Can You Learn Creativity?
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 don't come from nowhere. Comedians have habits of
mind, and even the most spontaneous ones get better with
practice, because they're 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. It's 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 isn't 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 you'll 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 haven't, you can learn about
them at
http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com. The point isn't
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
you've 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 won't automaticaly have great ideas, but you'll have
enough creative ideas that it is more likely you'll 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