Creative thinking is a valuable life skill that helps you to look at problems from a new perspective and come up with innovative solutions. Whether or not you consider yourself to be a creative person, there’s good news: creativity can be learned and practiced. The more you exercise creative thinking, the better you get at it. Keep reading for 5 psychological tricks to boost your creativity.

1. Exercise Creativity

If you’re having trouble finding a creative solution to a problem, then try doing something unrelated to stimulate creativity. Take time to do something creative that you love, whether it’s drawing, listening to music, journaling, or playing a sport.

The practice of regularly engaging in creative activities will help you to easily slip into a creative way of thinking so that when you go back to looking for solutions, you’ll be better prepared.

2. Take a Step Back

If you’re feeling stuck trying to find a creative solution to a problem, it can be helpful to take a step back. Take time to distance yourself from the problem, whether it’s for a few weeks or for five minutes.

Once you come back to the issue, try to look at it from a different angle. Try brainstorming while imagining a scenario where the problem is slightly altered and is located far away from you. Both personal and physical distance from the issue can help you to see it in a new light, leading to fresh, creative solutions.

3. Work in a Creative Environment

Your environment can encourage creativity, so it’s a good idea to surround yourself with things that inspire and energize you. Decorate your workplace and living space in ways that will lend to your creative processes, such as bright colors, inspiring quotes, or good memories. In your free time, seek out environments that help you feel creative, whether it’s outdoors or in a studio.

If you’re planning out a creative workspace, consider adding the color blue. Studies have shown that blue increase creative thinking, due to its associations with nature, peace, and exploration.

4. Take a Walk

Studies have shown that going for a walk can be extremely beneficial for creativity. On average, people sit 7 to 15 hours per day. Getting up and moving has a positive effect on both your health and your mood.

When you’re walking, you’re likely to fall into a creative, engaged mindset. In addition, changing your surroundings can help inspire new, creative ideas.

5. Meditate and Daydream

Meditating and daydreaming have both been shown to increase creative thinking. By incorporating meditation into your daily life, you can promote your overall creativity. Try meditating without focusing on any one idea, while taking note of all thoughts that occur to you. This method has been shown to encourage diverse thinking and new ideas.

Another tip is to give yourself time to be bored. It may sound counterintuitive, but when you fill every moment with distractions, you don’t give yourself any time to foster creativity. Take time to unplug, get off electronics, and simply think. As you daydream, you fall into a naturally creative state of mind and are likely to find new ideas and inspiration.

Conclusion

RonnieGladden Conclusion

Looking for more ways to improve your creative thinking skills and work towards growth and empowerment? Check-in with Dr. Ronnie. Dr. Ronnie Gladden is a diversity and inclusion speaker working to foster identity, reconciliation, empowerment, and independent representation via authentic, transformative, and diverse leadership practices for global impact. Book a session or speaking service today.

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Want more advice from Dr. Ronnie Gladden? Now you can check in with Dr. Ronnie on Youtube where they will share their work on diversity and inclusion work. Join us as we work to foster identity, reconciliation, empowerment, and independent representation via authentic, transformative, and diverse leadership practices for global impact!

WhiteGirlWithin

Dr. Ronnie Gladden is a diversity and inclusion speaker specializing in identity, reconciliation, and empowerment. If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up to receive updates on his upcoming book White Girl Within. In it, he documents the struggle to reconcile his identity as Ronnie, the black male with the inner white female they sometimes identify with.