Saturday, August 6, 2011

7 Ways on How to Think Out of the Box : Improving Creativity


Probably you already heard the term “thinking out of the box” right? If not yet, it simply means to think differently, unconventionally or from a new perspective. –Wikipedia

Thinking out of the box refers to one’s creativity in doing things. It is the creativity that separates one from the other who has donethings in a traditional way thus producing a genuine unique work.

Creativity is significant to every one of us. It is the inner-awareness of an individual and is capable of expanding our imagination. The one that enables us to visualize the uncreated worlds of potential that lies within us.

Socrates (469 BC–399 BC) has a remarkable teachings about imagination on one of his great lectures about the rationality of man. He said that what we think is what is real. And consequently, what we imagine can also be real.
Take for example how it became possible for us to go to other countries by means of flying. Thanks to airplanes we are somehow capable of reaching high altitudes and travel across oceans and seas. Airplane is a product of imagination.

In the early times, people have an imagination of flying like birds. Because of their constant imagining and fantasizing with a mental image of flying in their mind, their curiosity arises that there is a possibility that they can imitate bird’s unique capabilities. They first tried to construct fake wings but they realize that it is a failure. They may be disheartened by that, but they didn’t give up and tried other ways. They become more creative on how to build wings until they had found-out one. The first glider invented by George Cayleys. See here.

Creativity is usually displayed in almost everything.It is commonly used as a personal style for example in arts (paintings,sketching, mosaic, etc.) writing, cartooning, or music or else. It can also be displayed in utilitarian purposes like inventions, experiments, or as anintuitive approach like brainstorming.

Here’s a fact. You don’t have to have any special intellectual talent or a high IQ in order to become creative. All of us possess it already; we just don’t know how to utilize it very well. We have an outstanding potential to be creative and can learned to use our creative talents and our whole mind better.

“To think out of the box is to think creatively”.

I've wrote some useful ways to utilize that sleeping creativeness inside you.

Increase your curiosity
Unlike most people, creative people tend to ask a lot of questions. They don’t settle on being passive, accepting and unquestioning.
Keep asking questions on how & why things are. Manage your curiosity burning. Keep looking at the frontiers of knowledge.

Consider Multiple Perspectives
When we solve problems, we must not assume that it will only have one solution or one answer. If you solved a problem and got the answer correctly, try using different approach. Try to investigate other possible answer. You should have multiple possible viewpoints, representations and roles.

Develop a routine
This is an exercise for developing your creativity. Every morning pick up one thing you see in your surroundings. State its purpose and usage and then think of its other possible uses. Take for example a sock. The primary uses of this are to keep the foot warm and protect them from dirt. But as you think of its other possible use, you might think that it can be also use as a pot-holder, rag, for filtering, a puppet, etc. Doing this for a month will surely give you a dramatic result.

Be Resourceful
Being resourceful is not measured by IQ tests, yet it’s considered as most important thing to learn. I remembered the time when we are asked to make a project in physics. Instead of buying materials to use, we decided to use anything we found in each members backyard or garage. Combining all the materials we had, we’ve produced an extra ordinary work. The fact in being resourceful is that you are forced to think creatively, act effectively and conceptualize your approach in solving a problem or a task.

Tapping your Right Brain
Creativity is located in the right part of our brain. To exercise this part of our brain, we should learn to use our left hand since the right hemisphere of our brain controls the left part of our body. To learn more about brain lateralization, refer to this video you can exercise using your left hand by either brushing you teeth using it, or by eating with the spoon on the left.

Self-Hypnosis
There is a great thing about hypnosis. It’s not all about helping you relax but it can also improve your creativity. I have used this kind of hypnosis a few years ago. It helps me relax and clear my mind. It helps me become vibrant and I started sending positive energy to my body. Maybe it helps me become creative because it enhances my mental alertness. Let your creativity be improved here.

Become Imaginative
Visualizing and fantasizing about things around you is a great effective exercise. Start pondering about things you have dream last night and try to alter it with a conscious mind. You may write it down as you wake-up in the morning. Reading books is also a terrific method in obtaining an imaginative mind. Try reading fictions and try adding up a twist by introducing a new character or an event.

Always remember that, being creative and having the ability to think out of the box can make a person successful. Thinking out of the box is simply being creative as it tends someone to shift out of the traditional way.
 “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” Edward de Bono

11 comments:

Emilly Amisa said...

so nice if i can think out of the box! but im not creative! thats the BIG problem here =.= anyway, thanks for the nice post :)

Jael said...

What I've posted above are some solutions to awaken your creativity inside you. We are all have the potential to be creative, we just don't know how to utilize it fully. You can follow some tips I've written above. It might help =)

Emilly Amisa said...

okie~~~ i love the 'tapping your right brain part' :D

Jael said...

aha, thanks. hope you also love some of my posts here :)

Azlina S said...

wow...thanks good info jayel

Jael said...

thanks norazlina, feel free to read more of my posts. I appreciate that you like this one. =]

auction said...

nice info...good and thanks for sharing...

Jael said...

Thanks auction. I appreciate your comment. :)

AJ Banda said...

nice article Jael, I wonder if "tapping your right brain part" would make me more creative.. :p

Jael said...

Yes it would. I have observed that a lot of artist(e.g. painters & sketchers) is using their left hand. They've said that they can expresses their emotions more, their imagination run wild and they tend to become more creative by using the said hand. If you think it wouldn't work for you, you can still try some tips listed above. =) thanks for your comments I do appreciate it. :)

rugged breed said...

This is nice, I think I will use my left hand often so I can be more creative

Zero Dramas

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