Although we live a world dominated by the IT sector, human creativity is still important, even for work. There are numerous jobs that require us to be creative but that is sometimes hard to achieve. Creativity doesn’t come at a click of a button, so inducing it requires a lot of concertation and a few appropriate techniques as well. There are numerous ideas on how to boost your creativity levels but here we will list only the top 5 ones that are bound to bring out the best of your imagination.

Writing down ideas

”Verba volant, scripta manent” is a Latin adage reminding us that spoken words fly, but those which are set on paper are there to remain. This couldn’t be truer when it comes to creative inspiration which often lasts for no more than a second and then it is gone forever. That is why it is useful to write down all the ideas you at the very moment they come to your mind so you won’t forget them later.

They could be written down on your smartphone’s e-notes app, on a piece of paper near at hand or someone else can remember or write them down for you. Of course, this doesn’t mean that it is OK to call your best friend at 3 AM and force them to write down the crazy idea you just had.

Learning to unwind

In order for our brain to be more retentive and creative at the same time, it foremost has to be relaxed, i.e. it shouldn’t be stressed. When you are under pressure to meet a deadline or you have family issues, it is hard for your brain to stay focused, so you are less likely to express creative behavior. You have to be able to clear your mind through relaxing activities such as horse riding, sunbathing, ice-skating etc. Basically, engage frequently in activities that you find relaxing because creativity naturally comes precisely at these times when the brain is idle.

Try out new stuff

One of the worst creativity killers is routine. Your train of thought follows your life; if the latter is boring and mechanical, then no new ideas will come to your mind. That is why you have to set the goal to try out new things every day. These could be as simple and trivial as buying a different brand of milk, or as challenging as rolling into a photography course. Who knows, perhaps that photography courses you have attended will pay off in the long run and you’ll start making money from the things you learn there. The future is unpredictable and so should your thought be if you want to be creative and come up with new ideas all the time.

Don’t over-criticize yourself

People can sometimes be hard on themselves, which can cause them to become depressed because they are not satisfied with themselves. Any form of sadness inhibits creativity so people with somber thoughts cannot think in a creative manner. Don’t go hard on yourself and always try to love yourself for who you are. Only by positive, objective, and self-assertive thinking will you be able to unleash all the creative potential you have hidden inside.

Practice, practice, and practice

Like we said earlier, creativity is a skill that can be acquired through learning. The key to this process is not giving up, that is, practicing all the time, regardless of how many times you fail. Think of creativity as an instrument that you have to learn how to play. It is hard and painstaking but once your time comes to shine in front of everybody it will all be worthwhile.

Conclusion

Start your path to creativity by adopting any of the 5 techniques listed here. Just remember, it will take time to become creative, but once you do, you will (re)discover a whole new side to your personality.