Enhancing Creativity for Business Success

When you think of creativity, you might think of excelling in the arts or that it is something inborn. But neither of these tell the whole story when it comes to being creative. Being creative is not just about being good at drawing or writing stories, it is about being able to generate new ideas, solve problems in new ways or using existing knowledge to create something new. Moreover, it is not necessarily something you have or do not; while some people may be naturally creative, it is also something you can foster with a little effort. When it comes to succeeding in your business, creativity is a necessity and here are some tips to cultivate this key to success.

Meditation

You hear a lot about the benefits of meditation for things like stress reduction and improving overall health; as someone who meditates regularly I can attest to its benefits personally and it has helped me tremendously in my personal and professional life. If you are looking to get your creative juices flowing, you might consider this ancient practice.

Research suggests it may enhance creativity specifically. According to a recent study that appeared in the journal Frontiers in Cognition, meditation appeared to increase the ability to think divergently, which involves the generation of new ideas. Study participants were asked to think about all possible uses for an object—after the meditation session, they were able to come up with more ideas compared to completing the exercise without meditating first. The type of meditation that appeared to work best for sparking creativity was what the researchers termed ‘’open monitoring’’ meditation which involves simply open to what is happening without focusing attention on a particular object or concept.

So, the next time you are trying to think of a new marketing strategy, how to improve a product or service or come up with a whole new one or solve a problem in your business, try some meditation.

Shake Up Your Routine

If you are like most people, you have some sort of routine that gets you through your day. The way your day is set up is likely part preference and part necessity, and there may not be wiggle room in certain areas of your routine; but anywhere there is flexibility, try to change things up a bit. Doing the same things day after day in the same order and always in the same way can make us stale mentally. Shaking up your routine is a great way to get into creative thinking mode. If you drive the same way to work every day, change up the route periodically. If you normally go to the gym after work, try alternating that with workouts first thing in the morning. As a freelance writer who is totally responsible for my schedule, I try to have some sort of routine to discipline myself but I find that when I change things up and release my attachment to doing things at a certain time or in a certain way, my mental energy increases and ideas flow more smoothly.

Go to ‘’Creative’’ Environments

When it comes to enhancing creativity, your surroundings can help get the juices flowing. There is no one best place to go and it really depends on what interests you and what makes you feel good. I personally find natural settings to be very helpful—observing the plants, wildlife, the beauty and the inherent perfection of the natural world is a great way to clear your head and find inspiration. Museums may be another good choice. You may also consider going to places you would not normally go—being outside of your comfort zone will keep you alert mentally and the new surroundings are a potential goldmine for generating new ideas or finding an innovative way to solve a problem.

Kelli Cooper, writing on behalf of Monster Displays, is a freelance writer who covers a range of topics but she particularly enjoys, and is passionate about, personal development, motivation and inspiration.

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