How to Become More Creative
A big part of content creation comes from creativity.
But when writer’s block hits, you wonder:
How to become more creative?
Creativity is a word that is often misunderstood due to the lack of information.
And the existing information often misrepresents the subject.
However, creativity is not a mythical act.
It is just like any other skill out there.
A process.
‘Wait what?? Creativity is a process?’
Yes.
And if you have been wondering how to become more creative, then this article is for you.
I will give you insights into what creativity is, how to adopt the right mindset & a practical strategy on how to develop this skillset.
Let’s begin.
What is Creativity?
Often, when you picture creativity, what do you see?
‘I see a person having a light bulb moment!’
Exactly. So did I.
When we see that light bulb, we get the interpretation that creativity sort of just happens.
But that isn’t true.
There is a buildup of steps LEADING up to creativity.
Creativity is the ability to connect preexisting ideas to form a new idea or the ability to produce a novel idea on its own.
More often then not, most of the creative ideas were mainly about idea connection.
Idea connections often lead to idea generation.
Picture the smartphone.
Back in the days, we had a traditional phone which could pretty much ONLY make calls.
Not all the apps we have today.
I remember my first Nokia had the Snake app & that was it!
But a combination of the phone & computer created a smartphone.
Nowadays, you carry around a mini-computer with you that just so happens to be used as a phone as well.
Pretty cool.
The idea of the smartphone was a perfect example of connecting 2 different ideas from different worlds.
Your goal is to develop pattern recognition skills by staying aware & keeping your brain in learning mode.
The Brain on Creativity
There are 2 sides to the human brain:
The default mode network & the task-positive network.
The default mode network is your mind wandering state.
Picture when you are daydreaming.
The task-positive network is when you are focused.
Hopefully, the mindset that you have as you are reading my words right now.
Most humans switch between the two brain states.
It’s like an ON or OFF switch.
One or the other.
The creative individual is able to combine the 2 brain networks.
‘Forreal??’
Yes.
‘That doesn’t make sense!’
Who said creativity was supposed to make sense?
It has been discovered that the average human mind has over 30,000 thoughts per day.
Most people just brush those thoughts off.
But the creative person pays attention.
They are able to get all the thoughts from their mind wandering state & able to focus in on them.
And once they focus on the right thoughts, they are able to connect them.
A connection of those thoughts leads to a new idea and/or practical solution for the real world.
But combining the 2 brain networks is no easy task.
It requires you to be VERY proficient in the task.
So don’t expect to be a creative genius the first day you are entering a field.
Like I said earlier, creativity is a process.
‘So how do I start off this process?’
You begin the journey to becoming proficient…
Learning a New Task
When you are learning a new task, you have to realize that it has a TON of micro-skills involved as well.
For example, public speaking.
When it comes to public speaking, you aren’t just getting on stage, speaking & calling it a day.
There’s a lot of micro-skills.
You need to:
- Prepare the speech.
- Practice the speech.
- Get in the right mindset.
- Watch your tapes back etc.
So when learning a new task, do some research to see the micro-skills that are involved.
Got it?
‘Yessir.’
Great. Now you are going to multi-task.
‘Multitask?? Isn’t multitasking a bad thing??’
Multitasking is a bad thing when you do it incorrectly.
But with the right strategy, it will speed up your learning curve.
Most people multitask on an act by act basis.
So while they are in the gym, they pull out their phone to check Facebook.
The correct way to multitask is to segment effectively.
Example:
- Monday, you practice writing ideas for your speech.
- Tuesday, you practice delivering your speech.
- Wednesday, you watch the videos back of your practice session.
- And repeat the process over on Thursday.
Now you are multitasking multiple task on a macro level.
‘And why am I multitasking again??’
Great question.
Earlier, I mentioned how creativity was about idea connection.
When you are investing in multiple different skills at the same time, you start approaching the task from different angles.
It gives you more perspective & shakes up your brain.
You can experiment with your own segmenting strategy as well.
For myself, I wrap 3 skills in a day.
My 3 skills are:
- Writing
- YouTube
- Meditation
So in the morning, I do writing.
In the afternoon, I record my YouTube videos.
And at night, I do some meditation.
3 skills that keep my brain agile.
Experiment with the flow that works with you.
And commit to executing on a daily/weekly basis!
Thinking Creatively
The beginning will be a bumpy ride.
But then again, whenever you are learning something new, it is always a bumpy ride.
Show mental toughness.
Keep the routine going.
You asked how to become more creative.
And this is your process, my friend.
After you start building proficiency, you will be able to do the task on autopilot.
An autopilot task will allow you to generate new thoughts regarding the task.
Take it seriously!
Remember, each idea may be telling you something.
I had a friend who became an amazing chef.
She was able to follow recipes to the tee.
After consistent practice, she started to cross mix recipes.
She got ideas from different cultures & found unique ways to combine them!
The end product?
New food content which was designed by her.
Aim to do that with your own craft.
Proficiency in the task adds new neural pathways to your brain.
New neural pathways lead to different thoughts.
Those will be the thoughts in your mind-wandering state.
Aim to focus on those thoughts.
I recommend writing it down.
Who knows when the ideas can come in handy.
Then you will find unique ways to connect em’ later.
That’s how you become creative.
Creative Genius Status
The goal was not to be good.
The goal was to become gifted.
There are tons of information floating around the internet.
In the Infomation age, ignorance is a choice.
So ask yourself how you want to become creative.
It is the ultimate use of your mind’s potential.
Humans were born on this planet as imaginative creatures.
But imagination alone is potential energy.
Put that energy into motion. Kinetic energy all the way.
Create something.
And you will be doing that by unlocking your inner creative genius.
Get to work.
