Have you ever asked yourself why some people are naturally more creative than you? Why is it that every time a new project begins you are not able to see the end goal or suggest ideas on how to improve the process?

Picture yourself as a young child with your adventurous and unique creations featuring paper, pens, pipecleaners and empty bottles…and anything else you could find lying around. Besides making a mess, what you made was something to be proud of! Something which was individual. Although the idea behind your creation may have been shared, the adaptations and personal touch make it yours.

If you were asked to produce an idea in front your colleagues or manager or even CEO with these materials today, how would you feel? Anxious, embarrassed, apprehensive…or set for the challenge?

We, as adults, tend to lose our willingness and ability to explore in order to come up with innovative ideas. However, we need to be able to reconnect with our creative side in order to progress and evolve our products and services – just like we did in childhood.

As young children, we are surrounded by stimuli, but the gradual growth into an adult sees these disappear as we adopt responsibilities. Our brain function changes drastically with this. We go from using an imaginative right-side to an analytical left-side…

The Right Brain is described as being better at:

• Expressing emotions
• Music
• Reading emotions
• Color
• Images
• Intuition
• Creativity

The Left Brain is described as being better at:

• Language
• Logic
• Critical thinking
• Numbers
• Reasoning

However, we still all have the ability to get creative if we set our minds to it!

So, what tips can we use to explore creativity to stimulate our right-hand brain further?

1. AVOID LOGICAL THINKING

Logical left-brain thinking can prevent us from innovative thoughts, because when we think logically we only use what we know. Creative ideas are built from what we don’t yet know. To facilitate this process you can look for inspirations from music, arts or people.

2. PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Being creative is an art. Try to become self-aware of what makes you creative, when you are most creative, and what things you are most creative at. Start paying attention to what you’re good at and start applying your mind to some creative work.

3. DON’T FORCE IT

We are often most creative when we don’t try to be. Sometimes, ideas just come appear through insights or unique experiences.

4. AVOID BEING PRACTICAL

This point relates to the methods we use to problem solve. Sometimes, we tend to stick to one tried and tested method and not try other ways. Instead, we should be trying to combine different ideas or methods together.

5. EMBRACE FAILURES

Not all great ideas work out. In fact, most innovations are failures at the start. You just have to persist and keep working at it, find out what went wrong, and keep trying.

When inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison said: “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

So, what are you waiting for…..go and explore your creativity. Find the adventurer within you.

Be innovative, be exciting, be opportunistic, be vibrant….and find that inner child!

‘Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions’ – Albert Einstein