Creativity

Instead of thinking of a cut-and-dry end goal to certain situations, creative people sit back and examine the problem in different ways before beginning to work.

If you find yourself stagnating by focusing on generic problems, try to re-conceptualize the problem by focusing on a more meaningful angle.

For example: Instead of thinking “What would be something cool to paint?” rather ask, “What sort of painting evokes the feeling of loneliness that we all encounter after a break-up?”

Creating “psychological” distance may be useful for breaking through a creative block.

Try to imagine your creative task as being disconnected and distant from your current position/location - this may make the problem more accessible and can encourage higher level thinking.

Successful writers do not write elegant first drafts, nor do they feel wildly enthusiastic and confident.

Creating something useful and compelling means you have to permit yourself to let the inspiration flow. You will write a lot of junk but can then sift through it to find bits and pieces of brilliance here and there.

The act that will uncover creative genius is by forcing yourself to create regularly and on a schedule, not just create when you feel inspired.

The best thing you can do is to do a huge volume of work. Creative genius becomes visible when you work consistently to get the average ideas out of the way.

It means producing something novel or original, evaluating, solving problems, whether on paper, on stage, in a laboratory or even in the shower.

Geniuses know “how” to think, instead of “what” to think.

People who are more creative can simultaneously engage brain networks that don’t typically work together.