Creativity is an innate quality that most people can recognize but often find it quite difficult to define. Generally, however, creativity is considered to be a novel way of thinking and the ability to produce innovative ideas. While it is most commonly perceived in fields involving art and literature, creative talent can surface in all fields including science, business, and even politics. In essence, an original piece of work, a solution, or a new perspective can be considered creativity.

One of the most common questions related to creativity is whether it is something that you are born with or whether it is something that is developed. Certain individuals seem to have the ability to be innovative all the time, while others require particular circumstances to jolt this part of their brain. While everyone might not be equally original, here are some ways that you can nurture this capability within yourself:

Creativity Techniques

When coming up with a novel way of doing things, it can often feel as though you are hindered by your own thought processes. If this is something that you find yourself battling with on a regular basis, there are several ways that you can overcome this. This is by trying out some of the creative techniques that other people have tried and tested.

Self-monitoring is one of the reasons that innovation can seem to come to a sudden halt. This is because people tend to dismiss unorthodox ideas before they even properly form. To take this mental barrier away, you should try free writing. This means putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and just writing whatever springs to mind. You do not have to focus on grammar, spelling, or any other sentence structure. Just write down the ideas as they flow into your mind.

Another thing that you can do is stop focusing on the results and instead take a look at your method. The process that you are using might be what is preventing your creative thoughts from taking hold. So try a new and different thought or execution procedure and you may notice a difference. Finally, force yourself to come up with a certain number of alternate suggestions within a particular period of time. By forcing yourself to think of other ways of handling a situation, you will come up with new ideas.

Creativity Exercises

The part of your brain that is responsible for creativity is much like any other muscle. You are going to have to exercise it if you want it to function well and to develop. This is why you cannot wait for an opportunity or a problem to present itself. You will need to constantly push your own boundaries in order to be more original.

One of the ways that you can do this is by looking at an object or tool and trying to find a different use for it. For instance, it can be as simple as trying to figure out what else you can do with a hammer. Think of a way to create with a hammer rather than destroy.

There is a reason that at one point or another, creative individuals have been considered a little crazy. This is because they tend to reject more normal circumstances and instead view the world in a more non-traditional perspective. If you want to be more innovative, you too need to begin accepting the weird and unusual.

Last but not least, you are going to need to be curious. Both intelligent and innovative individuals have one thing in common – they are incredibly inquisitive. They are constantly questioning how and why. Through this curiosity, they experiment, trying to find different ways of doing things.

Creativity in Canada

Canada as a nation is an incredibly creative country. Globally, it has been ranked the fourth most creative country in the world. This, by itself, is quite a feat, although not very surprising. For generations now, Canada has been producing famous musicians, artists, writers, entertainers, and numerous other innovative individuals. While the talent pouring forth from Canada does tend to be overshadowed by the successes of America, it is difficult to deny that Canada is certainly a creative country.

In particular, it has been discovered that urban areas are most innovative. This has largely been associated with the level of tolerance that Canadians have towards others. The acceptance and amalgamation of cultures has led to an outpouring of talent and originality. As the polls show, creativity has been rising over the past few years and will continue to do so.

Canada is an innovative and artistic nation that shows no signs of slowing down. With the aid of the techniques and exercises provided in this article, hopefully another generation of creative individuals will emerge.

Sources:

https://www.mycoted.com/Category:Creativity_Techniques