Creativity and ingenuity are irreplaceable, not even by advanced machines. Technology surely plays a role in enhancing creative ideas but the spark of creativity requires the depth of the human mind.
Creativity helps you write, draw, design, act, sing, and dance just to name a few but because it requires a lot of ‘brain juice’, sparks of creativity are not easy to come by. So, how do you keep that creativity alive? Here are some ideas.
- Observe the world around you
Break your routine and travel the world, be it life or virtual. See the world through your eyes and mind. Just being in a café and observing the surroundings, the people, the aroma of the coffee would help the creative process flow smoothly. The more your brain takes in the more it stores and more ideas could be generated. As practised and said in the creative world: ‘The better travelled you are, the more art you take in, the more fun you have, the more people you meet, the more senses you assault, the more your mind will work and the more ideas you will have’
- Meditate
This ancient method has lasted through generations because of its effectiveness in connecting and realigning your mind, body, and soul. Countless meditation techniques serve different purposes like reducing anxiety and stress, getting in tune with nature, finding inspiration or reducing the mind clutter. Find one that resonates with you and practice it daily.
- Connect with Nature
Looking at something green spurs creativity and inventiveness. A German research showed that looking at something green gives the perception of growth to the mind, which in turn, spurs new thoughts and ideas. So getting a green indoor plant for your desk does serve its purpose after all. Plus, it freshens up the air around you making it more conducive.
- Rest well
Creative people generally tend to work late into the night but you need adequate sleep of between 6 and 8 hours to perform well. Without proper rest, your brain functions can slow down. Deep sleep helps clear your mind and dreams can inspire ideas too. Prolonged mental activity can also cause fatigue and the best way to recover is proper rest.
- Read
Reading expands the mind. Creativity can be limited if we are not able to conceptualise ideas and conceptualising would require some amount of knowledge related to the subject we are working on. The best way to gain knowledge is, of course, to read or explore informative sources that fit your learning style. For example, some people enjoy reading physical books, newspapers or magazines while others learn by watching videos or surfing the internet.
Experiment with various ideas and see what works for you. At times, you need a combination of things to get your mind going. Don’t settle. Keep going. That’s what creative people do after all.
SEGi University offers Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English and Public Relation, Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations with English, Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Bachelor of Mass Communication in collaboration with the University of Central Lancashire, UK.
It also offers a Diploma in Mass Communication, Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Visual Communication Design, Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Multimedia Design, Bachelor of Mass Communications (Hons) and Master of Arts in Corporate Communications.
Call SEGi University at 03-6145 1777, WhatsApp to 011-1210 6389 or visit segi.edu.my for details.