Unleash Your Creativity

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Published by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
Sunday, November 4, 2001
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Creativity is about letting go of conventional thinking and unleashing new and inventive ways of doing what we have always done. Often we can get stuck in a rut doing what we have always done the same way we have always done it. Creativity can be lost because we are not looking beyond what we see.

To begin to unleash our creativity, we need to shake up our routine. Start with sleeping on the other side of the bed so you can get up with a different perspective. Next brush your teeth holding your toothbrush in the opposite hand. Take a new route to work or, instead of driving, ride the bus. And, to be really radical, part your hair on the opposite side. The idea is to shake things up so that you can start to get the creative juices flowing.

Now, look around you and see if you can see multiple uses for ordinary things. I remember when I saw the movie, "The Little Mermaid." Ariel found a fork but didn't know what it was. She used it to comb her hair. Look around and pretend you don't know how things are supposed to be used. The old bucket can become a vase for flowers, a candlestick can become an electric light base, and an old vase can become a utensil holder, and on and on.

Don't stop at home. Take a look at what you do at work and think of ways to do your job differently. What would you do if you didn't know how it should be done? Perhaps you could start with rearranging your desk. Add a touch of flair to the art that is in your space and perhaps a basket of brainteaser toys will stimulate your creativity. Then look at the tasks you do and come up with at least two ways that you could do them differently. Stimulating your creativity and giving yourself permission to think outside of the norm could lead you to discover new and inventive ideas.

Coaching

The idea in unleashing your creativity is to look at the ordinary in an unordinary way. Think of ways to do things differently. Breaking up your routine can help you to get your creative juices flowing. Start doing the ordinary differently. Look beyond the simple task and give yourself permission to release your creativity. Ask yourself how you can live each day more creatively.

There are people who's job it is to help others become more creative. They are called Creativity Consultants. These consultants help individuals and organizations see old things in new ways. They create possibilities and give their clients opportunities to break out of non-creative habits and create environments rich in innovation. How can you become your own Creativity Consultant?

What are you doing out of habit that could stand a creative evaluation?

This week do five simple things differently. The idea is to shake up the routine and start to give your creativity an opportunity to kick in.

Daily Success Formula

Creativity = Doing the routine differently

Quotes

"The things we fear most in organizations; fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances, are the primary sources of creativity." Margaret J. Wheatley

"The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person." Frank Barron

"Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experience." Masaru Ibuka