to a conversation.
Be A Master Problem Solver
You probably have heard of problem solving techniques such as "attributes listing," "assuming the absurd," and using "what if" word lists. If you havent, you can learn about them at http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com. The point isnt to know them, however, but to use them until they become a part of your habitual thinking process.
Imagine you need a new seating design for restaurants. If youve trained your mind to challenge assumptions (another creative problem solving technique), you automatically begin to ask things like, "Are chair legs necessary?" If the seats were extended from the wall, table, or ceiling, it would be easier to clean under them. Are chairs necessary? Has anyone tried a stand-up cafe? Less space is required.
You wont automaticaly have great ideas, but youll have enough creative ideas that it is more likely youll find a useful one. And this "spontaneous" creativity will be the result of your brain training exercise. So why not start developing those creative habits of mind today?
About The Author
Steve Gillman has been studying brain improvement and related topics for years. You can find more on his website: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com as well as in his free Brain Power Newsletter : http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com/newsletter.html