Harness Creativity and Be More Creative
Who knows when that creative spark will strike? It can happen at any time. It often happens in a place where you can’t capture it. However, it is possible to set up yourself for optimal creativity and learn how to harness creativity as an entrepreneur.
Until I came online in 2006 I had never thought of myself as a creative person. But once I began writing and creating information products and training courses as an online entrepreneur I felt more creative than ever. You need to find what works for you. That may seem obvious, but too many people disregard it. For instance, if you do your best writing work on Monday in the morning, why aren’t you writing more on Monday mornings? That is the right time for you, use it to your advantage. Many people ignore this.
Look at what others have created for a source of inspiration. It’s easy to spend some time on the internet and discover some great ideas. One website dedicated to this is StumbleUpon.com. It randomly selects pages, and you can further refine your searches by category. Wikipedia and Reddit are other websites that offer up random pages. Using resources like this can be a great way to generate new inspiration.
Most ideas are not truly original, they stem from past creations. For instance, songwriters often use the structure of their favorite songs as the base for their work. Every so often an idea comes along that seems unique. However, when you peel back the layers of how the idea developed, you will often see inspiration from somewhere else.
One important point is never to copy ideas. It’s okay to use other peoples’ ideas to generate new ideas. But, if you simply copy what others have done, people will pick up on that. You will be looked on as a fraud. Besides, it’s an illegal practice that can get you into trouble. Don’t do it. It’s not worth the risk.
To help you to be more creative when you work, listen to music. That can help a lot. Choose music that is easy to listen to without distracting you too much. Many people find classical music is a good fit here as the music contains no lyrics. However, if you find that you do well with another style, don’t limit yourself.
Give something a try that falls outside your zone of normalcy. For instance, try reading magazines that you typically wouldn’t read to get different perspectives. Try browsing websites that you wouldn’t typically browse, etc. Read books and watch films that open your thinking and perspective on the human condition. The idea is to use a pattern interrupt within your brain which makes it use different pathways. Doing that can generate ideas you would have never had before. The results will likely surprise you once you learn how to harness creativity as an entrepreneur.
I’m author and online marketing strategist Connie Ragen Green. I work with entrepreneurs to create multiple streams of online income and would love to connect with you. Download my Online Entrepreneur’s Blueprint and get started right away.
Great ideas and encouragement, Connie! I love this!!