How to escape from the routine and begin to think creatively

As we invent new

The idea that people with age loses the ability to learn and to create new, hopelessly outdated. The brain can learn and change throughout life. This ability is known as neuroplasticity. The nervous system is designed so that the discovery of something new stimulates the pleasure centers, which is why we love to travel, try new dishes to try on the new images during shopping.

However, most of our energy is saved when we are at rest. That is why we are so pleasant meeting with friends, a leisurely walk in the park, quiet watching the movie.

Everyone knows the theory of the right and left hemisphere of the brain, according to which the right side is responsible for the rationality and the left - for creativity. Eric Kandel proposed a new model of brain devices - smart memory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2000. According to Kandel logic and intuition work simultaneously in different combinations.

All events in a person's life are recorded in one or another part of the brain. Our memory reminds closet with lots of drawers, which open and close at random, and the memories are mixed in them. This gives impetus to the emergence of new ideas.

Conceptual blending - a form of creative thinking, when a person finds associations between seemingly very different themes. Linking different concepts, early humans learned to make fire, created the first tools began to study art. Genius Leonardo da Vinci that he mixed the concepts already known to him and constantly watched in their projects.

To learn to see the connections between different concepts, use the technique of Edward de Bono. Select at random four words. Think of the criterion by which one of them will become superfluous. For example, take the word "dog", "cloud", "water", "door". According to the first criterion, they can be connected as follows: dog, water, and the door may be in the house, the cloud - no. According to the second criterion of the word "dog", "water", "cloud" are united by the letter "o".

Why age do we stop spontaneously

An adult lives largely on autopilot and takes most of the decisions on the basis of his own experience, he knew the data and cultural features. The children are doing intuitively, they are not afraid to experiment with objects and shapes.

Every child - the artist. The difficulty is to remain an artist coming out of children's age.

Pablo Picasso

We can become more creative when we feel like children.

In one experiment, students were divided into two groups. The first group said: "Imagine that you are seven years and today it is not necessary to go to school. All day you can do whatever you want. The take? Where'll go, "the second group said:" The whole day you can do whatever you want. The take? Where to go? "Then the students were asked to perform tests on the creative ability to come up with an alternative such as the use of old car tires. The guys from the first group who were reminded of their childhood experiences, proved to be more creative and have generated two times more ideas than the students from the second.

Technology to help cope with the creative stupor

Funny questions

If the problem was a living being, who would it be? Think what her past and present? Imagine that you have eaten the problem. What it tastes? Does it have something beautiful? A fun? Imagine that you are a psychotherapist problems. What do you think, what would she confessed?

convictions overturned

We are all slaves of habits and prejudices. Write down on a piece of paper all the prejudices associated with the current task, and then try to look at them from the other side.

How not to miss a good idea

Ideas can enlighten you at any time, but most often they come when we are most calm and relaxed. Everyone has such a situation, when new solutions come as if by themselves. Someone begins to be creative when driving a car, someone lights up during exercise or meditation.

Be sure to write down everything that comes to mind. Understand and analyze will be then.

There is nothing more harmful to creativity than criticism. Another danger - when comes to mind is a good idea, there is a risk to stay on it and did not come up with the best. Given an order to come up with a certain number of ideas in the day or week. Classify them and write down in a notebook or a mobile phone.

What if you do not know how to implement the idea

Dr. Beeman of Northwestern University found that in 40% of cases we solve the problem creatively, the remaining 60% comes from inspiration. Everything new is born from a small spark of inspiration, which is easy to extinguish the fear of problems that may be encountered when implementing the ideas.

What if there is a feeling that the idea has potential, but it is unclear how to implement it? Switch to something else, go do something interesting, and then return to the task. And it is not about procrastination. The more you focus on the problem, so you get anxious, and it interferes with creativity. Your task - to relax and for some time to let go of the situation.

If you can not focus, do a simple exercise. Imagine that your obstacle took the form of one of you are wearing items: hat, sweater, shoes. Remove this item, then you will feel free and relaxed.

Why is it important curiosity

Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor, in 2009 published the results of his research. The session was attended by 3000 senior executives and 500 entrepreneurs, whose activity has been associated with innovation. Professor Christensen has revealed common patterns.

Creative people are more likely to use the conceptual blending. They are able to associate the notion of seemingly unrelated to each other, and experimenting in his search, without fear of contradiction, since it is important not only the result but also the process. They are interested in everything that surrounds them.

How to develop a curiosity

Be open-minded

Try to make sure that every day you are faced with something new. Visit a place where you have never been, try different food, travel, Meet New People. Try to surprise someone. Ask questions or make unusual thoughts that before did not dare to voice.

Record your daily meetings or classes. A few weeks later you find a pattern and decide on the topics that interest you the most. Normally, we are so immersed in the daily challenges that we do not notice or ignore what we are really interested.

Ask questions

We are so accustomed to rely on authorities, especially at work and learning that take to be true ready-made solutions. To take a fresh look at ordinary things and develop curiosity, begin to doubt.

• The question "Why" helps to understand the present state of affairs. Why do most work 40 hours a week? Why competitors product popular?
• The question "What if" helps to find new opportunities. What if we do not sell a single service, and a subscription? What if we give up at any time from the meetings?
• The question "Why is there no" helps us to understand what the limitations are on your way. Why our employees do not like innovation? Why not offer a free car wash if they buy it from us?

Why do I need to overcome fear

Fear has been and remains very important for the survival of a sense. But often it inhibits the creative process. Therefore, we can say nothing at the meeting and did not express any idea and decided to stop on the option approved by others. We are afraid to stand out among colleagues or friends.

It may occur and other fear - the fear of success. We doubt in themselves, their abilities, that can maintain the desired bar. We are afraid that we do not have enough knowledge or skills to implement an ambitious idea.

With regard to creativity we can stop fear of failure. Remember the last time you decided not to risk once again and went from the known path. Why did you do? The consequences were real or imaginary?

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The book "Flexible mind: how to see things differently and to think outside the box" has become a best seller in Argentina, he lasted two years on top of the charts, and now published in Russian language. Estanislao Bachrach told in simple language about the complexity of the brain, and brought a lot of techniques that help develop creativity. Some of the tasks will seem ridiculous and silly, while others are forced to think about the important things.

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