How to Build Creativity In The Mind

Why do we think crap? Why does our thinking if unattended always lead to negativity and fantasy?

Image by Colin Behrens from Pixabay

I for one suffer from this problem a lot where my mind will just take over and spew out crap that just goes nowhere, and where it comes from is a billion dollar question.

If the left side of the brain is dedicated to logic and the right side to creativity, where does all the illogical stuff come from and is that our creativeness right there making all this up? Is it the join seam where there has to be some kind of overlap from one to the other?

I just won a billion dollars! Think of it as a trench. Like a tiny gulley that holds the 2 sides of the brain together. This gulley holds parts of either side so is both logical and creative, turning logical thoughts into fantasy (day dreaming). Logic + Creativity gives a sensical thought an added dimension which often leads to a non sensical judgement, hence, we think crap.

I always thought that creativity is an inbuilt trait but upon Googling this morning I’m learning that it can be built. Here are some ways in which we can do just that:

1. Go for a Walk — A study in 2014 where Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. say “Give Your Ideas Some Legs” found that people tend to be more creative when they are walking rather than when they are sitting down. . Previous research has shown that regular physical activity can play an important role in boosting and protecting cognitive abilities, but this study found that a simple walk could temporarily improve certain types of thinking. So if you are tied to a desk and struggling to come up with a good idea, try going for a quick walk to see if inspiration might strike.
2. Surround Yourself With Inspiration — Positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi suggests that surroundings also play a role in the creative process. Stimulating environments can facilitate creativity, so surrounding yourself with things that you find inspiring and motivating can help. Create an office space that helps you feel inspired and energized. Seek out stimulating experiences and settings that can help trigger inventiveness.
3. Daydream — In today’s high-tech, connected world, distraction is just a click away. Instead of filling every single idle moment with apps, games, email, website visits, try letting yourself actually be bored for a spell. In one study, bored participants performed better on creativity tests than those who were elated, relaxed ​or distressed. In another study, researchers found that boredom gives people time to daydream, which then leads to greater creativity. Boredom encourages creative thinking because it sends a signal that the current situation or environment is lacking, and looking for new ideas and inspiration helps overcome that.
4. Surround Yourself With Blue — Color psychology suggests that different colors can have varying effects on moods, emotions, and behaviors. According to a study, the color blue tends to make people think more creatively. Why? According to the researchers, the color blue helps encourage people to think outside the box. Since blue is heavily associated with nature, peace, and tranquility, the color tends to help people feel safe to explore and be creative. So the next time you are trying to find inspiration, try using the color blue to see if it might trigger some new ideas.
5. Meditate — Research has also shown that certain types of meditation are linked to an increase in creative thinking. Meditation has long been used as a relaxation technique, but recent research has demonstrated that health benefits extend far beyond relaxation. One study found that using something known as open-monitoring meditation in which the individual is receptive to any and all thoughts and sensations without focusing on any particular object or idea, can increase divergent thinking and the generation of new ideas. Look for ways to incorporate meditation techniques into your daily life. Simply focusing on your thoughts and experiences might help foster creative thinking.

Personally I think that depression has kind of killed my creativity. I used to have tunes and beats going round my head all the time once, they went away some years ago now and I’m finding it really difficult to visualize anything. I’m going to learn how to build creativity so that I can start using it both in my writing and in my painting.

If any of you who are reading this have any ideas or tips, or even feedback to this post I’d be happy to hear.