A promise is a promise. Last week I told you I would compile your best comments into a new detailed list of “Creative Thinking: 10 Ways to Boost Your Creativity (part 2)” and publish it on ilcantone.com. And here it is! The wait was worth it 🙂
But, first of all, I recommend you to read or refresh the original post: Creative Thinking: 10 Ways to Boost Your Creativity (part 1).
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And here it is, the new list of 10 effective ways to boost your creativity:
1. Know the rules well so you can break them effectively
You have to be an expert on your chosen topic if you want to go far beyond the rules currently defined in it. By having a great understanding of the topic, you will be able to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to problems.
Suggested by Justin from AlittleBetter.net
2. Your working atmosphere must be conducive to creativity
If we want to be creative we need a quiet workspace and time to sit there and relax in order to have a state of deep concentration; only then, we give the muse a chance to appear. In other words, we have to try hard to concentrate on the task at hand if we want to be creative, and it won’t be possible if we don’t have a comfortable atmosphere to work.
Suggested by myself from here 🙂
3. Carry a notebook & Jot down good ideas when they hit you
My best tip is to always carry around a notebook (or Ipod as I do) so that ideas from nature, conversations and other aspects of life can be easily jotted down in a sentence to be returned to later on.
I find that my best business ideas, article posts and product designs come from this method as it is not forced and allows the mind maximum scope for making connections.
Explained by Jonny from TheLifeThing.com
4. Mind mapping good ideas
I like to keep track of all ideas I get and write everything down (I carry a notebook and pen, and save all ideas to Google Docs when I get online). When I need to “turn on” the creativity, I dig into my idea-pile and just reading through all the ideas gets me going.
After that I like to form mind maps and take the ideas a bit further. In the end I might work on a related idea that came from that mind map, but as I save the mind map, I can always go back and work on that original idea.
So in a sense, for me, creativity is the process I follow. It’s perfect, when I’m not feeling particularly creative, the process gets me in that creative mood I need to be, because I see all the ideas I’ve written down and worked on before.
Explained by Antti Kokkonen from Zemalf.com
5. Schedule some time for creativity & Ritualize your routine
Don’t wait for inspiration to arrive. The muse lies in waiting for us to show up. Set aside a specific day or time of day that will create a routine that you can count on. When you show up to do the work, make it a sacred ceremony. Light a candle, say an incantation, do anything that signals to yourself that you are there to do your holy work.
Explained by Alisa Barry from bellacucina.com
6. Have a mini power yoga session
I practice yoga and I find that some of the core concepts can easily be used by anyone to boost creativity. If you can find a quiet place to sit or lie down comfortably, it is very important that you relax and pay attention to your breathing. Start to take nice slow, long, deep inhales and exhales. When you think you have exhaled all of the air out of your body, exhale just a little bit more and then slowly begin to inhale again.
The breaths should be very intentional, slow and controlled. This creates a positive flow of energy, fresh oxygen and blood throughout your body. Practice controlling your breath like this for about 3-5 minutes and you just gave yourself a mini power yoga session that will help open your mind and stimulate your creativity.
Related to this point Ryan commented: I meditate for at least 20-30 minutes. After sitting still creative ideas usually flow to me easily. Stillness helps to remove my blockages.
Explained step by step by Ileane from Ms. Ileane Speak.
7. Clear your head, collect your thoughts and de-stress your life
When I need to be creative I try to clear my head of all thoughts. Sometimes it’s difficult, but a quiet room where I can be alone really helps. Another way to clear my head of all thoughts is to work out. It tends to relieve stress and pressures from the day. Then take a nice shower to get relaxed. After that my mind seems to open up and I can begin to think creatively. Related to this point Ali from InternetHow Blog encourage us to take long walks to clear our mind.
Exercise is really important to a healthy lifestyle and, of course, to clear our mind and to make the creative process easier. I also love taking long walks to clear my mind and to reflect on my situation and prepare for my next step.
Explained by Jim Hardin from jimyjack.com.
8. Sharing and discussing ideas with others
Collaborate with other people because there is always something to learn from each one. This will help you to grow and to understand different points of view. So, talk to a friend, share your thoughts on a given topic and ask them to help you to find new fresh ideas or to develop them. You would be surprised how much extra stuff you come up with.
Suggested by John Luffa from yourblogtools.com
9. Challenge yourself
It is important to continually challenge yourself in order to boost your creative potential. Find your skills and your limits, put yourself in a challenging situation and try your best to overcome it. You can overcome any challenge you face in life. When you face a challenge and you do your best to overcome it you grow and your comfort zone expands. So, try out new things and avoid always using the same solutions you have used in the past.
Here’s a great example of what I mean: Entrepreneurial Challenge: How to Turn $5 Into $650 in 2 Hours.
As Joseph Campbell said once: “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.”
Suggested by myself from here 🙂
10. Make your own list with your top 10 creativity tips
Many of my artist friends (and myself) have some sort of list with reminders and proven strategies to pull out in case of a creativity block. So, come on, collect your best creativity tips (the ones which work best for you) and make your own list.
Contribution by Marko from advancingmusician.com
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Now, I’m looking to you for some wisdom:
- What do you do to boost your creativity?
- How do you generate new ideas? What lights you up?
Use the comments section of this post as a forum to post your own experiences, opinions and thoughts on this subject.
And remember, share your thoughts and enjoy what others share with you 🙂
My Twitter: @DavidCantone
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Oscar - freestyle mind
// Nov 10, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Nice list again. I especially like number one and seven, but they are all powerful ideas.
.-= Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..How to Beat the Fear of Change =-.
David | ilcantone.com
// Nov 10, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Hi Oscar,
Yes, there are some great tips above. They did very well to highlight those points.
Thanks Oscar for your comment.
Regrads 🙂
Johnluffa
// Nov 10, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Hey David, thanks for the mention.
It looks good with everyone’s feedback up there.
I have many favourites…
.-= Johnluffa´s last blog ..eBook Survey Results =-.
David | ilcantone.com
// Nov 10, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Hi John,
You deserves the mention and much more 🙂
Thanks for your comment.
Regards.
Ryan
// Nov 10, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Thanks for the mention David 🙂
Excellent ideas. #2 and #3 are so important. An orderly environment promotes an orderly mind. Orderly minds breed creativity.
As for the pad you’ll never know when inspiration will come. Better have a notebook handy to make those ideas tangible!
David | ilcantone.com
// Nov 10, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Hi Ryan,
Yes, I’m absolutely agree with you. Yes, I always carry something to save “good” ideas. Lately I’ve had some “good” ideas for new posts while I was on the subway :D.
Thanks Ryan for your comment.
See you soon.
Jonny | thelifething.com
// Nov 11, 2009 at 2:05 am
Excellent Idea for building community and thanks for the mention.
.-= Jonny | thelifething.com´s last blog ..Your Blog Is Awesome and I Am A Shameless Whore =-.
Rajesh Kanuri
// Nov 11, 2009 at 5:09 am
nice list to follow and to be creative..
.-= Rajesh Kanuri´s last blog ..How to Backup Your Current WordPress Theme =-.
Mathdelane
// Nov 11, 2009 at 10:14 am
This post is pretty simple yet probably one of the most overlooked ways to build creativity. The compilation is pretty savvy so to speak. Thanks for sharing this post, David.
.-= Mathdelane´s last blog ..Ten Commandments of Human Relations (Blogger Edition) =-.
Antti Kokkonen
// Nov 11, 2009 at 8:38 pm
First, thanks for the mention 🙂 Second, this kind of post was a really great idea from you and I think this kind of “post pair” (asking for comments and then putting them out) is something that people should try out… Not only does it strengthen the “community-feel” in the blog, but as proven here, makes up for a great post on it’s own as well!
.-= Antti Kokkonen´s last blog ..Do You Have The Entrepreneurial Spirit? =-.
Marko
// Nov 12, 2009 at 10:41 am
Hi David,
This post is a powerful example for #11 🙂
I just love how you took existing comments and compiled them into a powerful, new post.
This just went on my blogging creativity list, btw. 🙂
.-= Marko´s last blog ..Upgrade Your Listening Skills with Functional Ear Training =-.
Saksham
// Nov 12, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Hey a cool post again from you… All the points you have mentioned are good and are must follow ones…
Regards,
Saksham T
Karlil
// Nov 13, 2009 at 12:21 am
This is an awesome list. I especially love point 1, by Justin.
Blake @ Props Blog
// Nov 13, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Dave,
I really like the way you did this list. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone incorporate guest comments into a list quite the same way, but I really liked the results.
One thing I like to do is start looking at things I know well to make comparisons. For example, I know the service industry well, so I started making connections between the service industry and blogging.
It is fun to see what the most random, unrelated things you can actually compare.
.-= Blake @ Props Blog´s last blog ..New Newsletter, New House, And One Year Of Marriage =-.
ileane
// Nov 15, 2009 at 11:15 am
This is awesome comment luv! Thanks for adding my suggestion to the list. I will certainly give this post a thumbs up. Brilliant concept.
.-= ileane´s last blog ..Top 5 Blog Topics =-.
Top Ten tips for taking a better picture | Tacogirl.com // Nov 23, 2009 at 10:29 pm
[…] Creative Thinking: 10 Ways to boost your creativity – Part I Creative Thinking: 10 Ways to boost your creativity – Part II […]
Zoli Cserei
// Nov 30, 2009 at 10:01 am
Buongiorno David,
Nice list you have here 🙂 My favourite two are the first and the ninth. I especially like the challenging yourself point, that is something I often and courageously do 🙂 I’m even going to contact you regarding my latest self-challenge, that’s something I’d like to have you involved in.
Vi auguro il meglio! (correct me if that’s not correct)
Zoli.
.-= Zoli Cserei´s last blog ..Simply Will Do Digest – Issue #3 =-.
David | ilcantone.com
// Nov 30, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Hi Zoli,
Of course, feel free to contact me and let me know what are you going to do. It sounds really interesting.
Thanks for your comment 🙂
See you Zoli.
Chris Alta
// Feb 28, 2011 at 9:28 am
Definitely some great tips to take from here. I’m going to have to go jack mode and swoop this idea from you for my next post haha
I really like the YOGA one..I’ve been meaning to get in shape as soon as I unfreeze my gym membership..so maybe YOGA’s in the book this time?
Cheers!
-Chris Alta