Creative ideas can flow from just about anywhere, but there are a handful of ways to come up with creative ideas I like most. Other than my obsession with always looking at advertisements, especially those on the train, creative ideas can flow from just about anywhere.
This is something to remember before you pull out your hair wondering why you can’t be more creative. For me, there’s a handful of ways a spark my creativity when living a busy life.
Chop It Up With Family and Friends
Got friends, family members, or close associates? Talk to them. I even ask the teens of my family questions. Everyone experiences life differently and can provide new insights and ideas you may have never considered. I find this especially true when speaking to my friends and family members who can make me laugh with left-field comments or one-liners that blow my mind. To me, their ability to be witty on the fly is a real testament to their level of creativity. Sometimes, just bouncing ideas of another will reveal a creative thought that will come straight from you.
Explore Creative Websites
Looking at creative sites doesn’t mean just skimming designs on Behance, Flickr, Pinterest, Dribbble, and Dunked. Creative ideas can also be found on solution-oriented websites like Inc. Magazine, Harvard Business Review, and more. You can even use Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” button and see where it takes you for unexpected learning opportunities.
Listen To A Podcast
When you’re busy, and on the go, podcasts can be one of your best resources for creative ideas. Listen to podcast focused on life, creativity, new ways to do things, or that merely discuss the ups and downs of life. Just like books and websites, podcasts can spark creative ideas, too!
Explore Free-Form Writing
On the other hand, structured exercises such as writing a free flow of ideas about a specific topic or problem can also increase the opportunity for new ideas to arise. With this said, although many say to keep a notebook near, I like to dictate my thoughts into a notepad on my phone, especially since most keep their phone with them even while in bed these days.
Free Your Mind From Everything
Since it is hard for ideas to develop from a cluttered mind, stepping away from a creative project to either meditate or take a walk can help. And I get it. Some people say mindless activities can help because your mind is relaxed and dopamine releases to increase creativity.
However, shredding paper is a mindless activity, and I don’t like doing it. If this works for you, I say more power to you. I end up more fixated on the fact that I even have to do the mundane activity. As for taking a shower being a mindless activity, I prefer not to even think about anything remotely serious in the shower as I am just trying to make sure I get a good clean. However, I’ve heard this can work.
Find your thing and rock out!
Bonus: Practice Taking Creative Risks At Work
While working for Ketchum PR, all staff members were challenged with understanding different ways other companies have opened doors to new and innovative creative ideas. We were given a case study on Pixar’s creative process.
Pixar does an amazing job of encouraging team members to take creative risks and allow employees to express their wildest ideas in a safe place. Pixar sets out not to examine ideas, but “examine the dynamics of the room.” Essentially “candor is the key to collaborating effectively and lack of candor leads to dysfunctional environments.”
