Inspirit Personal Growth

Some people have the idea that being creative only relates to the areas of art, writing, music, inventions and the like.  This is not true – being creative in business, information technology, general problem solving and thinking of new ways to do things around the house is being creative as well. 

 Creative thinking can help you to do many things. It can help you get ahead at work, learn new things and explore the world in ways you had never done before. You can get so many benefits from creative thinking – even though we often think creatively without realizing it, it is worth taking the time to train your mind and make  a conscious effort to be more creative.

 Start out by letting yourself be more creative in general. You may consider taking up an artistic hobby to help get your creative juices flowing.  These skills help because they open up the creative areas of the brain. They allow a person to let go of their rational thoughts and free the brain up for more creativity. The more you can allow your brain to be creative, the more likely you will be able to draw upon that creativity at will.

 You can also brainstorm ideas. See what you can come up with. Get out a pen and paper. Just write down whatever comes to mind. Do not censor yourself. Let your thoughts flow freely. You will likely be amazed at what you end up writing when you go back and read it.  Let your mind just go beyond the obvious and see what you can come up with. Try some things like free writing where you let your thoughts be control. Play games that get you thinking and that will get your brain working.

 One of the things you can do to become a creative thinker is called “thought experiments”. These were used by Albert Einstein who is said to be one of the greatest thinkers of all times. He used them to stimulate his mind to see beyond the obvious.  It is basically about visualization and allowing your mind to go places you might not normally let it go. Because  thoughts are not physical, they are simply rooted in your mind and therefore do not have to be plausible. You can do anything you want with a thought experiment. Here are some ideas to get you started:

•  Develop deep thought evoking questions that can be answered or can be rhetorical questions. They can even be universal questions to which the definitive answer could never be determined.
•  Think about great geniuses. Imagine yourself sitting down and having a deep conversation with this genius. Imagine what you would ask and how they would answer.  
• Imagine traveling in time or to another dimension. Imagine what it is like. How does it look? What are the people like? Are there even people? Create every aspect of life. 
• Think about God or whatever higher being you believe in. Think about the questions you would ask and his answers. Try to imagine being in the presence of such power. 
• Experiment with astral projection. Get a book and study up on the idea. Then try it. Try to float out of your conscious body and into the astral plain. 

 Do at least one of these daily to keep your mind sharp and your creative juices flowing. Take them seriously and be committed to doing them.  You have to put forth some effort to try and get your brain into the habit of creative thinking. It involves commitment and daily work. Once you decide to be a creative thinker, nothing is holding you back but yourself.

 

This article is adapted from “How to Adopt Creative Thinking”, a free e-book available from the website below or email ruth@inspiritpersgrowth.com.