Creative Notions

Are you a creative person? The chances are that you will answer "no". Most people think that they lack creativity. That's not the case, and I want to explain how you can unlock the hidden power of creative thinking.

People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That is 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 very much atrophy into inexistence. But keep working and this skill will soon come to you in a snap.

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 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. Even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but 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 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.

I trust that what you've read so far has been eye-opening for you. I'm determined to convince you that you do have the power of creative thinking inside you. Read on...

Think out 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 up someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and 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, I tell you, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could've added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Why don't you try bungee jumping today? 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! Every creative thought was once deemed insanity by other "normal" people at one time or another. Luckily, that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by them. The thing is, sanity or being normal confines people to think... well, normally. Withink limits.

Creativity is essentially breaking through barriers. Yes, this includes the bizzarre and the downright strange. I'm not saying that you yourself 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 "archnemesis.") It's important that your creativity doesn't get you detached from the real world completely.

I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your "limits." If you follow these steps 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.

When word gets around about your your creative thinking abilities, other people will start to actively seek you out.

• Creative ideas reduce cost of redoing bedroom (The Oklahoman)
  
  We're normally a nation of impulse buyers, but economic worries have many of us thinking twice before swiping our credit cards. In this climate, redecorating your bedroom may seem like a luxury that will have to wait. But, designers say, there are plenty of inexpensive — even free — ways to change the look of a room. You just have to get creative. Here, interior designers Janine Carendi, Brian ...
  


• Educational reform in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Kurdish Media)
  
  The Northern Iraqi Kurdistan Region has taken significant steps to improve regional education standards. Accordingly, English language classes in early grades and promoting creative thinking in classrooms were incorporated into school curricula.
  


• Barry Jossen top creative at ABC Studios (The Hollywood Reporter)
  
  Barry Jossen has been tapped as the top creative executive at ABC Studios, replacing Julia Franz, who announced her resignation in April.
  


• Learning career starts at 4 (Anderson Independent-Mail)
  
  Pre-Kindergarten program seeks to each students social skills and high-level thinking.
  


• Magic User's Club (Anime News Network)
  
  You gotta love Junichi Sato . Looking at his creative output over the years, one imagines a guy surrounded by an aura of pink happiness. His female protagonists are usually perky, maybe a bit clumsy, and are absolutely trying their hardest.
  


• First person (Bureau County Republican)
  
  As the end of August approaches, many college students have started thinking about getting their school gear together and heading back to their dorm rooms, apartments or houses. Jenna Zehr, 19, of Tiskilwa is preparing to return for her sophomore year as an elementary education major at Goshen College in Goshen, Ind. Zehr, a 2007 Princeton High School graduate, answered the following questions ...
  


• The Ownership 2.0 Association Promotes New Ownership Models (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance)
  
  The Ownership 2.0 Association, an industry group for companies whose business models take ownership in creative new ways, today announced its official launch. O2 is comprised of forward-thinking companies that help customers manage the complete ownership cycle of their products through business models that include subscription services, temporary ownership and fractional ownership.
  


• 'The Rocker's' Teddy Geiger finds harmony (Los Angeles Times)
  
  The singer whose album 'Underage Thinking' put him on the 'tween radar finds satisfaction on-screen as well. Hiding behind his floppy, jet-black hair, Teddy Geiger looks like any other kid making the uncomfortable transition between teenager and young adult. His shoulders hunched, his hands thrust deeply into his jeans pockets as he wanders through a throng of shoppers at the Grove on his way ...
  


• Sometimes, thinking outside the box gets best results (Greeley Tribune)
  
  Mommy, where does frosting come from?" All right, that's not nearly as traumatic a question as the classic babies query. If you're tempted to answer "out of a plastic tub," stop.
  


• The Second Coming of Khaki (New York Times)
  
  Can the designer Patrick Robinson, a critics' darling, rescue Gap?