When
it comes to creativity, one of our biggest concerns is usually how we
can be more creative, or how to come up with better ideas. Research in
this area is all over the place, but I've gathered some of the most
practical studies out there to help you utilize specific techniques that
can boost your creativity.
All of
these studies are useful for everyday creativity in daily life, so try a
few out for yourself and see which ones work best for you.
Restrict Yourself
The research
shows an insidious problem that many people have is that they will
often take the path of "least mental resistance," building on ideas they
already have or trying to use every resource at hand. The
thing is, the research also suggests that placing self-imposed
limitations can boost creativity because it forces even creative people
to work outside of their comfort zones (which they still have, even if
they are a bit "weirder" than most).
One of the most famous examples is when Dr. Seuss produced Green Eggs & Ham after a bet
where he was challenged by his editor to produce an entire book in
under 50 different words. I'm no Dr. Seuss, but I've found (and I'm sure
other writers can relate) that when I'm suddenly restricted to writing
something in 500 words when I had planned to write it in 800 words, it
can lead to some pretty creative workarounds.
Try
limiting your work in some way and you may see the benefits of your
brain coming up with creative solutions to finish a project around the
parameters you've set.
Re-Conceptualize the Problem
One thing that researchers have noticed
with especially creative people is that they tend to re-conceptualize
the problem more often than their less creative counterparts. That
means, instead of thinking of a cut-and-dry end goal to certain
situations, they sit back and examine the problem in different ways
before beginning to work.
Here's a candid example—as a writer who handles content strategy
for startups, my "cookie cutter" end goal is something like "write
popular articles." The problem is, if I approach an article with the
mindset of, "What can I write that will get a lot of tweets?", I won't
come up with something very good. However, if I step back and examine
the problem from another angle, such as: "What sort of articles really
resonate with people and capture their interest?", I'm focusing on a far
better fundamental part of the problem, and I'll achieve my other goals
by coming up with something more original.
So, if you
find yourself stagnating by focusing on generic problems ("What would be
something cool to paint?"), try to re-conceptualize the problem by
focusing on a more meaningful angle ("What sort of painting evokes the
feeling of loneliness that we all encounter after a break-up?").
Create Psychological Distance
While it's
long been known that abstaining from a task is useful for breaking
through a creative block, it also seems that creating "psychological"
distance may also be useful. Subjects in this study
were able to solve twice as many insight problems when asked to think
about the source of the task as distant, rather than it being close in
proximity.
Try to
imagine your creative task as being disconnected and distant from your
current position/location. According to this research, this may make the
problem more accessible and can encourage higher level thinking.
Daydream… and Then Get Back to Work!
Although study after study
confirms that daydreaming and napping can help with the creative
thought process, there is one piece of research that everybody seems to
leave out.
One study
in particular shows that the less work you've done on a problem, the
less daydreaming will help you. That is, daydreaming and incubation are
most effective on a project you've already invested a lot of creative
effort into. So before you try to use naps and daydreams as an excuse
for not working, be honest with yourself and don't forget to hustle
first!
Embrace Something Absurd
Research
suggests that reading/experiencing something absurd or surreal can help
boost pattern recognition and creative thinking. (Subjects in the study
read Franz Kafka, but even stories like Alice in Wonderland have been
suggested by psychologists.)
The
conclusion was that the mind is always seeking to make sense of the
things that it sees, and surreal/absurd art puts the mind in "overdrive"
for a short period while it tries to work out just exactly what it is
looking at or reading. I like reading interesting short stories like The Last Question or browsing absurdist art at places like r/HeavyMind when I'm looking for some inspiration.
Separate Work from Consumption
Also known as the "absorb state," this technique has been shown
to help with the incubation process and is far more effective than
trying to combine work with creative thinking. It makes sense too—we are
often in two very different states of mind when absorbing an activity
and when we are trying to create something.
I've found
that my writing breaks down when I try to handle research + writing at
the same time, and I'm much better off when I just turn off my "work
mode" and consume more inspiration in the form of reading, watching, and
observing.
Create During a Powerful Mood
For a long time, the research has pointed to happiness as being the ideal state to create in. Recently though, a relatively new study
(2007) on creativity in the workplace made this bold conclusion:
Creativity increased when both positive and negative emotions were
running high.
The
implication seems to be that while certain negative moods can be
creativity killers, they aren't as universal as positive moods (joy,
being excited, love, etc) in that sometimes they may spur creative
thinking rather than hinder it. I don't want you to put yourself in a
bad mood to create something, but next time you're in a strong emotional
state, try to sit down and focus that energy on creating something, the
end result could be worthwhile.
Get Moving
Is there any wonder that ‘exercising more" is one of the most desired good habits in the entire world? Some research
even suggests that exercise can actually boost creative thinking as
well, due to it's ability to get the heart pumping and put people in a
positive mood. It's similar to how other research shows that thinking about love can produce more creative thoughts; it's not necessarily the act, it's the change in mood.
If you're
stuck in a creative rut and want to take a break, try including exercise
while your brain is subconsciously at work, it may help to speed up
your "Aha!" moment.
Ask, "What Might Have Been?"
According to the research surrounding the process of counterfactual thinking,
looking at a situation that has already occurred and asking yourself,
"What could have happened?" can boost creativity for short periods of
time.
According to an analysis by Jeremy Dean:
- Analytical problems are best tackled with a subtractive mind-set: thinking about what could have been taken away from the situation.
- Expansive problems benefited most from an additive counterfactual mind-set: thinking about what could have been added to the situation.
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