Creativity is actually a delicate balance between talent and cultivation. In other words, creative thinking can be obtained and improved through acquired efforts without relying on "high-quality genes" or "innate abilities". Modern research has found many ways to improve creativity from both psychological and external factors.
1. Restrain yourself
Dr. Seuss, the most popular children's literature writer in the United States of the 20th century, once made a bet to write a story in less than 50 words, and he created the popular "Green Eggs and Ham". However, most people who take the "most unrestrained" method for granted, deviate from normal thinking and use their imagination freely, have greatly reduced their creativity. To keep your imagination running in the passing lane, imitate Dr. Seuss and put some constraints on yourself, so that you can break free from the constraints of past success or mindset and realize new creations. For example, if you are accustomed to writing short essays of 1,000 words, then writing an essay of less than 500 words and limiting your goals will allow you to better develop your creativity.
2. Re-examine the problems faced
Researchers have found that creative people often come up with new ideas and revisit problems before embarking on a task. As Einstein said: "Give me 1 hour to solve a problem, and I will spend 55 minutes thinking about how to solve it, and only 5 minutes to find a solution." So when engaging in creative tasks, it is best to start from more Think in more meaningful perspectives, rather than rushing to imagine what the end result will look like. For example, don't indulge in the idea of "must draw a handed down work", but think about "what kind of picture can express the loneliness that arises spontaneously after parting", often, works that can express the inner feelings of the public , to be remembered. What works make people excited? What do people hate? What situations do people often face, but lack the ability to express their feelings? This is the question that should be considered in the first place.
3. Distinguish between consuming information and creating
Practice has proved that once you confuse information listing with actual creation, creativity will be out of the question. Creating and summarizing are two different things, and casual browsing is nothing more than consuming information in an "absorptive state," which is actually a "wholesale" form of consuming the information that comes into contact with one's means. Creation is a kind of hard work, and it requires active brains to summarize and sort out the information obtained, from which to draw one's own unique insights, a brand-new view, concept, and information. Therefore, during the creation period, don't worry about the sidelines and trivial matters, but pay more attention to the main point, plot, and conclusion, and clearly realize the overall effect is more important.
4. Be positive
While negativity and sadness can also spark creativity, researchers have found that it's often a strong positive mindset that helps bring out the best work. In fact, being kind to beauty maximizes creative thinking, and being "loving" isn't as cliché or pedantic as it sounds. Anything that triggers positive emotions, active exercise, looking to the future, fond memories, can affect a person's state of mind. Creative efforts are at their best when the attitude is positive. Don't negatively understand "anger makes a poet", in fact, only when anger is a positive attitude can a true poet be achieved.
5. Use reverse thinking
Asking "what if" can increase creativity. To do this, try alternating subtractive thinking (without considering the subjective factor in the event) and additive thinking (adding the subjective factor), rethinking the event that has already happened, and imagining what may have occurred. different results. It's hard for people who follow the rules to be creative, there are many examples of divergent thinking leading to unexpected conclusions, and brain-teaser interpretations of commonplace phenomena have produced many great inventions. You can also apply this method to a more realistic situation, subtract or add the "what else" factor, and see what kind of impact it will have on the existing results, and you will definitely get some insights.
6. Understand the true meaning of daydreaming
While research shows that daydreaming helps with creativity, it's important to note that research also reveals that daydreaming only really works when you're committed to doing it. The reason is that daydreaming is helpful, because it can incubate ideas, but such incubation will only work when there is reliable information, so be sure to start the project before the idea deserts. To understand daydreaming, it is neither crazy nor completely reliable, but an image statement that gives full play to the imagination. To understand it by mechanical dogma, it can only lead to the opposite of creativity.
7. Empathize, think about how others feel
Research shows that "mental distance" is an important part of creativity. Believing that one's work will be accepted by others can lead to more novel ideas, while people who are told their ideas can't be adopted for the time being are less creative, according to a study. The study included the results of an experiment where authors who were told that their work could not be adopted for the time being were significantly different in terms of creativity than those who were told that their work had been adopted. So, even when creating a personal project, think about whether others would like to incorporate your creation into their lives. How to create works that can be recognized by the society, how to put yourself in the best state of mind to generate new ideas, and similar questions, will undoubtedly play a very good role in improving creativity.
