Creativity is like a rubber band. The more you stretch it, the further it will go. When you first began to engage your creativity, things were tight. You found yourself at your limits quickly. You found that your limits really weren’t that creative.
Like a rubber band fresh out of the box, newly engaged creativity just doesn’t have that much elasticity. But as it gets stretched, the boundaries of your creativity will grow. Your creative reach is greater. Your creative potential expands. You are less constricted in your ability to formulate new and innovative ideas.
That’s where you want to live. You want to be able to reach your creative borders with ease. You want to come up with innovative products, systems, and solutions. Here are three ways of thinking that will stretch your creative ability.
Think Outside Your Borders
Look around. Your ideas have probably always focused on your world. Your creativity has been limited to the walls you live within. So, step outside those walls. Look outside your industry. Look outside your niche. How does a different industry solve problems? How do other thinkers innovate? What can you learn from them? It’s amazing how new ideas spring from taking a fresh look at your world through the perspective of something unrelated.
Think Opposite
You probably get caught in a “we’ve always done it this way” type of thinking. It happens to everyone. No one wants to be there, but you will likely find yourself in that type of rut every once in a while. Why? Because it’s easy.
I was recently working on a project that I’ve done quite a few times. I found myself wanting to do the same thing I have done before. Not because it was innovative, but because it was easy and it had worked before. Instead, I sat back and thought, “What’s the opposite of the way I’ve done this in the past?”. That single thought pushed me past my borders and into some creative territory. The end product was something new and effective that I’ve never done before. Thinking in terms of the opposite of what you have always done opens up new avenues for solutions and innovation.
Think Often
Here is another truth associated with this rubber band theory. Constant use keeps creativity limber, but inaction makes it brittle. Imagine an old rubber band that hasn’t been used in about 5 years or so. What happens when you try to stretch it? Right; it snaps. Like an old, crusty rubber band, your dormant creativity won’t stretch like it used to.
So, you have to keep your creativity limber by keeping it active. Take some time every couple of days to simply think creatively. I like to do this while I’m driving or sitting in traffic. You are captive to the car on your commute. Why not be creative? Why not use your time in a positive way? I will take a topic and just let it roll around in my head. Looking at it from different angles, exploring possibilities, and imagining new futures. It may never result in a new product or idea, but it keeps my creative juices flowing and my mind flexible.
What about you? I’d love to hear how you stretch your creative boundaries. I’d love to hear what you do to keep your mind agile. Tell me about it in the comments.
Great post Nate. I use all three of these I would have to say. I like to think about the same scenarios or items at hand over and over again until I get what I feel is the best turnout. That’s how I use these three to my advantage.