Creativity is one of the most valued assets in any career, no matter how “uncreative” it may seem. Having the ability to solve problems and bring new ideas to the table are results of creative thinking activities.
Cultivating this kind of thinking is challenging. For most people, the brain’s default mode is not very creative. But creativity can be enhanced by various exercises.
Below are some to get the creative juices flowing.
1) Uses of ordinary objects
Pick an ordinary object and think of as many uses for it as you possibly can. For example, a brick can be used to/as:
- Make a wall
- Serve as a bookend
- A rustic coaster so you don’t stain your table with your coffee cups
- A heater during the winter; if you heat it in a fire and then keep it under your bed, the heat from the brick can warm you
In this exercise, you can examine how creative you were by looking at how many examples you came up with, how uncommon they were, how many areas they covered and how well-thought-out the process was.
2) Rolestorm
Take a particular issue, could be political, cultural or personal. Then write down how different people would solve the problem.
Example: How to deal with refugees in Europe?
- Donald Trump
- Gandhi
- Darth Vader
- Angelina Jolie
- Your mother
- Your boyfriend/girlfriend
- Your sibling
3) Six hats of Edward de Bono
You could use the same issue you used in Rolestorm and do another exercise. This one also asks you to look at a situation from different perspectives but is more specific about which perspectives:
- White hat – represents neutrality. What are the facts of the situation? Numbers, statistics, etc.
- Red hat – represents emotions. How do you feel about this issue, what do you think will happen next?
- Black hat – represents negative criticism. You’re playing the devil’s advocate with this hat. What are the possible dangers and problems?
- Yellow hat – represents positive criticism. What are the possible good, idealistic outcomes?
- Green hat – represents creativity. What are the possible unreal and surreal outcomes of the situation?
- Blue hat – represents organization. What plan can you make to achieve the goal?
4) Riddles
Riddles are a great way to get your brain thinking creatively as their main trick is that they challenge your assumptions about something.
Example: A man who lived in a small town in the United States married 20 different women of the same town. All are still living and he never divorced any of them. In this town polygamy is unlawful; yet he has broken no law. How is this possible?
Solution: He was the minister presiding over the wedding ceremony.
You can look for some more riddles on the Internet.
5) An unfinished drawing
Take a basic shape, either a circle, square, triangle or an irregular shape. Then make a drawing out of it. This activity was created by psychologist Ellis Paul Torrance and is called the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). Give yourself five minutes to draw a picture.
6) Meditation
Meditation requires intense focus and meditations that use visualization techniques challenge your brain’s creativity. Try this simple meditation technique to boost creative energy:
Sit in a quiet space either on the floor with your legs folded or in a chair with your feet on the floor. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Relax your body. Now, imagine that you are walking in a forest. Begin to immerse yourself in the forest. Hear the sound of your footsteps, smell the clean forest air, see the sunlight filtering through the trees. Keep walking. What do you see, feel, hear, smell? Walk further until you come to a very unusual tree. For some reason, this tree seems to be calling you to sit under it. Go to the tree and sit under the tree in the same position you’re sitting now. Sit there until the end of your meditation. When you’re finished, slowly open your eyes.
The visualization part of this meditation challenges you to create your environment. You’re responsible for imagining everything, the sights, the sounds. When you’re asked to sit under an “unusual” tree, you create an image in your mind of what the tree looks like and your perspective of the rest of the forest as you sit under it.
Enjoy thinking creatively!
