We tend to think of creativity as something you’re either born with or you aren’t. If you’re good at drawing or music, then you’re a “creative” person, and if you’re not—well, you’re not. Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble if you’re an artist, but that idea is miles away from the truth.
Everyone is creative (and I’m not saying that just to make those of you who can’t draw a stickman feel better about your drawing skills), we’re just all creative in different ways.
The whole idea of being naturally creative or not often comes down to two things. One is that the most widely recognized and applauded forms of creativity are usually related to the arts, and the second is the existence of the idea that the left and right sides of our brains serve opposite functions.
Much of this “left brain, right brain” theory stems from experiments scientists conducted back in the 1960s. What most people don’t know is that these experiments were conducted using brains that had been literally cut in half, and each side of the brain was artificially stimulated separately to help the scientists find out where different types of thought originated in the brain.
While it’s true that the right side of the brain showed a greater association with emotional processing and creative thought, when we upgraded to modern fMRI imaging, it was found that actually the most creative thinking is done when the two sides of the brain are working together. So it’s the connectivity—not the side of the brain—that matters when it comes to creativity.
I have good news for you. The two halves of your brain are connected. (You’re naturally creative.)
One of the most incredible ways that creativity serves humanity is through innovation, which Merriam-Webster defines as “a new idea, method, or device”. And it has taken some incredible creativity to come up with some of the innovations that have saved us so much time and energy over the years.
One survey conducted by mathematician Katie Steckles found that on average, technology saves us two weeks worth of time every year. We save all that time simply because people took the time to nurture the natural creativity within themselves to come up with something fantastic.
For example, the idea that light could exist in a bulb (without candles) or that food other than pizza could be easily and affordably delivered straight to your doorstep, or the invention of the iPod touch; all of these creative ideas changed the world, and the people responsible for them might not have been great at drawing—but they were good at thinking outside the box.
Thinking outside the box isn’t difficult; we’re all geared for it, but sometimes we get used to doing things a certain way and it can be more challenging to stay creative and open-minded amid our daily routine. So how do you get outside this “rut” and encourage creative thought? Let me give you an example of one way that’s been proven to “get those creative juices flowing”.
A few years ago, researchers asked volunteers in an experiment to come up with new and unusual uses for ordinary objects like a paperclip or a sock. While the subjects did this, they were examined under fMRI imaging, and it was noticed that this type of thinking stimulated the same kind of brain connectivity associated with creativity.
Simply thinking about unique ways that everyday items could be put to use can stimulate creative thinking! And this can help us get creative in other ordinary ways too—for example, thinking about a new way to tackle a task you do every day or pondering how a mundane process in your workplace might be improved to maximize efficiency.
Once you start getting creative, you'll begin to notice more ways to improve your workflows, and may find that you never run out of ideas for what sort of things might be changed or improved around you.
At its core, creativity is about being imaginative, and making something new. That could be a new solution, a new practice, or something out of nothing like a painting or a poem; regardless of how we use it, we all have it in us.
Spend a few minutes every day thinking creatively about the things around you; whether that’s ordinary objects or ordinary tasks, do things that inspire you to see the world around you differently, and see what you can create. You never know, your next idea could lead to an innovation that changes the world!
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We tend to think of creativity as something you’re either born with or you aren’t. If you’re good at drawing or music, then you’re a “creative” person, and if you’re not—well, you’re not. Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble if you’re an artist, but that idea is miles away from the truth.
Everyone is creative (and I’m not saying that just to make those of you who can’t draw a stickman feel better about your drawing skills), we’re just all creative in different ways.
The whole idea of being naturally creative or not often comes down to two things. One is that the most widely recognized and applauded forms of creativity are usually related to the arts, and the second is the existence of the idea that the left and right sides of our brains serve opposite functions.
Much of this “left brain, right brain” theory stems from experiments scientists conducted back in the 1960s. What most people don’t know is that these experiments were conducted using brains that had been literally cut in half, and each side of the brain was artificially stimulated separately to help the scientists find out where different types of thought originated in the brain.
While it’s true that the right side of the brain showed a greater association with emotional processing and creative thought, when we upgraded to modern fMRI imaging, it was found that actually the most creative thinking is done when the two sides of the brain are working together. So it’s the connectivity—not the side of the brain—that matters when it comes to creativity.
I have good news for you. The two halves of your brain are connected. (You’re naturally creative.)
One of the most incredible ways that creativity serves humanity is through innovation, which Merriam-Webster defines as “a new idea, method, or device”. And it has taken some incredible creativity to come up with some of the innovations that have saved us so much time and energy over the years.
One survey conducted by mathematician Katie Steckles found that on average, technology saves us two weeks worth of time every year. We save all that time simply because people took the time to nurture the natural creativity within themselves to come up with something fantastic.
For example, the idea that light could exist in a bulb (without candles) or that food other than pizza could be easily and affordably delivered straight to your doorstep, or the invention of the iPod touch; all of these creative ideas changed the world, and the people responsible for them might not have been great at drawing—but they were good at thinking outside the box.
Thinking outside the box isn’t difficult; we’re all geared for it, but sometimes we get used to doing things a certain way and it can be more challenging to stay creative and open-minded amid our daily routine. So how do you get outside this “rut” and encourage creative thought? Let me give you an example of one way that’s been proven to “get those creative juices flowing”.
A few years ago, researchers asked volunteers in an experiment to come up with new and unusual uses for ordinary objects like a paperclip or a sock. While the subjects did this, they were examined under fMRI imaging, and it was noticed that this type of thinking stimulated the same kind of brain connectivity associated with creativity.
Simply thinking about unique ways that everyday items could be put to use can stimulate creative thinking! And this can help us get creative in other ordinary ways too—for example, thinking about a new way to tackle a task you do every day or pondering how a mundane process in your workplace might be improved to maximize efficiency.
Once you start getting creative, you'll begin to notice more ways to improve your workflows, and may find that you never run out of ideas for what sort of things might be changed or improved around you.
At its core, creativity is about being imaginative, and making something new. That could be a new solution, a new practice, or something out of nothing like a painting or a poem; regardless of how we use it, we all have it in us.
Spend a few minutes every day thinking creatively about the things around you; whether that’s ordinary objects or ordinary tasks, do things that inspire you to see the world around you differently, and see what you can create. You never know, your next idea could lead to an innovation that changes the world!
