Creativity is a quality that exists in every human being. However, it is not a quality that everyone might focus on growing, mainly because creativity is often taken for granted in our lives. Many a times, it is misunderstood that creativity is only needed or useful when you’re exploring a career in the arts and not so much as a quality that would benefit every decision that you make.
Did you know that with creativity comes new ideas and a better ability to solve problems? Did you also know that creativity helps to maintain your health and keeps your mind sharp even as you age?
Read on to discover more about creativity and more importantly, how you can boost your creativity and bring your life to greater (and more colourful) heights.
BE CREATIVE AND BRIGHT
Creativity is all about turning your imagination into a reality. It’s introducing dreams or ideas into the world we live in.
As a matter of fact, creativity is seen as the highest form of intelligence because when you’re creative and apply it in your life, you’re creating new ideas and knowledge of things that may not have been known before. They are many benefits when it comes to being creative and here are some of them.
A GOOD DOSE OF HAPPINESS
Have you ever been so focused on a task that you lose track of time as well as what’s happening around you? According to researchers at Harvard University, that moment of being absorbed in an action that you’re focused on, is called flow. Flow is a state that helps you to reduce anxiety levels and boosts your mood.
The same effect with flow can be seen when you engage in tasks that involve your creativity. For example painting, knitting and even writing.
SHARPENS YOUR SENSES
Dementia is one of the biggest health concerns associated with ageing. Dementia is a decline in memory, language, problem-solving skills and overall health as it affects your ability to perform everyday tasks.
Studies show that individuals with dementia that engage with activities that involve their creativity can help them to sharpen their senses and tap back in to their personalities.
This goes to show that creativity goes beyond just happiness. It also keeps you sharp, stress-free and healthy!
So, flip over to find out how you can boost your creativity.
Quotes: Creativity is all about turning your imagination into a reality. it’s introducing dreams or ideas into the world we live in.
BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY
Just like silverware that needs constant polishing to shine at its best, creativity is a quality that needs to be constantly worked on because it could decline with time.
Have you ever found yourself staring at a blank sheet of paper or computer screen for minutes or even hours because you’re finding it difficult to even have an idea on how to get started?
If that is you, you need a creativity boost!
There are many ways to boost your creativity and to narrow it down for you, we’ve picked only ways that have been scientifically proven to be effective.
Quotes: Just like silverware that needs constant polishing to shine at its best, creativity is a quality that needs to be constantly worked on because it could decline with time.
#1 THINK LIKE A CHILD
As adults, our minds are sometimes clouded with stress and concerns that at times, we tend to overthink a situation. At North Dakota University, two groups of undergraduate students were given creativity tests.
One group was given instructions to put themselves in the shoes of seven year olds and that group scored higher on all tasks and even coming up with a many as twice the amount of ideas as compared to the other group.
#2 BLUE IS THE HUE
If you love all things blue, this is good news for you! In a study by researchers at University of British Columbia, which involved 600 participants, they found that participants performed better at cognitive tasks when on a blue screen instead of a red one.
The reason behind this according to one of the researchers of the study was that we tend to relate the colour blue with the sky and ocean and this is associated with peace, openness and tranquility. Hence, this makes you feel comfortable with being creative.
#3 SNOOZE TIME
During a press conference in Malaysia held a couple of years ago, Cyrille Tellinge of Novexpert Laboratories, mentioned that at the brand’s headquarters in France, employees were allowed to take a nap after lunch or when needed as he believed that a nap could help employees perform better.
Closer to home, at Air Asia’s RedQ, sleep pods are available for employees to catch a quick shuteye too.
Now, there’s a very good reason for this trend that’s seen in many 21st century workplaces. Research has shown that a 20-minute power nap removes adenosine (a byproduct of cell activity that causes tiredness) and this increases right-brain activity that is associated with creative thinking.
Quotes: Taking some time off the screens and exploring the outdoors can boost your creativity by 50 percent!
#4 BE ONE WITH NATURE
Taking some time off the screens and exploring the outdoors can boost your creativity by 50 percent! That was the result of a study conducted by the University of Kansas.
According to researcher Ruth Ann Atchley, exploring nature could stimulate the mind, without the distraction of workday life. This is because when we’re surrounded by nature, our mind relaxes and we’re able to worry less. Hence, this gives our mind more space to be imaginative and creative.
So, the next time you have a long weekend or feel the need to realign your thoughts, perhaps a trip to the outdoors will do the trick.
