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Creativity can seem innate, but like many things, it is

actually a delicate balance of nature and nurture. In other


words, creative thinking can be enhanced by external
forces, and isn’t necessarily reliant on “good genes” or
natural ability.
Luckily, new research points the way to a variety of mental and
environmental approaches that can help us improve our creative
output:

1. Restrict yourself
Famously, Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs & Ham after betting that
he couldn’t produce a story using less than 50 words.
The research shows Seuss was on to something. Most people
naturally take the path of “least resistance” and build off of older
or existing concepts when brainstorming, which can lead to less
creative ideas.

In order to put the brain in overdrive, you can mimic Dr. Seuss
and place restrictions on yourself while creating, which will
prevent you from falling back on past successes. If you usually
write 1000-word short stories, try to create a story in under 500
words. Only use a small handful of chords in your song or colors
in your design. The limiting nature of the task can bring out your
most creative side.

2. Re-conceptualize the problem


Researchers have noted that creative people tend to re-
conceptualize problems more often before starting a creative task.
As Einstein once said “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d
spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes
thinking about solutions.” Instead of looking at the end goal of a
creative project (i.e. “I need to create a memorable painting”), it’s
better to re-visualize the problem from other, more meaningful,
angles before starting (“What sort of painting would evoke the
feeling of loneliness that we all feel after a break-up?”).

Oftentimes, the best approach is to picture the intended audience


of your next creative project. What inspires them? What are they
sick of hearing about? What are the problems they face but are
rarely able to talk about?

3. Separate work from consumption


It has been shown that we are particularly terrible at creating
when we try to combine the gathering of information and actual
creation. Researchers recommend only consuming information in
an “absorb state” where you are not attempting to multitask.

In essence, the absorb state is a form of “batching” that


emphasizes forced consumption over output. No interrupting
yourself to start working on segments of your project while you
are consuming information, instead use tools such as Evernote or
Pocket to remember key ideas, insights, and articles that you will
apply later when creating.

4. Stay positive
Although negative moods can sometimes spur
creativity, researchers have found that it is during strong positive
moods that our best creative work is done. In fact, the feeling of
love or even thinking about love was shown to best encourage
creative thinking.

Getting yourself to a “positive place” is not as trite as it may sound


—any number of mood boosters (quick exercise, envisioning the
future, recalling good memories) will do the trick to influence
your mood, and your creative efforts will be at their best when
your attitude is positive.

5. Use counterfactual thinking
Counterfactual thinking, also known as asking, “What might have
been?” has been shown to increase creativity for short periods of
time. To experiment with this technique, take events that have
already happened and re-imagine different outcomes, alternating
between the subtractive mindset (taking elements out of the
event) and the additive mindset (adding elements into the event).

A silly example of counterfactual thinking in action can be seen


onThe Big Bang Theory, when one of the main characters makes
a game of the phenomenon, asking his roommate: “In a world
where Rhinoceroses are domesticated pets, who wins the Second
World War?” You, however, can apply it to more realistic
scenarios, such as mapping out outcomes whenever you are doing
creative problem solving, subtracting or adding “what if” elements
that would have affected the outcome.
6. Daydream… after getting started
While research has shown that daydreaming can help with
creativity, it is important to note that studies have revealed that
daydreaming only works when you’ve already committed effort
towards a project. The reason? Daydreaming can be beneficial
because it allows for theincubation of ideas. But incubation is
only effective when we already have information to chew on. So be
sure to get started on your project before drifting off.

7. Think about others


Research has shown that this “psychological distance” is an
important part of being creative. For instance, one study found
that people who thought their work would be used by someone
else came up with more novel ideas. Conversely, those who were
told that they would be using their own creation later came up
with less novel ideas.

One such test in the studies above included telling participants


that their drawings would later be used by other subjects to create
a story. Those who had been told this came up with much more
“creative” drawings (as evaluated by a selected board). When
creating, even for personal projects, think about how someone
else will enjoy, use, and incorporate your creation into their lives.

How about you?


What do you do to put yourself in the best mindset to generate
new ideas?

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