How to Re-Discover Your Creative Spark at Work
How to Re-Discover Your Creative Spark at Work
In order to be successful and drive change, employees need to be creative, and willing to think “outside the box”. With a constant influx of information always at our fingertips, it’s more important than ever to keep coming up with new ideas. Yet what happens when your creative juices stop flowing? Here are some quick tips for recapturing your inspiration.
Sit and Observe
Sometimes, taking a minute to observe the world around us is all we need. We’re always busy, and we live in a constant state of rush. This means that we tune out the world around us, missing details that can oftentimes create a unique experience. Take time to stop and notice all of the small things, and observe the nuances you normally ignore. You may end up noticing something that sparks your next big idea.
Go For A Walk
As odd as it sounds, studies have shown walking is linked with the generation of new ideas. Rather than sitting at your desk and forcing yourself to try and come up with a creative thought, get moving. Just by taking a short walk around the block, or even the office, you can spark a creative moment.
Get to Where It’s Noisy
No, we’re not suggesting going into the middle of a rock concert in order to get your creative kick. Finding a mid-range volume level, like those found in book stores and coffee shops, can actually help push your brain into gear. By having to ignore some noise without being completely deafened, you’re forced to think abstractly, which could potentially lead you to a breakthrough idea.
Don’t Worry About Originality
Part of the reason we find ourselves not being creative is because we feel like we have to come up with something brand new. While new ideas are always great, fixating on it can stop you from discovering them altogether. Instead, focus on an ideal your company is already good at, or play off of a strength. By improving upon a current goal or idea, you can allow your brain to focus on a task, and really delve into a creative realm.
Human nature is to seek out repetition and routine. It’s why we park in the same spot at work everyday, why we do better when we wake at the same time each day, and why we tend to think about things in the exact same way. However, when it’s time to get creative, breaking that routine is exactly what we need.
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