How to Bring Out Your Creativity
There are times when you have to do a project or assignment that requires creativity, or you are simply doing a creative activity but nothing comes up in your brain. This could happen in various different ways, but it would all end up in no progress. Well, this is a thing that I, myself, have been struggling with. So, I have searched up an article on how to bring out my creativity, and found one called How to Be More Creative by Kendra Cherry, on the website verywell mind.
The writer starts off by saying that not only people in the Creative Arts use creativity, but by “all walks of life.” She then defines the meaning of creativity, explaining in one sentence that it is the formulating of ideas for problem solving, communication, and entertainment. This answers some questions like “do you have to be a creative person to have creativity?” or “what is creativity exactly?” I think this is a fairly important part that clarifies some things about the topic that proved useful.
After the introduction or the first part of the article, the rest of the article consists of numbered actions to title the different ways to bring out one’s creativity, and I find that really helpful as it helps me take note of them more efficiently instead of trying to find them in a sea of words. Each item is also explained shortly so we don’t have to read so much on the explanations. For me, personally, I don’t enjoy lengthy texts so this is a good thing for me.
- Commit
The first thing it says to do is to set aside time and develop your skills. I agree with this, when you actually get better at things, ideas just flow out more and it becomes enjoyable because you think to yourself ‘Wow, I am actually good at this! I wonder what else I could do!’ However, it does take time which is why it also states that you should take some time off to do so, and to not be afraid to ask for your help when you need it. Two is better than one, right?
2. Become a Master
Information is great, and having a full understanding of the topic is even better. According to Ms. Cherry, this is one of the best ways to bring out your creativity. I’d say, absolutely, knowledge is wonderful and it is very fulfilling to use that knowledge to better solve problems by creating good solutions. Isn’t knowledge a great weapon?
3. Reward your Curiosity
‘Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back’. Ms. Cherry’s next point reminds me of this quote. As it is meant in the quote and in this part of the article, don’t be afraid to be curious about things, because when you learn, you’ll get satisfaction and that deserves to be rewarded. This is also about attaining information but I feel that being curious about something and satisfying it will make you better in that topic. However, rewarding yourself for fulfilling your curiosity will bring you motivation according to the article. I bet a lot of people agree with this, as do I, since the reward method is used in many situations, even in psychology and psychiatry. Kendra said that the process is the reward instead of the end product. So give yourself a pat on the back and tell yourself you did a good job, you deserve it!
4. Taking Risks, are we?
Ms. Cherry says that it’s okay to take risks even if you don’t succeed. I feel that this is something that I needed to be reminded of especially since I’m a performer. I need to show others what I can do in order to get feedback and improve. It will not help much if I only explain it through words, and it sounds scary because we are all afraid of judgement, but sometimes that is how we get better.
5. Building Confidence
This is something that I think is so important in so many situations, and I have always been an insecure person. I see how lack of confidence can suppress creativity as Cherry said. When you keep thinking that you can’t do it, thinking so many negative things about yourself, it can get in the way of ideas that could be made. It’s like getting those dark clouds to go away so the sun can shine on you. “The only thing standing in your way is you.” If you’re wondering how you can do this, I suggest clicking on the link to that article in this part of Kendra Cherry’s article.
6. Make Time
Ms. Cherry’s got a point. If you don’t make time for your creative project, how can you build your creativity? It doesn’t matter how busy you are, even if it’s a short amount of time, you should do it. This is some advice I should take too. But, maybe after I finish that English project that’s due tomorrow haha.
7. Erase Your Negative Attitude
This is in correlation with building your confidence. If there are obstacles in front of you in an obstacle course, what do you do? Do something about it, but don’t just stay where you are. You absolutely have to get through this. So get up and conquer it. even if you have to jump over a wall. Yet another piece of advice I should take haha. I am really finding this article helpful so far, and to learn how to erase these negative thoughts, there is another link to another article on the website for this. Very helpful.
8. Fight Your Fear of Failure
Don’t tell me you don’t have that fear. I bet most of us do. Cherry says that it’s okay to make mistakes. Yes, I agree, you just have to learn from them. I’ve heard that children are good at learning because they’re not afraid to make mistakes. So, don’t be afraid, I shouldn’t be afraid either, and just learn. Wow, this feels comforting.
9. Brainstorm
Take the risk to put your ideas out there whether or not they will work out. Making new ideas increases the choices of things you can do for your project. That will make your project even better. I used to think brainstorming was so boring because I never had that many ideas, but now reading this, I realize how good and effective this method is. Cherry gives a tip too, saying that darkness triggers creativity because bright light can be intimidating. I think this is interesting and makes sense in a way, because when you’re under bright light, you’re more exposed. I might just have to try that and see for myself it works for me.
10. Explore Solutions
Stop. Right now. Explore your options first, before you go with the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe you’ll find something better than your first idea. This one… I think it’s good, but personally, I think I do this too much and end up going with my original plan. It’s like going through so many different outfit choices and then just ending up wearing the first outfit. I don’t think I should stop doing this though. It’s always good to explore your options but make sure to admit you want or like something before you waste your time.
11. Keep Track of Your Creativity
I think this is a good idea. Ms. Cherry wrote “This journal can be used to save ideas that can later serve as future inspiration.” When in a rut or having mental block, you can use the journal to open your mind to new ideas. It’s like inspiring yourself, you know?
12. Mind Maps and Flowcharts
The forming of ideas on paper and the drawing out of the process of a project from start to finish. I think I’ll just have to try these. Thinking and imagining is one thing. Actually visualizing and making it more real is another thing. Definitely looking forward to doing this (and the two mind maps I need to submit in psychology class).
13. Challenge Yourself
So, you know the basics, and now what do you do? Advance. Keep going until you’re satisfied. There’s always room for improvement. This reminds me of when I was in Kindergarten and my class needed to recite a prayer called the Hail Mary at a Church Mass in front of the whole school and our families. We had two choices: recite the prayer in English, or in French. Everybody else chose English cause it’s easier, but for me, I chose French because of the same reason. The English version was easier. And I succeeded. So, this point is a really good one. Cherry wrote another tip on this, and I agree, there are things you can do in addition, you don’t have to do it but it will certainly make the project better and more interesting.
14. Six Hats Technique
This one I feel like is needed in many situations and the first kinds of situations I thought of are emotional ones. Many people only look at things from their own perspective, that’s why people recommend talking about it with someone to get a different perspective on it. The Six Hats Technique may then be very useful in the problem solving. In other situations, I think this could be helpful in mind block too, or being stuck on something. This is the first time I’m seeing this technique, but I think this could be really helpful in many scenarios.
15. Seek Inspiration
This is where that journal may come in handy. Inspiration may be essential in coming up with new ideas and motivation for a project. This is a good point, I think inspiration is a wonderful thing that can motivate an individual to do anything everyday and can result in good things. For me, I like to watch things on YouTube and listen to music to motivate me for different things. Pinterest is also my best friend for many different kinds of inspiration. I think the tip on video games Cherry gave in the second paragraph of this part of the article is interesting, and I’d like to try it later.
16. Consider Other Scenarios
Ah, this is something I do all the time. I’m always thinking of every possible scenario in order to be more respectful and make more accurate decisions. I’m always cautious about this especially when giving advice to other people. Thinking about the what ifs makes me think a lot and makes me more open minded to anything. Anything is possible, even the craziest scenarios. This is my thinking of the world, and I come off as weird and odd for this, but for me, this is the truth. And it just makes this world more interesting.
17. Snowball Technique
So this last one is basically like throwing snowballs (ideas) at a target (project), but if a snowball isn’t necessarily for that specific target, just set it aside in another pile to use for the next target. …If you know what I mean. Point is, not every idea is going to be implemented in your project but it would be a waste to not use it at all. Make use of all your great ideas.
Well, I would like to applaud Kendra Cherry for this article because that was definitely very interesting and educational. I will try these tips later for my assignments and personal projects. There were so many points that I really liked and I hope the reader will try them too. I look forward to see what I can come up with in the future using these techniques.