Creative Notions

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People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That's not true at all. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently give out great results. If you don't practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will quickly deteriorate into non-existence. But keep working at it, and creativity will soon come to you easily.

So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available, we're saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning as you can find. Read everything available -- good and bad, and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color into your life.

Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it's an effort, but even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. For people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence that, "hey, what I'm doing is getting me somewhere."

So why don't you try it? Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and "delicious." Before you know it you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do everyday. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises.

Think outside of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.

Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum to which you've never been before. Chat with someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone a little more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life. Think about it; when was the last time you did something for the first time? If it's been a while, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could've added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Why don't you try something different today? Something you've never done before. Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.

Embrace insanity. No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself into the mental ward. As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting." Exactly!

Creative thought was once deemed insanity by "normal" people at one time or another. Luck for us, that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by their thoughts. The thing is that sanity, or being normal, confines people to think ... well, normally. Within limits. Creativity is essentially breaking through those confining barriers. Yes, this includes the bizarre and the downright strange. I'm not saying that you should develop a creative personality. That might go haywire. An example of a creative personality would be George Washington, who often rode into battle naked, or James Joyce, who wrote "Dubliners" with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the term could probably be "arch nemesis"). It's important that your creativity doesn't detach you from the real world completely.

I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your "limits" and "outside the box." If you follow these suggestions, pretty soon you'll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking will bring about a new zest for living life.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.