Turn Creative Thinking into a Habit
Creativity is a skill that every designer/copywriter/marketer should have. And it’s important to respond quickly to your great ideas. But, the creative process takes time and much of that time is invested in the initial drafts and techniques that will allow you to create something amazing you could then sell.
Creativity is not just a matter of waiting for the right moment of inspiration to arrive. Developing creativity is a process that you must carry out and incorporate into your day-to-day life — and not only when it’s necessary for your projects. In short, you cannot wait for the inspiration to arrive just in time, you must take action! The good news is that you can create a system that will allow you to be more creative in your daily routine.
Start with getting into a proper routine
Following a strict routine converts simple activities into habits. And once a habit is established, many of the actions will become automatic. Although following a strict routine seems to have nothing to do with creativity, which is usually associated with freedom, it’s in fact necessary to form the habit of being creative. Otherwise, you will have to wait for the inspiration to come to you, which will not happen very often. It’s essential that you actually go out in search for it.
But if the word “routine” still doesn’t convince you and it seems too inflexible, you can perform a little ritual. A ritual refers to a series of actions you perform before you start your creative process. Performing a ritual every day tells your brain when it’s time to be creative. Writers like Stephen King followed rituals before sitting down to write. In his case, he would have a cup of tea or a glass of water before working.
A ritual shouldn’t be too complicated. In fact, it’s more than likely that you already have several rituals of your own, such as maybe washing your face immediately after you get up or going to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Incorporate those rituals into your creative process so that you can “activate” your creative thinking in a way, as well.
Try to be creative every day
The more you use your creativity the stronger it will become. Creativity is a never-ending power source, so don’t be afraid to be creative whenever you can. Performing small creative actions in your life is a great way to boost your creative thinking. Not only will this improve your creativity, but you can turn this into a ritual of its own as well.
As you probably can tell, this practice has everything to do with the previous one; essentially, make the most out of the routine in order to think and act in a creative manner every day. That way, you’ll get used to this kind of thinking, which will be very useful once you have to summon this power in order to use it for a project at work.
Simple and small actions are the best to form a habit. After all, they don’t require too much effort or cause stress, which is precisely why the probability of forming a healthy habit is higher.
Bring a notebook with you wherever you go
It’s often said that inspiration comes at the most unexpected moments. You are probably already familiar with this situation as it must have happened to you at some point. And if you’re used to incorporating creativity into your daily routine, inspiration is much more likely to come to you unexpectedly. How can you be prepared for these situations? Well, bring a notebook with you wherever you go.
This practice allows you to be prepared for those moments when inspiration strikes unexpectedly. Putting your ideas on paper is part of the creative process and can sometimes help you grow and improve on the initial draft as well.
Thanks to the popularity and convenience of smartphones and tablets you can even use various applications to take notes digitally. But, despite you having a tablet or smartphone with you, a notebook and pen can always come in handy in those moments when the battery of your gadget is low.
Don’t fear bad ideas
Even those ideas that you consider bad are part of the creative process. That’s precisely why you should write them down. It’s like freeing yourself from them the moment you take the notes. Otherwise, that bad idea could block your creativity. So, don’t be afraid of bad ideas, but treat them for what they are: just ideas.
Also, remember that those bad ideas can help you develop your creativity. In certain cases, you could improve that bad idea and turn it into a great idea. Ideas also evolve as your creative process progresses so don’t lose hope.
Find relaxing spots and places
In order to be creative, it’s also necessary to relax. In fact, if you think about it, you will notice that many ideas come to you at times when you feel relaxed (on the bus on your way home, while taking a long shower, when having a cup of tea, etc.). If you lead a busy life it’s probably harder for you to be creative, which is why it’s necessary that you have places where you can relax and unwind. Of course, you should never neglect your responsibilities, but if you are constantly stressed and tense, your creative thinking will be hindered as well. Therefore, give yourself time and space to develop your creativity.
Maybe the thought of doing nothing or losing valuable time that could be invested in other activities scares you. But, in the long run, these moments will benefit you greatly.
