Creativity

  Today I share with you 2 articles on creativity. The post is consequently longer than usual, but that's why it covers the essence of creativity. 

I wanted to put them in two parts, but I find both articles very relevant to this topic, which is why I am putting them together. 

How to improve your creativity?

Creativity is a thought process and related action that all of us humans are capable of. Everyone is creative in his or her own way and we all have an inexhaustible well of ideas, solutions and creative thoughts.

Many factors influence the level of creativity and creativity can be improved, or as much as possible, incorporated into our actions. Creativity as a thought process is not limited to the years and it is right that it is encouraged in children and teenagers as well as in adults.

What is creativity and what influences it?

Creativity is a thought process that results in original achievements and new ways of perceiving and finding solutions. Our creativity is influenced by a number of factors, including our characteristics and thinking styles, personality traits, prior knowledge, exposure to creative challenges and environmental factors. From this it can be seen that creativity can be influenced by increasing knowledge, by a creative environment and by encouraging thinking outside the box.

In the process of schooling, the promotion of creative thinking is very limited to the required skills. This is one of the reasons why most children still attend extracurricular activities where they can be creative and develop their own original ideas. Even for later years, it is extremely important not to get caught up in routine work, but to be constantly challenged in ways that stimulate our creativity and strengthen our imagination. You know very well that life is better when you have a highly developed imagination and that creative activities are fulfilling and exhilarating. Creativity is the magic that has been given to us to make inimitable art, to find new solutions and to enrich our lives.

Tips for thinking more creatively

Modern businesses value innovative thinking and creativity because it means finding new approaches and ways to solve problems. These are not just the skills of artists, musicians or writers, but of everyone. Even if you don't think you're creative, take comfort - there are many ways to encourage creativity. Check out our tips!

Everyone has a creative streak and with the right tools, environment and incentives it can be awakened. Many people are held back by the fear of failure - of ideas going wrong or acting stupidly. These are beliefs that only hinder our creativity. Imagination is more important than knowledge, said Albert Einstein, the German physicist and mathematician who believed that creativity is the driving force of this world. Many companies are following suit by encouraging creative thinking in their employees and are undoubtedly reaping the rewards - just think of Tesla, Apple and Facebook.

Here are some ways to be creative.

Spend time brainstorming.

At work, you're often focused on fixed tasks and business processes, so it's hard to break out of the box and think of different ways to solve them. So take an hour out of your day to find new solutions. Check out what experts in other industries have to say, keep an eye on the competition, listen to podcasts, read interviews, or write down ideas that come to you while you're having your coffee in the morning.

Change your environment

In the same office with the same people every day. Just how do you get more creative? That's why it's important to think about work tasks in a completely different environment. Go to a museum, a nearby hill or a walk in the woods - you're bound to get some fresh ideas. Good ideas come when we don't "force" ourselves. Many people rely on sporting activities where we are busy exercising and our brains relax, allowing the conscious mind to access fresh ideas buried in the subconscious.

Change your working habits.

We all know tasks that can be done with our eyes closed. These are the ones we are good at. Make a list of tasks you can do without thinking and think about how you can change the whole process. Change won't always help, but it will force you to start thinking about new ways of working and avoid boredom and routine at work.

Change your workspace.

Working in grey offices with artificial light is certainly not a recipe for creative flourishing. Creative thinking requires a creative space. If you can't make big changes in your office, take small steps. Some paint, a plant, a photograph or a poster.

Give me time to think.

Allow ideas to mature. Few people can be creative on command. If you need suggestions, designs or presentations for something, let your colleagues know in advance and give them time to think. Schedule a meeting, send an invitation a few days in advance and write that you want at least three good ideas that will solve a problem. Everyone invited will be sure to think of solutions.

Invite people to co-create.

New ideas mature when you work with others - people with whom you can discuss your thinking, share your opinions and new and different ways of looking at things. Just a short conversation and a slightly different perspective from a colleague can go a long way to helping you take the next step in the process when you get stuck.

It's also useful to invite new people to get involved - organise seminars, speakers and workshops where your employees (and you) can learn about different approaches and perspectives to finding solutions in your business. Workshops and seminars don't always have to be business-oriented, you can have workshops to help you cope with stress, meditation or something completely different - anything that broadens your horizons, helps you think creatively.

Reduce your fear of failure.

Some of the most creative ideas are often unconventional and employees can be afraid of ridicule. Be supportive, give feedback in a positive way, even if you think the ideas may not be the best. This is the right way to motivate people. Criticism should always be constructive, it's the only way to build a great foundation for future ideas and business. In other words, show your employees that there is nothing wrong with failing the first time.

And remember - it's not enough to just think or talk about creativity. Put your thoughts into words and your words into ideas and actions. Be an inspiration to others! Take on new ventures in new and different ways, so that those around you will be motivated to take new approaches and get involved in developing ideas. An environment and working atmosphere that fosters creative thinking is much more productive, and this will undoubtedly be reflected in business results.

Article 2: 

Activities that stimulate creativity

On some level, any job can be creative if we make it so. If you cooked beef soup every day, you would leave yourself little room for creativity. So we can breathe creativity into even the most mundane activities. But some activities are even more effective in developing, stimulating and enhancing creativity.

Imaging

Painting, like any art form, consists of two very important and equal factors. The first factor is knowledge, familiarity with colours, materials, drawing techniques and a lot of practice, which makes a master. With all new things, we have to learn the required skills if we want to be good at something. The second and equally important factor is creativity, which involves imagination and new ways of approaching painting. Knowledge and creativity are two equal components that hold hands. Let me tell you that, in reality, we all know how to paint, it is just that most of us have never been taught the skill. Somehow, at school, we were divided up and labelled as to who was talented at what, and most of us were not great painters. But that doesn't mean you can't paint beautiful pictures to adorn your home.

 Awaken the artist in you and allow yourself to create a masterpiece.

 Singing

Singing is one of the basic components of our lives. All the music we listen to is based on a combination of instruments and human, singing voices. Without singing, this world would be an extremely quiet and boring place. We have instruments not only for speaking, but also for singing. Everyone mutters or sings the lyrics of the songs they love at home. Even those of you who think you are deaf and cannot catch a note are still singing quietly. Singing is a joy that makes us happy. Even the birds sing, though they derive nothing but joy from it. You can all improve your singing, which will raise your level of creativity and self-confidence. Your breath will deepen, your voice will open up and you will bring out tones you never knew you were capable of. By learning to sing, you will also improve in public speaking and in speaking clearly and distinctly.

 Try your hand at singing and discover a new part of yourself.

Learning foreign languages

Language learning is one of the most complex types of learning. New connections are being made in our brains, and it has been shown that people who know more languages are smarter and learn more easily. The first foreign language is the hardest to learn, but each successive one is easier to learn. It is truly fascinating how language learning affects our ability to think creatively, make logical connections and increase our memory. Research has been carried out and it has been found that learning foreign languages is the best prevention against dementia. Older people who actively learnt foreign languages had far fewer problems with dementia, regardless of their genetic predisposition to dementia. So you will gain much more than just new knowledge by learning languages. You will dramatically increase your creativity, while ensuring you have a clear mind throughout your life.

 And as the old saying goes, the more languages you know, the more you are worth.

The Movement

Our bodies are here to be used. Learning through movement is multi-layered and each layer has its own beneficial properties. As well as keeping fit, increasing muscle flexibility and improving general health, movement also has an impact on our creativity. Especially during complex exercises, our brain is also very active. During yoga, dance, gymnastics and other such activities, in addition to working with our bodies, we also have to think about how we are going to perform a movement, a trick, a novelty. Our brain and our body are looking for new ways to move. Our muscles also have a memory, and it is also true of the body that what Johnny learns, Johnny knows. So know that as your movements become more complex, your level of creativity increases dramatically.

Today's post is a little longer than you are used to but I have no doubt that it has not done you any good. It certainly did for me! See you again in 4 days. Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter so that next time you won't say you missed an interesting post!