{"id":35772,"date":"2015-09-30T12:31:18","date_gmt":"2015-09-30T20:31:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=35772"},"modified":"2015-10-01T21:54:43","modified_gmt":"2015-10-02T05:54:43","slug":"7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

If you are prone to creative work, you know that inspiration hits you naturally. Sometimes you fall into a dark spot, so you think that waiting is the best solution. It\u2019s not! Creativity is a trainable skill, so you can make an effort that will yield results.<\/p>\n

Jonah Kehrer, an American author who\u2019s famous for tackling topics from neuroscience and psychology, explained the patterns of creativity in his book <\/span>Imagine<\/a>: <\/a>How<\/a> Creativity<\/a> Works<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. According to Kehrer, imagination is not separate from other kinds of cognition. This function of the brain is based on its ability to combine insights, perspective, and information with the purpose to approach the subject from a different angle. <\/span><\/p>\n

Every function of the brain can and should be practiced. There are effective techniques that will make you more creative; you just need to stay committed to your goal! Analyze the following 7 methods and experiment with them to find out which ones work well for you:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Reframe problems by asking the right questions!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    One of the best ways to unlock innovation is to <\/span>reframe<\/a> the<\/a> problem<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. Ask different questions that don\u2019t have only one right answer. When you change the frame, you\u2019ll be able to approach the problem from a different angle and think of few unexpected solutions. Start with \u2018why\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Connect and combine different ideas!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Different thoughts and ideas hit you even when you\u2019re struggling to reach your highest level of creativity. Even when these ideas seem useless, try to take them into consideration. Connect different thoughts and use them to create unexpected combinations. Compare the ideas between each other, and you\u2019ll most likely come up with cool <\/span>metaphors<\/span><\/span><\/span> and analogies. <\/span><\/p>\n

      Remember what Steve Jobs said: \u201cThe key to creativity is to expose yourself to the best things that humans have done and then to bring those things into what you\u2019re doing.\u201d You probably have access to other people\u2019s ideas and solution to the particular issue you\u2019re struggling with. You can combine them into a non-obvious pattern and you\u2019ll have a completely new idea on the rise. <\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        Don\u2019t run with the first solution you discover. It might not be the best one!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        The creative state of mind thrives on ideas. The first idea you come up with may seem brilliant, but don\u2019t limit yourself to it; maybe it\u2019s not the best solution you have. Open yourself to different opportunities! Have you heard of Tim Hurson\u2019s \u2018the third third\u2019 concept? In his book <\/span>Think<\/a> Better<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, the author elaborates an interesting method of brainstorming. <\/span><\/p>\n

        For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019ve set a goal to come up with 60 ideas. The first third of these ideas (the first 20 of them) will be the most obvious picks. They will hardly offer anything interesting. The second third of the ideas you got through brainstorming will be more interesting. This shift results from your mind\u2019s inclination to scratch the surface of mediocrity. Then, you\u2019ll start getting even better ideas. The third (last 20 ideas) will be the most unexpected, unusual, and innovative potential solutions. <\/span><\/p>\n

        That\u2019s an interesting way of awakening your creativity, isn\u2019t it? <\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Pay attention!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          The creative state of mind is not unconscious. You need to observe, collect tons of data, and try to examine the information you have from different angles. When you <\/span>pay<\/a> attention<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> to every single detail, you\u2019ll be able to act more boldly. <\/span><\/p>\n

          Sometimes inspiration does come out of nowhere, but when you can\u2019t act passively when you want to kindle it. <\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n

            Surround yourself with creativity!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Have you noticed that your mind works differently when you change location? Each space has a different energy that makes you respond appropriately. Before you start generating ideas, you need to make sure that the <\/span>surroundings<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> don\u2019t suppress your ability to think creatively. Is your working area messy? If your desk is cluttered with pens, paper, and several coffee cups, you\u2019ll just get distracted. If everything is too neat, on the other hand, you\u2019ll lack visual stimulation. <\/span><\/p>\n

            You need to <\/span>personalize<\/a> your<\/a> environment<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> in a way that boosts your creativity. Of course, you cannot lock yourself in the same room for days or months when you\u2019re trying to come up with a creative solution. Take walks and allow different surroundings to change the way you feel and think. <\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. \n

              Impose restrictions upon yourself!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Believe it or not, <\/span>constraints<\/a> can<\/a> make<\/a> you<\/a> more<\/a> creative<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re writing a novel. You have access to state-of-the-art writing software that limits distractions and enables you to format the content to perfection. Plus, it supports an auto-correct function! That will hardly make you more creative, though. Sometimes the best solution is to go back to basics. If pen and paper are all tools you need, maybe you don\u2019t need to complicate the process too much. <\/span><\/p>\n

              When you get stuck even though you have access to an abundance of resources, try to see how you function without them. <\/span><\/p>\n

                \n
              1. \n

                Experiment!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Whether you like it or not, risks and failures are inevitable parts of the creative process. Some ideas will take you to great heights, but others simply won\u2019t work. If you are afraid to experiment, you won\u2019t be getting any ideas to start with. Creativity means doing things that no one has done before. In other words, it doesn\u2019t work without taking risks. <\/span><\/p>\n

                Don\u2019t be afraid to throw some of your ideas away. If you\u2019re not dismissing a large number of ideas, then you aren\u2019t trying hard enough to think of plenty of options!<\/span><\/p>\n

                Picture:<\/strong>\u00a0Designed by Freepik<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

                Short Bio:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Antonio is a New Jersey-based hopeless optimist who enjoys basking in the world’s brightest colors. He loves biking to distant places and occasionally he gets lost. When not doing that he’s writing for\u00a0http:\/\/www.edugeeksclub.com\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Creativity is a trainable skill, so you can make an effort that will yield results. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":35775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[21,6],"tags":[4650,3782,46,1562,66,4629],"yoast_head":"\n7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Creativity is a trainable skill, so you can make an effort that will yield results.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Creativity is a trainable skill, so you can make an effort that will yield results.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-09-30T20:31:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-10-02T05:54:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/mix-ideas-9.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erin Falconer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/mix-ideas-9.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/mix-ideas-9.jpg\",\"width\":1667,\"height\":1667,\"caption\":\"7 Simple Tips To Unleash Your Creativity\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/\",\"name\":\"7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-09-30T20:31:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-10-02T05:54:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5\"},\"description\":\"Creativity is a trainable skill, so you can make an effort that will yield results.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5\",\"name\":\"Erin Falconer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Erin Falconer\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/author\/erin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity","description":"Creativity is a trainable skill, so you can make an effort that will yield results.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity","og_description":"Creativity is a trainable skill, so you can make an effort that will yield results.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/","og_site_name":"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain","article_published_time":"2015-09-30T20:31:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-10-02T05:54:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1667,"height":1667,"url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/mix-ideas-9.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary","twitter_creator":"@pickthebrain","twitter_site":"@pickthebrain","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Erin Falconer","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/","name":"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/mix-ideas-9.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/mix-ideas-9.jpg","width":1667,"height":1667,"caption":"7 Simple Tips To Unleash Your Creativity"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/","name":"7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2015-09-30T20:31:18+00:00","dateModified":"2015-10-02T05:54:43+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5"},"description":"Creativity is a trainable skill, so you can make an effort that will yield results.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-simple-techniques-unleash-creativity\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"7 Simple Techniques to Unleash Creativity"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5","name":"Erin Falconer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Erin Falconer"},"url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/author\/erin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35772"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12163"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35772\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}