7 Surprising Ways to Be More Creative Than Yesterday

#1. Think inside the box

This is an article about creativity, so let’s be creative, shall we! I’ve found seven different ways to be creative that I’d like to share with you, but instead of just writing about them, we’ll play a game. I’ll roll the die as I write and whatever it lands on — that’s what I’ll use to help us discuss each idea.

How’s it going to work?

Simple! If I roll a:

1 = I’ll use a personal anecdote to explain the creativity technique

2 = I’ll give you some examples

3 = You’ll get a quote

4 = Some research

5 = Silliness (because why not!)

6 = A case study

Ready? Let’s go!

(I rolled a 3 so here’s a quote for you):

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” — Albert Einstein

1. Think inside the box

(I rolled a 2, let’s have some examples for this one.)

You work for Lego and want to create a new design for release in Spring. To force your brain to be more creative — and stop it reverting to the designs you are used to creating and seeing — you could limit your block color palette. What could you create using only yellow, orange and red blocks?

Would it set off a new safari-themed set? A flock of birds? The pyramids of Eygpt? Mars Colony?

What would you think up?

This is inside the box thinking — thinking with limits.

But, wait a minute, Kelly — we’re meant to “think outside the box” to be creative, aren’t we? I can see your dilemma and I remember being told this too. In one university class, I was told to let my mind wander until I had a whiteboard full of random ideas. We often brainstormed. “No idea is a bad idea!” they said.

You’ve probably tried this kind of free-association brainstorming at some point — just letting your mind go any which way, and then writing down every idea that pops into your heads.

The problem is we use mental shortcuts when we’re making decisions or thinking up solutions— these shortcuts make life easier for us in general. Imagine having to problem-solve over every single decision we face in a day! “Will I open the door with my left hand, or my right, or perhaps I should use my elbow to avoid germs?” Mental shortcuts mean we can make choices and take action more quickly.

When we want to be creative and think up new ideas or approaches, these short cuts get in the way. Jacob Goldenberg, co-author of Inside the Box, suggests there’s a better way to be creative.

In an interview with Creativida, Goldenberg discussed how thinking outside-the-box, unrestrained brainstorming, and “wild thinking” are ineffective strategies when we’re trying to be creative.

“None of this is supported empirically,” says Goldenberg, “in fact, most of these views lead to the opposite results: using these approaches you will most likely end up with fewer ideas and they will be less creative, and with lower value.”

He says, instead, we need to limit our choices and work within parameters. Hence limiting our color palette with the Lego example!

2. Use it or lose it

(I rolled a 4: Time for some research)

The good news is, if you practice being more creative, research shows that it will almost always work. The more you use your creative skills, the easier it becomes to use them!

Adam Green, president-elect of the Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity, says there is a simple reason for this — there’s a common saying in neuroscience: “cells that fire together, wire together.” When you use creative tools often, you develop stronger links in your brain and creativity becomes a habit.

To start those brain cells firing, add some creativity tools into your day, such as a creative prompt — this could be a writing prompt, a word list to get ideas flowing, or you could try creative provocation (like Einstein used!).

Try a creativity sparking game

Have you ever played the game Scattergories? In the game, you get given a list of random categories and a letter. Within a set time you have to try to think of one thing that fits in each category. A category might be Reasons to Make a Phone Call, for example. Or Animal Noises. It’s a challenging game, but it’s also a silly, fun way to stretch your creativity. The more you play, the more creative your answers get.

Want to give it a go? How many Reasons to Make a Phone Call starting with “S” can you think of? Try not to use the same word twice

I’ll get you started:

• Saw a lion had escaped from the zoo.
• Seesaw needed an extra person so you called a friend to join you.

Your turn. Pop your answer in the comments!

3. Wonder and Awe Technique

(Rolled a 5: Silliness)

What’s sillier than Alice in Wonderland?

“I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night. Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is ‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

My kids and I love Carroll’s classic story because it makes us wonder about the world. It turns everything familiar upside down and makes it all look a little strange. Sometimes we need to do that to notice how amazing our world is — and how strange for that matter! In fact, when was the last time you actually viewed the world upside down?

It’s easy to take what’s around you for granted. We see it every day and forget how incredible much of it is. Let your kid brain take over for a while. Wonder about things. Throw off your sensible shoes and allow yourself a little freedom to think in an odd way. Here are some wonderings to try:

• What would change in the world if all our food was in tablet form?
• If your cat could talk, what would be its philosophy on the source of happiness or the concept of free will?

Awe, wonder, and silliness spark creativity. Be Alice for a day and try wondering.

4. Create new dependencies

(Roll:3 Quote)

“A lot of the time, looking for a new dependency gives you a creative idea,” — Rom Schrift.

What if you combined the concepts of time and fragrance to create an air freshener that changed scent every 10 minutes? What about combining writing and gambling to create an article determined by the roll of a die?

Marketing professor Rom Schrift, calls this building a matrix of characteristics of two unrelated products to create new dependencies — I know, crazy terminology. Explain yourself, Schrift!

“A lot of the time, looking for a new dependency gives you a creative idea,” Schrift says.

When you take two ideas — like writing and gambling — that usually have nothing to do with each other, and combine them, you see new possibilities.

You start to think about creative ways to combine them. You brain hasn’t seen them combined before so it can’t fall back on the same old solutions.

You are forced to create something new. Try it!

Let’s try productivity combined with cats (yes, more cats) — is there a way they could depend on each other? Can your cat somehow help you become more productive? They have a feeding schedule, they need attention, you feel calm when you pat them. Could these aspects of cat ownership be linked to productivity?

What can you come up with?

5. Just shut up already

(Roll:4 Research)

Allowing yourself to be bored, alone, and quiet helps creativity, but not all quiet time is equal. When it comes to creative thinking, one method stands out from the rest, according to research by Italian cognitive scientist Lorenza Colzato and her colleagues.

They found one type of meditation, “open-monitoring” meditation, to be particularly effective for creativity. Open-monitoring involves being quiet, like other meditations, but you don’t need to focus on your breath or a mantra. For this type of meditation, you stay receptive to your thoughts and emotions. You tune into them.

How often are you quiet enough — and undistracted enough — to hear your own thoughts? Why not try it now: close your eyes and calmly let your mind go where it wants to. Put some calming instrumental music on if it helps. Notice how you feel and what you’re thinking about. Just sit with it for a few minutes.

Did your thoughts surprise you?

6. Go on a seed hunt

(Roll:3 Quote)

In his book, Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman explains seed incidents:

“Seed incident — an event or observation that inspires fascination and exploration and becomes the fertile ground on which creative growth occurs.”

I call mine “idea nuggets”, but seeds create a prettier image. Whatever you call them, they’re those little events, the tiny things you notice, that make you go, “hmm — that’s interesting.”

Last week, for example, I saw the word Compunction — just the word and its definition, and a little idea started to grow. I’m not sure what it’ll grow into yet, but I collected it into my draft folder anyway.

“Capture now, evaluate later,” — Robert Epstein

Your seed might be a memory, a quote from a book, lyrics from a song, an incident at work…

Capturing your seeds of ideas is the most valuable way to boost creativity according to Robert Epstein. “Capture now, evaluate later,” says Epstein, senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.

Look out for the seeds, those tiny fascinations, and observations, and write them down. Don’t judge them. Don’t filter them. Record every little one. All incredible creations start off small.

7. Listen to someone else for a change

(Roll:1 Personal Anecdote)

Until a few years ago, I had no interest in climbing mountains. Then, some friends from my rock climbing club invited me to a local Mountain Film Festival. The first film was about a group of explorers attempting a climb in Antarctica. I couldn’t take my eyes off it! It didn’t make me want to go to Antarctica any time soon, but listening to their story, I could feel my mind pinging with idea after idea. I made so many notes on my phone that night!

When you learn an unfamiliar topic, it sparks ideas. Your mind makes new connections. You start to think, how can this apply to my life? Can I use any of this in my field? For me, the lessons I learnt from listening to the Antarctic explorers were applicable to writing, parenting, even dating. (I was even encouraged to climb a few small mountains myself.)

Step outside your comfort zone, learn about someone else’s area of expertise, and get uncomfortably creative.

To Sum Up

Final roll: 5 (Silliness)

I was going to give you a formal summary, you know the one where I recap all seven ideas, perhaps with bullet points like this:

• apply limits to force yourself to be creative.
• practice creativity with tools and games.
• wonder about the world with the fascination of a child.
• combine two non-related items or ideas to form new dependencies.
• be quiet and listen to your thoughts.
• catch “seed” ideas.
• learn about someone else’s area of expertise.

But that wouldn’t be silly and I did roll a 5. So let’s talk about bananas instead.

You know those times you feel like drawing with bananas? Don’t tell me you’ve never felt like that. It’s okay, I’ve got you covered:

Kelly has been a creator in the writing field for over 12 years. Ready to launch your own writing? Get weekly tips and inspiration.