5 Things You Can Start Doing Today to Become More Creative

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” -Albert Einstein

Are you the creative type? You know, the one who can always come up with a funny quip or new idea. The person who can visualize something and then put it in action and it turns out amazing. The person who just understands the piece of art that others just stare at blankly. In business it pays to be creative. The most successful entrepreneurs in history had a great creative side to them. Coming up with new ideas and ways of thinking can help your business in many ways. Being creative aids in understanding other’s point of view, problem solving, calculated risk taking, and creating more interesting and exciting business offerings.

So what should you do if you are like most of us and aren’t always your most creative self? Work on it! There are many ways to become more inventive and they take almost zero effort. Here are five ways you can train your brain to become more creative.

Keep a notebook (or electronic device, or an unused napkin) handy to write down ideas. Studies have shown that we become more creative when we are tired or a bit “off” our peak performance, yet we also become more forgetful during this time. Having a place to write down your creative thoughts so you can come back and revisit them is a great step towards becoming more creative. When you write your ideas down, try not to have a “filter” as many of us naturally tend to have. Don’t judge the idea, simply write it down and analyze later.

Draw or doodle (bonus: you can do this on your napkin or notebook too). Being creative requires using the creative part of your brain. Creating something artistic can help with that. Even if your drawings aren’t that “artistic” (not anything you’d put in a museum or even on the fridge), using your creativity to draw or doodle helps flex that muscle so it starts working in other parts of your life.

Read a book and/or learn something new. The more information our brains take in, the more we have to be creative with. Reading and learning can help spark our imagination and fuel creativity. Taking time to read or learn something (or both at the same time) isn’t taking time away from your business, it’s taking time to work on it. The creative mindset you gain from taking that time will pay dividends well past the short stretch you took to read a book, take a class, or even scan through a blog post.

Listen to music (any music, it doesn’t have to be classical). Studies have shown that music has great benefits for our brains. According to researchers, music can help put our brain into “mind-wandering mode” which can encourage creativity. So blast that Pandora station you love, sing in the shower, rock those earbuds, and jam out in the car; your creative mind will thank you. Want to read more about the wonderful effects of music? Here is a great article from the Huffington Post about it.

Be bored (no, seriously, I mean do nothing). We all lead busy lives, but being bored can really up the creative factor. Think back to the last time you really said, “I’m bored” and meant it. It was probably as a kid to your parents and they replied with, “well go play then.” Off you went to make up some game or imaginary world to play in. That’s creativity at its finest. Give yourself time to be bored (no not while playing on your phone or checking emails) and creativity will come. I love this TED talk on “The Value of Boredom,” check it out when you have about 15 minutes.

Creativity isn’t a fixed personality trait. It is something that can be developed and dwindle over time. Flexing your creative muscle can help your business grow. What do you do to become more creative? Have you used any of these techniques or others to get your creativity flowing? I’d love to hear your comments below.