Al-Amn Magazine

CREATIVITY S ome people are gifted with the knack for creativity. If you feel like you aren’t one of those lucky few who draw from a seemingly endless creative wellspring, it doesn’t mean you are doomed to a life of the mundane and expected. Much like a muscle, creativity is something you can cultivate and develop with a little practice and hard work. Sitting back and waiting for inspiration to strike may leave you discouraged. You should look for ways to boost your creativity.  Creativity is not a passive process. Seek out the things that inspire you and help you focus your attention and mental energy on the task at hand. Check out some of these unique tricks that might help spark your creativity. 1. Go for a walk • A 2014 study found that people tend to be more creative when they walk as opposed to when they remain seated. Previous research studies have shown that regular physical activity can play an important role in boosting and protecting cognitive abilities. This study revealed that a simple walk could temporarily improve certain types of thinking. So if you are tied to a desk and struggling to come up with a good idea, try going for a quick walk to see if inspiration strikes. 2. Reward yourself • According to research, rewarding things that are already intrinsically rewarding may backfire and actually reduce motivation, a phenomenon known as the over justification effect. So, it might seem offering a reward for creative thinking might have the opposite effect, stifling creativity and motivation. However, one study revealed that when children were offered an explicit reward for producing creative drawings, the creativity of their work actually increased.  • So if you are trying to find inspiration, try promising yourself some type of desirable treat as a reward for coming up with a creative solution. Just don’t overdo it or you risk decreasing your motivation. 3. Create psychological distance • People often suggest taking a break when you’ve hit a creative block. One experiment found that placing some psychological distance between yourself and the problem might also do the trick. Researchers found that when participants imagined a problem originated from a far location versus a close one, they solved more problems and came up with more creative solutions. The next time you face a difficult problem, try imagining that the issue is distant How wa l ki ng improves t he t h i nki ng process Psycho l ogi ca l t ri cks to boos t creat i v i ty