Sharpening your Creative Mind 99U
October 1, 2018•165 words
Sharpening Your Creative Mind
PRACTICE UNNECESSARY CREATION
Use personal creative projects to explore new obsessions, skills, or ways of working in a low-pressure environment.
WANDER LONELY AS A CLOUD
Make time for your mind—and body—to wander when you’re stuck. Disengaging from the problem allows your subconscious to do its work.
DEFINE “FINISHED” FROM THE START
Keep your inner perfectionist in check by defining what finished looks like at the beginning of a project. And when you get there, stop!
DON’T GO ON AUTOPILOT
Repetition is the enemy of insight. Take unorthodox—even wacky—approaches to solving your stickiest problems and see what happens.
SEARCH FOR THE SOURCE
When the well runs dry, don’t blame a lack of talent. Creative blocks frequently piggyback on other problems. See if you can identify them.
LOVE YOUR LIMITATIONS
Look at constraints as a benefit, rather than an impediment. They activate our creative thinking by upping the ante.