You need to write a paper but you don´t know the topic. You want to increase the traffic to your site but are unsure what to do. You want to record a new video but can´t decide on the topic. You are sick and tired of the food you eat daily and want to change it up a bit, but don´t know how. You´re a dancer and need a new idea for a choreography, but can´t think of any.
So we´ve all been stuck with creative and inspired ideas. What if I told you that there are simple ideas that you can incorporate in your day to day life that will massively help your creativity and really change your life for the better. Let´s dive straight into them!
1. Abuse Internet
Look, if you are not harnessing the amazing power of internet, you are, pardon my French, stupid. There is such a large quantity of inspirational content on the internet that you will massively benefit using it. The trick is, however, separating the weeds from the good stuff. Here are my recommendations that you might find inspiring:
Shots of Awe (Jason Silva)
An amazing Youtube channel with short clips on new era philosophy. He will make you wonder, questions yourself and life and feel strong emotions. Together with amazing cinematography, this is a really amazing channel.
Ted Talks
If you don´t know that one yet, strike one! Amazing content from (mostly) professional speakers all around the globe. Any content from tech, to self-development, art and medicine. There will surely be something for everyone.
Boss Life Hacks
Duuuur 🙂 Definitely subscribe to my Youtube channel as well as my blog, I´m sure you will find value in it! Here´s a video with similar content to this article that I shot a few months ago in Tallinn, Estonia:
2. Nature
Go out to nature. Like, seriously. Especially if you live in a big city you will find nature absolutely magnificent and overwhelming. Maybe even a bit scary, but don´t worry. Human being are still a part of nature, even though we are trying very hard not to be. A beautiful mountain, a rainy forest, mighty waterfall, a small river. The sights, fresh air, and positive energy will surely help you get inspired. The legend goes that Iscaac Newton discovered his laws under a tree, right? Buddha also got enligthened under a tree and so on… Go out 🙂
3. Hang out around cool people
Obviously, I have already talked about this in the importance of networking, but it is equally true regarding creativity. If you have amazing people around you, people who push their boundaries every day, who create, who love and live life with a spark in their eyes, they will surely inspire you to do the same.
If they are dead or you can´t get your hands on them, improvise. Read their books, watch their videos, subscribe to their channels. It´s not as good as hanging with them personally but it´s the second best option.
4. Dont be afraid to copy other people.
This one might be controversial some people. For example, I am a bboy – breakdancer, and in Hip – Hop culture there is the concept of “biting”. If somebody “bites” someone else´s move that means that they stole it and performed it in exactly the same fashion. Very bad obviously.
However if you change the move, put your own tweak into it, that is not considered biting anymore, the move becomes your own.
I think copying is ok, as long as you are still learning. For example, if you want to learn how to play LOL (League of Legends), you best options is to play according to proven strategies that already exists online. Stuff that already works for people. After you have the basics down, know the field and all the possibilities, you can start to be creative and search for your own solutions within the frame. So feel free to copy (always give credits where credits are due though, don´t steal!) and then create after you have the basics down.
5. No Censoring
A very important point, especially for people who are perfectionists and very hard on themselves. It´s kinnda like brainstorming, the first 20 min you just bust out ideas, good or bad, it doesnt matter. The goal is to have a lot of ideas written down. Towards the end of the time frame more and more creative ideas will usually come. And then after you have a lot of ideas you will slowly start to evaluate them. Don´t evaluate beforehand, not only because you might discard ideas that are completely good, but because you will stifle your natural ability to think outside of the box and be creative.
A very good exercise here is what James Altucher (read this, it´s golden!) calls the 10 ideas list. What it means is that you list 10 Ideas for a certain topic. For example, 10 ideas on how to make money online, 10 ideas on how to convince people to buy your product, 10 ideas on how to use banana as a basis for a complete meal, 10 ideas how to creatively reach out to your potential employer.
6. Relaxation
Very, very, important. If you are stressed, it will be hard to be truly creative. If there is a stopwatch running and time is limited, you will feel the pressure and find it hard to come up with good ideas. Take some time off. Best ideas usually come when you are doing something completely unrelated (sitting on the toilet for me, for example :D). The more busy you are, the more you HAVE to take time to play, otherwise you will kill your creativity. You might also go towards burnout, depressions, hormonal imbalances and more other very nasty states to be in. So make sure you relax regularly.
Alright, there you go people. I hope these easy trick will help you to get relaxed. As always, if you found this article of value, be nice and write a comment, or at least press a Youtube/FB like. Let me know if you have any good ideas on how to be more creative?
Have a great day/night, be creative and share love,
Peace,
Bostjan
Nice. For me bus ride to work is useful 🙂
That´s a good idea as well, thanks for sharing 🙂
A good article indeed Bostjan! I’m glad I read it!
thank you very much, glad you liked it!