Creativity is imperative to thrive in today’s workplace. After all, creativity inspires excellent ideas, and great ideas can lead to great businesses. Creativity has risen as one of the most in-demand soft-skills within the modern workplace. Organizations require creatives to solve challenges and offer new ideas/ innovations. The key is how to inspire creativity.
As many know, having to instinctively come up with ideas can be difficult. Only during the most inconvenient of times, either midnight or in the shower, does one finally hit inspiration. All in all, great ideas require inspiration and inspiration requires effort. Here are five tips to inspire creativity and spark your inspiration.
When looking for ideas, it can feel counterintuitive to lounge or take a nap. However, a rested brain is a more creative brain. According to Scientific American, having a relaxed mind allows the subconscious to process different thoughts and test different combinations. Once the mind arrives at its promising idea, it’ll pop into one’s head as the “Aha!” moment.
To rest, consider activities like taking a walk, sleeping, or meditating. You could even try some brain boosters as an easy to help improve your cognitive function that requires very little effort on your part. Even while you suspect the brain isn’t doing anything, a lightbulb will finally spark from your head.
Do not underestimate the power of pen and paper. According to author Sunni Brown, doodling allows the human brain to “engage with visual language.” By doodling, one can stimulate more neurons and expand one’s horizons. Meanwhile, studies have shown that doodling can improve memory and strengthen one’s attention span.
Art skills do not matter as long as one pours their thoughts onto paper. Some exercises include drawing maps that capture one’s thought process, drawing objects and dissecting them into pieces, or combining two unrelated objects and drawing different interpretations.
When one engages in impromptu conversation, spontaneous ideas can come to fruition. Talk with a friend or colleague for at least 20-30 minutes. The topic of conversation should pique one’s interest or relate to whatever assignment prompted the idea-making in the first place.
If coming up with a topic of conversation is difficult, begin by asking questions. Consider open-ended questions like “what problems remain unsolved?” or “where does the business want to be looking into the future?”
Sometimes it’s nice to shake it up a bit. Working in a new environment can help break the routine. Routines are helpful; however, repetition can discourage change, and by proxy innovation.
A jolt of novelty can refresh the human mind. Change the location and work somewhere different. For example, work outdoors, sit at a different table, or visit a coffee shop. Change the props. Instead of conducting meetings sitting down, move around, or work standing up. Finally, change the agenda and begin work with a different assignment.
For pensive people, the best way to inspire innovation is to approach something from a different angle. For example, one should consider what in the workplace is often perceived as impossible, then list ways to turn it into something possible. Consider questions like “what do customers say businesses never do?” or “what things does an industry never practice?” All in all, what is important is to widen one’s horizons.
