How to Expand Your Creativity Skills in Just 13 Days

13 imagination experiments to develop your creativity

Imagination is like a muscle and it can be strengthened through practical exercises and experiments we can easily apply in our daily lives.

The fascinating thing about imagination is that it is unlimited. The more you use it, the more you will have it.

How can you exercise your imagination regularly?

You can give your brain puzzles, challenges, and exercises.

Here are 13 imagination experiments and challenges I have created for you to get you started.

I have chosen 13 because I love this number. I think 13 can be a lucky number for us if we choose to believe it.

Creativity is about opening our minds to new possibilities, including the possibility of good luck that comes with the number 13.

Challenge 1: “Your Secret Gift: The Eighth Day of the Week”

Imagine that you are given the 8th day every week. This day will be your secret gift. However, this cannot be just another day. You have to do something unusual or remarkable on this day.

A) Please design this day as your ideal day. How would you make these 8th days memorable, creative, and full of adventure? You can write or draw or doodle on this as you wish.

B) This will also be a day where you have an artist’s date with yourself (See Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” to learn more about this method). Fill your day with lots of inspiration. Get inspiration from lots of sources. What could be some of these sources? Brainstorm below. You can consider places, people, films, books, artwork, travel, hobbies, theatre, museums, cafes, nature, and more.

Challenge 2: “Connecting Dots and Storytelling”

Tell a story using the following random words: Stick, cake, guitar, tiger, castle, graffiti, and maple leaf.

Please write down your story in 5 minutes.

Can you now doodle or draw the story in 5 minutes?

Challenge 3: “Delve into the wonderful world of ants & become an expert on ants”

For this exercise, find and observe an ant colony for 10 minutes. Try to take their photos if you can. Please be careful not to harm them.

What did you notice? Capture your notes, observations, and thoughts.

Google everything about ants and ant colonies. For example, myrmecology is the field of entomology that focuses on the scientific study of ants. What else can you learn about ants?

Your job is to learn as many things as you can about ants using multiple disciplines. History and ants? Ants and culture? Ants and architecture? Ants and ecosystems?

Ants are studied using the perspectives of complexity sciences, systems sciences, evolution, social systems, biodiversity, machine learning, networks, and organizational sciences.

Try to learn as much as you can — delve into the wonderful world of ants!

What are the top things you can learn from ants? How can you get inspiration from ants for your project?

Try to create something new and fresh about ants. This might be an artwork, an essay, a video, a doodle, a performance, a poem, or a story.

Challenge 4: “The Window Project”

A) Walk around your city or town. You need your cell phone and an attentive eye for this project. Pay attention to the windows. This project is all about windows:) Please find at least 12 different doors (of different styles, periods, colors, etc.). Take their photographs. Tag each or give each a creative title. Did you learn new things that you have not realized before? What are they?

B) Think about windows from multiple angles and disciplines. Windows in history? Windows in architecture? Windows in the literature? Windows and paintings? Windows in philosophy? Windows and dreams? Windows and creativity?

C) Imagine 10 windows opening to 10 different worlds that are exciting, refreshing, stimulating, or calming for you. Capture your daydreams, mental images, and scenarios.

D) Imagine that one of these windows open to your childhood room. Go down on your memory lane and find a sweet memory from your childhood house. Where were you? How old were you? What were you doing? Were you alone or accompanied by others? Describe your memory with all the details — make it vivid and rich. Write it down as a story. Why did you choose this memory? Reflect on its significance for you.

Challenge 5: “Create your own Netflix drama universe and storyline”

You are commissioned to create a new universe for a TV drama on Netflix. What kind of a narrative world/context would you create? Who are the main characters? What are the main elements of your plot or story? Can you think of narrative elements of fantasy, surprise, and mystery?

Challenge 6: “Create your top 5 holiday itineraries”

Create your top 5 itineraries for your favorite holidays. Decide on how many days you want. Visualize the destination and watch videos about it. Imagine how you would like to spend your holiday. Make a list of all the landmarks you want to see and all the experiences that would be exciting and refreshing for you. Experience your holidays in your imagination first.

Challenge 7: “Delve into the world of science fiction and fantasy”

To develop your imaginative muscles, watch science fiction movies.

My favorites are:

• Inception,
• Arrival,
• Interstellar,
• A Space Odyssey,
• A.I. Artificial Intelligence,
• Ender’s Game,
• Gattaca,
• Ex Machina,
• The Passengers,
• Star Wars

You can also read fantasy novels (such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, 1984, Cloud Atlas, Flatland).

Create science fiction movie ideas you would like to watch.

Write down science fiction book ideas you would like to read.

Creating ideas, plots, and stories will strengthen your creativity and open up your mind.

Challenge 8: “Find 20 different uses for a brick”

Try to find 20 different uses for a brick.

For example, you can use it as a seat.

Or, you can heat it in the oven and use it as a foot warmer.

Try to think of 20 other uses or functions.

Challenge 9: “Sunday, Fun Day”

Spend your next Sunday doing things that you have never done before.

Try out new things to expand your comfort zone and build new neural pathways.

You might go to a place you have never been to before.

You can take an online Japanese lesson (or another language you are not familiar with).

You can try to learn and practice K-pop dance moves while watching a BTS concert.

You can play Fortnite or Minecraft.

You can build a sandcastle, learn origami, or play a board game with your family members.

Create a list of 5 activities you have never done before. Carry them out this Sunday.

Remember: All creativity is about playing like a child you once were.

Challenge 10: “Apply Torrance Test of Creative Drawing”

Apply the Torrance Test of creative thinking. You will turn these incomplete shapes into complete images using your imagination.

Challenge 11: “Repurpose Your Recycle Items into Artwork”

Go to your recycle bin and pick 12 random objects (such as newspaper, card box, junk mail…).

You will then try to combine them in multiple ways.

You will use and re-purpose them as your artistic project materials.

You will create artwork from these recycled materials.

Your goal is to increase the value of these items through your completed product or artwork.

If you repeat this exercise a couple of times, you can create an artistic portfolio or exhibition entirely made from recycled objects.

Challenge 12: “Scary Adventure Plotting during the Zombie Apocalypse”

Imagine that you are stuck in your house during the Zombie Apocalypse.

You can choose two of your best friends (who will be stuck with you) for this scary adventure.

You need to travel to your grandfather’s house to deliver him his medicine (his house is 20 miles away, at the other end of the town).

You will create a plotline to make it to your grandfather’s house.

How will your story unfold? Where will be the surprises and twists? How will you overcome challenges and escape from zombies?

Write down your story and then create a storyboard.

Challenge 13: “Braindumping: Going Forward”

After all these experiments and challenges, you will be inspired.

I want you to create lots of ideas now.

How can you make imagination a key feature of your life every day?

Please think of minimum 20 ideas.

These might be small actions, habits, exercises, challenges etc.

Please start applying these ideas and make them real.

I hope you enjoyed all these challenges and exercises.

Fahri Karakas is the author of the Self-making Studio. You can explore more here.