10 steps...

for boosting creativity. by jeffrey baumgartner.

01. listen to music by johann sebastian bach. if bach doesn't make you more creative, you should probably see your doctor - or your brain surgeon. also if you are troubled by headaches, hallucinations or strange urges in the middle of the night.

02. brainstorm. if properly carried out, brainstorming can help you not only come up with sacks full of new ideas, but can help you decide which is best. (more on brainstorming.)

03. always carry a small notebook and pen/pencil around with you. that way, if you are struck by an idea, you can quickly jot it down. upon reading your notes, you may discover about 90% of your ideas are daft. don't worry, that's normal. what's important are the brilliant 10%.

04. if you're stuck for an idea, open a dictionary, randomly pick a word and then try to formulate ideas incorporating this word. you'd be surprised at how well this works. the concept is based on a simple but little known truth: freedom inhibits creativity. there is nothing like restrictions to get you thinking.

05. define your problem. grab a sheet of paper, electronic notebook, computer, whatever - and define your problem in detail. hopefully you'll find some ideas...

06. if you can't think, go for a walk. a change of atmosphere is good and gentle exercise helps shake up the brain cells.

07. don't watch tv. experiments performed by the JPB creative laboratory show that watching tv causes your brain to slowly trickle out your ears and nose. it's not pretty, but it happens.

08. don't do drugs. people on drugs think they are creative. to everyone else, they seem like people on drugs.

09. read as much as you can about everything possible. books exercise your brain, provide inspiration and fill you with information that allows you to make creative connections easily.

10. exercise your brain. brains, like bodies, need exercise to keep fit. if you don't, it becomes flabby and useless. read a lot (see above), talk to clever people and disagree. arguing can be a terrific work out. but note, arguing about politics or film is good; bickering over who should clean the dishes, is not.

(photo via youth for change.)

"creativity

is seeing something

new when you look at something old.

it is at the heart of civilizations

and is the driving force of

revolution.