avatarAlex Mathers

Summary

This article provides ten exercises that can help improve creativity and set individuals apart in the modern knowledge economy.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of creativity in the modern world and highlights ten exercises that can help improve creative skills. These exercises include mind mapping, word association, free writing, doodling or sketching, journaling, brainstorming, random word uses, role-playing, scavenger hunt, and improv games. The article also suggests that these exercises can help individuals stay focused, grasp new concepts, and develop creative ideas.

Opinions

  • The article suggests that creativity is becoming THE skill of the modern world.
  • The author believes that setting oneself apart from automated and robotic entities will be vital, and creativity will set individuals apart.
  • The article suggests that doodling can help individuals grasp new concepts, develop creative ideas, and stay focused.
  • The author believes that journaling can be used to explore ideas via free writing and brainstorming, as well as to strengthen the creative muscle by offloading concerns and writing through solutions.
  • The article suggests that brainstorming can be done alone, but it can also be interesting to see what happens in a group setting, where several ideas from different people are pooled and combined.
  • The author believes that improvisation, whether in a comedy context or not, is a superb method to train the creative mind.
  • The article suggests that improvisation trains the mind to continually look for ways to make things work so that a scene or conversation flows, which is the essence of creativity.

Ten exercises that make you more creative than 96% of people

Creativity, which is one’s ability to make connections between ideas and bits of information, is becoming THE skill of the modern world.

Many will find themselves part of the burgeoning ‘knowledge economy,’ which greatly rewards creativity and productivity.

Setting ourselves apart from automated and robotic entities will also be vital; this is where creative skills will again set you apart.

But how can we hone our creative muscles and get great at creativity?

Here are some ideas for exercises you can do:

Mind mapping.

Visually laying out your ideas and how they connect to one another works so well because it aligns with how the brain makes connections via our neurons.

So by mind-mapping, you are tapping into our innate creativity and emphasising its power.

Word association.

This is where you identify a topic or theme and list out all the words you can think of that are associated with this topic.

You’re working out the part of your brain that scours and collects relevant information.

You can take this further and bring two random words or ideas together (or businesses, for example) and find new creative hybrids when two ideas or words are merged.

Free writing.

Give yourself time to explore your mind through the power of writing.

You don’t need to write anything specific.

Just let go and write whatever comes to mind.

This isn’t only for writers.

This can be a cathartic release and loosens you up for new insights that subsequently come to mind.

Doodling or sketching.

Studies show that people who doodle are often better at grasping new concepts, developing creative ideas and staying focused.

Drawing like this activates the creative part of the brain, so get doodling as an exercise to boost your thinking power.

Journaling.

You can use your journaling practice to explore ideas via free writing and brainstorming.

You can also strengthen your creative muscle by simply offloading some of your concerns and writing through solutions.

This is a release and exercises your mind for a double whammy of self-therapy and creativity.

Brainstorming.

You can write exhaustive lists of ideas based on specific problems or topics to prompt new creative thoughts that otherwise may have been absent without list-making.

This can be done alone, but it’s also interesting to see what happens in a group setting, where several ideas from different people are pooled and combined.

Random word uses.

Choose a randomly picked word or household object and devise as many different uses as possible for such a word or item.

What about the word ‘spider?’

What problems do you or others have that you can find a solution for spurred on by this word?

Maybe the spider’s web hints at creating your own web of mentors?

Role-playing.

Get together with friends and create hypothetical scenarios that prompt taking on specific roles.

There’s something very powerful about adopting a ‘personality’ outside the one we’ve assumed for ourselves.

You can be anyone you like when you adopt new roles. This is a highly creative act.

Scavenger hunt.

Create a list of items to find and photograph when out on an adventure.

This trains the mind to be more aware, which is vital for creativity and making connections.

It could even be one thing, like finding all the traffic cones on a specific urban walk.

Or you could set the challenge of finding 20 items you can use in a story, for example.

Improv games.

Improvisation, whether in a comedy context or not, is a superb method to train the creative mind.

In improvisation, you continually look for ways to make things work so that a scene or conversation flows.

This is the essence of creativity: continuously evading blocks and looking for ways through.

Improv trains this in the context of human play and direct interaction.

Have fun!

🔆

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Creativity
Productivity
Motivation
Personal Development
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