How To Boost Your Creativity: Experts Share Proven Ways To Unleash the Power of Your Imagination
Plus, see why just picturing Oprah can help you spark novel ideas
Have a dilemma you’re not sure what to do about? Feel like you’re stuck in a rut lately? Creativity is the key to everything from solving problems to living more joyfully every day. And though we tend to think of it as a cross between fairy dust and lucky genetics, science proves we all have this power within us. Here, experts share science-backed ways to boost your imagination so that you can tackle any challenge, break free from boredom and unleash your true potential.
Believe in yourself
The biggest roadblock to creativity is our belief that it’s a rarefied gift reserved for geniuses. “Creativity is about more than just making art or inventing something,” reveals Cyndi Burnett, EdD, author of Weaving Creativity Into Every Strand of Your Curriculum. It’s about being open, curious and authentic.” Burnett contends that simply solving a problem without consulting Google means you’re more creative than you realize. “Just knowing that you do indeed have this potential within you is the start to unleashing it.”
Tap into positivity
Being passionate about what you do is key to creativity—it encourages you to explore more, says creativity expert Jack Goncalo, PhD, Professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Simply telling yourself you love your work can boost your imagination. “A study on intrinsic motivation found that poets who believed they were writing for the joy of it—not for external rewards—produced more creative work.” This mental shift can also lift your confidence, another cornerstone of original thinking.
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Balance wonder & rigor
Inspiration is nothing without effort. That’s why creativity strategist Natalie Nixon, PhD, devised the WonderRigor™ Theory. “It’s about toggling between the two: imagination and deep focus,” she says. “I’m a big proponent of daydreaming to spark wonder. It activates the Default Mode Network—the ‘washing machine’ of the brain—relaxing your mind so when you return to the rigor of hard work, you’re much more innovative.”
Let yourself be bored
“Creativity isn’t about forging something completely new; rather, it combines two already existing ideas in a novel way,” says one of the nation’s leading experts on creativity Keith Sawyer, PhD, author of Zig Zag: The Surprising Path to Greater Creativity. He explains that in a process called “incubation,” our unconscious mind brings together disparate ideas to solve a problem while our conscious mind is relaxing. That’s why so many great insights come to us when we step away from a task to take a walk or grab a shower. In other words, boredom is a powerful catalyst of creativity.
Chase ‘crazy’ ideas
Don’t throw out your weirdest idea, urges Sawyer. Instead, pinpoint the part of it with the most potential. “For example, a wool company brainstorming an ad campaign came up with the ‘crazy’ idea to herd a flock of sheep down Fifth Avenue,” he recalls. “Instead of trashing that idea, they looked at what might be valuable about it, and hired a dog walker to walk 10 sheep through New York City.” Needless to say, it turned a few heads. “Look at what’s ‘okay’ about an idea and see if you can turn it into something great.”
Collaborate with Oprah
When we’re in a state of “flow,” we have a wealth of insights. “Research shows we’re happiest not when relaxing but when facing a challenge that meets our skill level,” says Sawyer. And group flow is arguably even better because it taps collective creativity. He says we can effectively collaborate with our heroes just by picturing our “personal board of directors,” people we admire like Oprah or Ree Drummond. “Imagining what the would sat is a leap of imagination that stokes yours.”
Let it help heal your heart
“When my husband passed, the only thing that helped was being creative. Painting, gardening, and cooking saved me,” reveals Bonnie Cramond, PhD, former director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at the University of Georgia. She promises you don’t need to be a master to reap the benefits. “It’s been said that a good soup is just as creative as a poem.” In other words, an everyday activity like cooking can be an art form, so keep experimenting with new activities. You’re sure to discover hidden strengths!
Unleash your inner child
Play is essential to creativity, yet it’s often overlooked. “It’s no coincidence that when we’re at play, we’re using the same attributes we want in leaders: active listening, curiosity, improvisation and collaboration,” says Nixon. For her, ballroom dancing—with its demands on pattern recognition, body awareness and quick thinking—keeps her brain sharp and her creative muscles strong. “I learn so much not just from my instructors but from my peers.” After all, learning is at the heart of creativity.
Bounce off a friend
It’s hard to be creative in a vacuum. In fact, even a simple conversation demands ping-pong–like neural agility. What’s more, our social connections “help us test out our ideas that are still percolating at the edges of our mind,” notes Nixon. Whether you send a friend a quick “thinking of you” text or enjoy a laugh-filled coffee date, connecting with others is a nourishing act of creativity.
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