Creative mind(s) for self improvement is our ability to come up with ideas or relics that are novel, astonishing and priceless. We all can be creative according to Boden, (2004,p.1). creativity enters into virtually every aspect of life; it’s not a special faculty but an aspect of human intelligence in general. in other words it’s grounded in everyday ability such as conceptual thinking memory and reflective self criticism. Invariably to activate a creative mind we need to open-minded, flexible and resilient. So how do we tap into our creative mind resources and to what benefit is it for self improvement?
Benefits of the creative mind(s)
Helps with problem solving
Stimulates new ideas
Enriches you
Psychologically it may help boost your courage and confidence
Personal and self development growth
Can give you a sense of accomplishment
Sharpen your skills and abilities
How To develop Your Creative Mind
1. Take risks: we are expected to take that leap of faith, work hard, make lots of mistakes and of course take frequent breaks but stay with it/task over time. Most importantly ensure you are engaged with what you love and develop a network to support you.
2. Practice: There is certainly that myth that creatively is enact and while this is true most of us do have the aptitude to be more creative than we realize . we can learn , although as we become older we easily develop routes and habits which helps us throw our creative minds out the window .We can however re-develop our creative minds by learning to think; for instance you could try and enhance the mind with tricky and lateral thinking games such as puzzles, mind bender such as cryptic crosswords or jigsaws to help visualization. Learning to doing; push yourself out of your lovely comfort zone and engage in activities to break your normal conceptual way of doing things. That is try and integrate something new; something you will not normally do into your activities. Practice: explore different activities and practise them, seize this opportunity to learn, solve problems and develop your creative side but remember practice does not necessarily mean perfect but will certainly make you better a being creative.
3. Questioning: nudges the mind to think and get it into gear to supply answers. Not all questions obviously have an answer but asking empowering questions will stimulate our thinking to enhance our creative mind(s). Good questions on the other hand will serve the same purpose. Like what’s good about this? What’s not perfect about it yet? What I am going to do next time? How can I do this and have fun doing it†~Charles Connolly.
There is certainly more to the creative mind you could check the resource box for some useful websites.
Resource Box
The Creative Mind: Myths and Mechanisms
The Hidden secrets of the Creative Mind
http://creatingminds.org/index.htm
Photo credited to Aald_ml
3. September 2010 at 3:42 pm
This is great – everyone is capable of creativity on some level and you are so right it can be learned. Think outside the box and yes do practice! I taught creative thinking and writing for years. It was always sad to hear somebody say they didn’t have a creative bone in their body but they sure learned otherwise!
hugs
suZen
4. September 2010 at 4:45 am
Thank you very much for sharing this I can now see how a creative mind can assist with some of my self development..THanks alot for writing
11. September 2010 at 12:15 pm
Thanks SuZen for your enriched contribution and like you said its “ sad to hear somebody say they didn’t have a creative bone “..Most of us are obviously capable of learning..
Thanks Anita for dropping by and your comment