How you can harness creativity?

Creativity. One of the most loosely used words in the English language. Everything is creative these days, even things which are anything but. Businesses are now expected to follow suit and make their products and services creative, but how? And more importantly, how can you, a business owner and entrepreneur, harness your creativity? How do you find that voice inside of yourself to think ‘outside the box’?

It’s not straightforward because creativity can come from different things for different people. What might inspire one person might mean nothing to another. Put it this way, looking at a mountain covered in snow might inspire you but for someone else, it might just be a big ugly hill that just happens to be very white. As creativity is subjective, are there any general ‘rules of thumb’ about how one can inspired? We thought of a few ideas to get you started...

Try learning something new. Think of something that takes your fancy. Have you ever wanted to learn a language? Perhaps there was a subject at school which you now wish you had tried harder in? Go and find a course on this subject and go take some classes. This is a great way to keep your mind active and alert when you’re not working.

And another thing, if you think you have a good idea write it down. Creativity only becomes practical when it’s manifested into action. Without referencing your idea, it just becomes a thought. Any idea, however wacky it may seem, should be noted down. This theoretical concept, with some work, could become something that provides a genuine revenue stream for you.

But creativity can also come from those idle moments when you’re not busy. The world is a bit of a crazy place: a President with a penchant for provocative tweeting and constant questions about gender and race, has made the news very unsettling. Get yourself away from this constant stream of news, emails and PR statements. Go and take a walk down your street and just unplug from the nonsense.

If you can’t remove yourself from the office, find a quiet place to sit and just close your eyes. A bit of meditation can do wonders in terms of getting your thinking cap on. Close your mind off from the world and relax. You do not need to be a Shaolin Monk to be creative, but enlightened thinking will more likely come to you when you are in a state of calm. And with calm comes the possibility of elevated thinking and creativity. Don’t ask us what that is going to be, that is something you’ll have to find out for yourself.

It’s a mistake to always seek others approval. This is not a conducive mindset for creativity. When you stop thinking like this and start thinking about your own possibilities, you will find that creativity will flow to you much more easily. It’s that simple. Whilst you might not want to seek others approval, it’s always important to learn from others. Whether this is from people whose opinion you value, or even from a podcast, there is always a fountain of knowledge and ideas that can be gained from people besides yourself.

No one person is meant to have all the answers and neither should you. Don’t shut yourself off from other ideas. Instead, take ones which are most relevant to you. Then harness them and incorporate them into your own thinking.