{"id":1785,"date":"2021-11-18T09:15:33","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T09:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/?p=1785"},"modified":"2023-10-20T16:27:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T16:27:30","slug":"how-to-spark-creativity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/how-to-spark-creativity\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Spark Creativity: A Guide to Unleashing Your Creativity at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of us have this notion that creativity is all about adopting a Zen state of mind. Oscillate your mind in synchronization with the universe and brilliant ideas will spontaneously appear in your brain. And sometimes that happens!<\/p>\n

But usually, there are simpler and more effective ways to spark creativity.<\/p>\n

Creativity is how our brain responds to problems. Whenever we have a need to “be creative”, it’s to overcome some kind of obstacle. When considered from this perspective, we realize that creativity doesn\u2019t have to mean “inventing” things on the spot\u2014it can simply means identifying the method that most effectively solves the problem.<\/p>\n

In this article we’re going to look at 5 fundamental habits which can increase your base creativity level forever<\/em>. We\u2019ll follow that up with 10 instantly actionable tips for unleashing your creative inspiration right now.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Get<\/p>\n

<\/span>Get more and better sleep<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to Matthew Walker, the world’s preeminent expert on the subject, sleep is fundamental to creative thinking on every level. On the one hand, his latest research<\/a> found that our brains proactively solve problems on our behalf while we’re dreaming<\/em>. The lesson here is that consistent REM sleep is important, on a biological level, for creativity.<\/p>\n

But what about when we\u2019re awake? More than a third of US workers are chronically sleep deprived\u2014that is, they’re getting 6 or fewer hours’ sleep per night. Sleep deprivation means we generate solutions to problems more slowly, less accurately, and less often. We have significantly impaired decision making and our brain struggles to interpret data and make intuitive leaps\u2014two crucial aspects of creative thinking.<\/p>\n

In order for our brains to be consistently able to generate new ideas and analyze problems, we need to be well-rested. Horrendously simple as it sounds, having a consistent sleep schedule and bagging your 7-9 hours every night will transform your creativity.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Prioritize quantity of ideas over quality<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you’re facing a problem, it’s extremely rare that a powerful and innovative solution just pops into your head. The truth is that some of the most “creative” people are those who produce the biggest mass of ideas\u2014and then filter them effectively.<\/em><\/p>\n

Say you work in advertising and you just can’t figure out that killer headline. Your brain is best at producing new ideas when the old ones are stored away. So write down or record yourself saying any potential solution that comes into your head.<\/em><\/p>\n

Seriously. “There are no bad ideas” and all that. Set a timer and keep going until you’ve got nothing left.<\/p>\n

Then take time away from the project and distract yourself with something else. Come back to your brainstorm and start filtering out the ideas that have real potential. Discuss them with the team, start testing hypotheses\u2014it’s almost certain that by generating 100 ideas, at least a handful will have serious basis for consideration. They’ll be original, innovative, left-field or unexpected enough to be perfect.<\/p>\n

Even if you wouldn\u2019t recognize this process as traditional creativity, the results speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

\"Ask<\/p>\n

<\/span>Ask more questions\u2014lots of them<\/span><\/h2>\n

Or in other words, get more data.<\/p>\n

First thing’s first, when we use “data” in this context we aren’t talking about big data: ones and zeroes and cookies and phishing. We mean getting more information about the problem you\u2019re facing.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re in advertising again. Now you\u2019re trying to figure out which product benefits to include in your ads, to build the most effective message for selling. Rather than throwing spaghetti at wall, focus on clarifying the problem you’re trying to solve: getting more people to buy your product after seeing the ad.<\/p>\n

Then seek out information related to the problem. Information like:<\/p>\n