Imagination is the ability to do something completely new or develop new ideas. Developing more creativity can benefit your career, relationships, and hobbies. Children like to be innovative, yet many adults are less motivated to be creative. There are also many obstacles to creativity.
Stack the deck in your favor by dealing wisely with the most typical barriers to creativity:
1. Concern for ridicule. As they say, absolutely nothing risked, absolutely nothing gained. No matter what you do, someone will criticize you for it. Learn to ignore the naysayers and let your creativity shine.
2. Fear of failure. It may be the concern of losing valuable money or time. But it can be an easy concern of failure. You are strong enough to handle it. You have already failed countless times in one way or another and you have survived. What would happen if you failed?
3. Disturbances. Time and space stimulate the creative flow. It’s harder to get a great idea if your kids call your name or your phone beeps every 30 seconds. Organize your creative time to reduce as many interruptions as possible. Early in the morning and later at night may be the best alternatives for many.
4. Entertainment. A distraction is an interruption that you provide to yourself. How do you usually waste time? Get rid of those interruptions from your immediate environment. Put your cell phone on silent and throw it in the drawer. Turn off the television. Focus 100% on your innovative activity. Interruptions are manageable. Have the self-control to handle them properly.
5. Past experiences. Your previous experiences influence your current thinking and beliefs. Try to open your mind to all possibilities. Just because something didn’t work as planned in the past doesn’t mean it can’t work today. Let go of the past and free your creative mind.
6. Stopping prematurely. When a good idea is found, it is common to stop trying to find a much better option. Are you sure you have chosen the best color for your painting? The ideal word for your novel? The best idea to win $10 million?
When you’ve found a good idea, keep looking for a much better one.
7. Voltage. Stress and creativity rarely go hand in hand. Either the tension of. Being tired, without time, financial worries or health problems, creativity is more challenging when you are tense. Find time to relax and decompress before starting a creative session. Your results will be greatly improved.
8. Negative moods. It’s not just stressful. Anger, jealousy, fear, impatience, despair, or hopelessness can also be barriers to creativity. Studies have shown that creativity tends to peak when experiencing strong and favorable moods.
Do whatever it takes to improve your mood before accessing your creativity. Go for a walk, call a friend, or listen to uplifting music. What makes you feel better when you’re in a bad mood?
9. Too many options. In fact, it may be easier to discover your innovative streak if you narrow down your choices. Try to make a painting with only three colors. Write a short story with only 300 words. Or compose a melody with just a few chords. Having a lot of options can be a challenge in and of itself. Try to limit your alternatives if you are stuck.
If you can’t get your creative juices flowing, maybe something is getting in the way. Your creativity is a substantial part of your uniqueness. Avoid common challenges to creativity and reveal to the world what you have to offer. To truly enhance your creativity, try using it often. And it starts today!
