Everything to Know about Creativity

When it comes to creativity, you might ask yourself whether or not you can feel creative at all times and if you are limited in any way, how would it impact your creativity level. Firstly, you will want to defeat the myth of thinking about creativity as an endless, open field of possibilities. 

Here is what to know about creativity.

Creativity – An Open Field of Possibilities? 

The truth is that when you see an open field of possibilities, you might feel constrained and become paralyzed. The thing is that constraints are the anchors of creativity. If you want to grow your brain, you need to grow your branches and by growing more branches you can make more connections when you connect one dot with another, you will feel the light bulb getting on and an idea emerges. 

The real question is whether constraints are beneficial or rather problematic for creativity. The answer to both these aspects is in the affirmative. According to research, there is a U-shaped creativity curve where the U is actually upside down. When there are no constraints, you might feel bored and even under-stimulated. 

However, with too many constraints, you might feel stressed and even overwhelmed. The sweet spot always lies in the middle. 

What Do You Mean by Creativity 

There is still disagreement – at least in the realms of psychology – about what creativity really is. Some state that creativity is when people make things that haven’t existed before. However, creativity can also be everyday elements – but – put together in a way that is not only novel, but it actually carries meaning for people and alters the way they see the world. 

Some people hold the notion that creativity is something that happens to people who are blessed with a particular talent. However, this is a misconception, as there is no such thing as a single gene for creativity. 

Can Creativity be Taught – How So? 

Now the question is whether or not creativity can be taught. Generally speaking, you can distinguish between two types of constraints, which are the intentional and the unintentional constraints. Some of these constraints are external forces, which can be socio-economic, political, etc. 

On the other hand, resilience comes when you have problems and challenges, which in turn give you ideas. So, your creativity can essentially flourish under limitations. 

If you want to write a book and you have an amazing idea but don’t know how to proceed with it, then you might want to hire a creative writing coach who can help you boost your creativity and help you get your ideas out on the page. Sometimes, we need a little push to do the needful and get inspired enough to feel creative. 

You can also set certain limitations on yourself by avoiding familiarity and embracing novelty. You can do that in various ways, such as using different materials, a different method, or a different process. For instance, if you always write poetry, you might want to try writing prose. Also, if you experience time constraints, you might want to schedule a particular time when you are going to do nothing else but engage in the creative task. 

This is also one of the best ways for people with very little time to write books: setting a time slot and telling everyone at home that this is what you are going to do. If you look closer, you see that you are protecting yourself and your space for something creative to happen.

If you are into drawing, you might want to start drawing and give yourself five minutes to draw anything. Subsequently, proceed to do another drawing and give yourself fifteen seconds to draw. 

The underlying key is that when you give yourself less time to do something, usually, the most important information gets through.

If you are a musician and you feel like getting stuck in a loop, you might want to swap instruments. By swapping instruments, you can also create new ideas in your songs. You get the point—all you need to do is challenge yourself to incorporate the potential constraints and play around with them willingly. 

What might happen is that the mere experience of playing around with limitations actually stretches your imagination and boosts creativity. 

How to Improve Your Creativity

Now that you know that creativity can be taught and that you can see the potential constraints to your favor, you might want to know some effective methods about how to boost your creativity. 

Surround Yourself with Blue 

As starters, you might want to surround yourself with the color blue. If you are wondering why we suggested the color blue, you might want to learn more about color psychology and how different colors impact your mind. 

According to a study of two groups of people, the people surrounded by the color blue are more creative, and the people surrounded by the color red pay better attention to details. So, if you want to do a better job at editing your manuscript, you might paint the walls of your home office red. On the other hand, if you want to be creative, you might want to find yourself in a nice blue-colored room and get creative. 

Go for a Walk

You might already know someone who paces like a mad person when they are brooding and thinking or trying to solve a problem. According to science, going for a walk can help solve problems and create new ideas. The best thing about this is that it is non-environmentally based, meaning you don’t have to walk in nature or the nearest park to get the benefit and boost your creativity.

All you might need to do is to walk around the office or living room and reap the creative benefits. And while you are walking, you might as well listen to some classical music. Of course, the classical music genre might not be your cup of tea, but according to studies, people who listen to classical music have a higher capacity for creative and divergent thinking.