7 Creativity Techniques to Encourage Great Ideas

In the digital marketing and web design realm, “ Creativity is King ” right? But how do you keep it alive?

Creativity has many definitions, but for Elephant in the Boardroom, it means experimenting, pushing boundaries, making mistakes, breaking rules and having fun.

Creativity gives birth to new and exciting ideas, that often result in ground breaking or life changing inventions and innovations.

As the great Albert Einstein once said:

“Creativity is intelligence having fun”!

But since we live in a world with many pressures and demands. Sometimes we are forced to conform to restrictive and repetitive systems or “was of doing things”. Alongside unsupportive or even opposing people around us, often the flames that fuel our creative thinking abilities are slowly extinguished.

Never fear! There are tools to help revive this innate human ability.

Here are 7 methods you can start with to jolt your creativity back into fighting form.

Macro Thinking

Macro thinking refers to thinking outside the box and on a much grander scale. Think about what you currently have with you and look at it with a “Perspective Zoom” – zoom in, then zoom out. Think or research the things related to what you’ve got at your finger tips, analyze its own unique features, and how it affects its end users or the people around it. Generate new ideas, from idea’s you’ve already had.

Attribute Listing

This involves breaking down problems and looking at them piece by piece. Both from a positive and negative perspective. This way you will identify the strengths and weaknesses of a particular thing such as a product or service and it would help you get new ideas for improvement or change.

Reading Good Books

Reading helps improve our memory, creativity, and imagination. It can help us to focus more and to concentrate for longer. Plus it increases your knowledge base, which in turn helps us in coming up with new innovations and ideas.

Breaking Thought Patterns

You can do this by: 

-Thinking of your worst idea. The one that was an epic fail. [We have all had them]! This may sound crazy but after thinking of your most terrible idea try to reverse analyze and use it for inspiration.

-Wishing. Yes, think of all your wildest dreams. Are there ways you can make them become a reality? As Walt Disney said “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

-Challenge assumptions. This technique is completed in 3 steps. First, think of the critical part of your problem, then write down the assumptions around it. Lastly, ask “What If” questions or other questions that you think will help you get a fresh perspective.

Trial and Error

Part of being creative also means being brave enough to dive in deep and take that risk. Sometimes you have to push boundaries, experiment and make mistakes. “Make it, or Break it”. If the later, then just make sure you’ve learned something from the process.

Connecting the Unconnected

When you’ve already thought of all the possibilities related to your project, problem or subject and you feel like there’s nowhere else you can get ideas from. Then start thinking of unconnected and unrelated things. This might actually help you create a magical idea!

You can do this by:

-Looking for random words, quotes, beliefs, or items and look for novel connections between them and your project or problem.

-Using Mind Maps. Write an idea or phrase in the middle of a blank page and see what crazy connections can be made to your problem or project.

Connect with Nature

And last but not the least, get out into the wild! Go for a run, a bike ride, a hike or a simple walk out in your local park and just see and feel the nature around you. Science has proven that we can’t be creative without moving. The when you’re relaxed, meditate. Meditation is a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

Need help with creative content for your Business?

Connect with Elephant in the Boardroom on +61 418 967 352 or [email protected].

Our digital marketing team will help your business find it’s inner child through unique content. Think out side of the box.