Do you feel you lack creativity? You are wrong. Everyone has a creative mind, whether it is major or minor. For some it comes naturally and for some it needs to be awakened. There are some tips to unlock your creative mindset, and all you need to do is follow these steps.

In the previous blog, I wrote about the ability to solve problems in sports and other aspects in life. Getting solutions is not that simple and sometimes we need creativity. First, this blog gives a background of what is considered creative and then it will dive into the tips to unlock your potential.  

According to the organizational behavior book by Bauer & Erdogan, researchers focus on 3 factors to evaluate creativity in the decision-making process.

In addition to this research, some experts say that creativity occurs as an interaction among 3 factors:

- People’s personal traits (openness to experience, risk taking)

- Their attributes (expertise, imagination, motivation)

- Situational context (encouragement from others, time pressure, physical structures).

For example, research shows that individuals who are open to experience, less conscientious, more self-accepting, who seek more feedback, and are more impulsive, tend to be more creative. However, I believe you can be creative even if these factors aren't in "your favor". Keep reading to see what you can do to unlock your potential. 

After reading the research above, I will do some self-reflection. I have an inner locus of control and I am a motivated person. Feedback is welcomed, and I am open to experience. Also, I have a big imagination, which could help me. When I was young, I started writing a fiction book. In my head, I had all these ideas, but it didn’t convert well to a structured story.

My situational context is good. My parents support me in my goals, if they see that I could manage time well. They are protective that I won’t overwork. Like I stated in the previous blog about successfulness, your environment plays a big role in your life. Get the environment that supports you and put your creative ideas to practice. 

Even if you have a good interaction between the personal traits, attributes, and situational context, it doesn't guarantee you can leverage your creativity. Same as in sports, you can be talented and have a great supporting team around, you still need to practice to be better and achieve goals. The same applies to creativity, where you need to putt the work in by following the steps below. 

Find yourself in a relaxing and inspiring environment

As René de Ruijter mentions in his article, the space in which you work is not the only thing that determines how creative you are, but it does play a role. If you are in your office that never changes, it might be a nice tip for you to go out and occasionally find another spot to work. This can spark creativity due to random stimulation. 

Get inspired

Try watching a Ted talk, listening to a podcast, or subscribing to the ZG newsletter. 😉

All joking aside, these are great ways to gain ideas and see things from a different perspective, without a lot of effort. You could hear something that gives you ideas for your own business, you as an artist, or for what profession you are in.

Just start

Even when you are not inspired, I am encouraging you to just start. Also on days when you aren’t feeling it. Linus Pauling, the Nobel Prize winner, who popularized the idea that vitamin C could help strengthening the immune system, said: “The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”

From my own experience, I might have a slow start, but once I start, I am hard to stop. Not all ideas might be great, but at least you put in effort, so that there has to be an outcome in the form of an idea/product that you can be proud of.

In my current lifestyle as a college-athlete, I am always in my apartment to cook, sleep, and do homework. To get creative and get ideas for my brand, it works best for me to go to another peaceful place to sit down and focus. This can be at the university’s library, a nice coffee place in the downtown area, or somewhere outside (i.e., park or lake).

References

Bauer, T. & Erdogan, B. (2015). Organizational behavior.

Cherry, L. (2020). Locus of control and your life. Verywellmind. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-locus-of-control-2795434

Ruijter, Rene de. How to create an environment that stimulates creativity. HatRabbits. Retrieved from: https://hatrabbits.com/en/author/rene/