Rediscovering Your Creativity

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense ofcame from people looking at things from a
wonder, he needs the companionship of at leastdifferent perspective.
one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him3. Look Everywhere for Inspiration
the joy, excitement and mystery of the worldThe Bible, an encyclopedia, your music collection,
we live in." -Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonderchemistry, nature, household items, junk drawers,
Getting Back in Touch with Your Personalmachines, animals, science, the body, the alphabet,
Creativity!shapes, colors, textures, sports, transport, street
I am often asked, "How can you come up withsigns, magazines, fairy tales, movies, cartoons,
so many Creative Ideas?"TV, daily routines, occupations, songs, hobbies,
Personally, I think all of us are born creative. Webooks, clothes, office supplies, kitchen utensils,
are born with a "Sense of Wonder". Unfortunately,arts, crafts, instruments, quotes, idioms, emotions,
as we get older we tend to lose our sense offamous personalities, flavors, cars, photos,
wonder. We figure everything out. Things begandesserts, drinks, tool sheds, food, games, game
to have but one interpretation, the correctshows, insects, etc.a. Look to your senses. How
answer, a single perspective, fossilizedwould you describe it according to smell, to touch,
associations. We forget how to "think outside ofby sound, taste or sight?b. Look around you -
the box" and tend to see things in only one way.Walk through a toy store or other store , empty
But give a child a banana and it becomes moreyour junk drawer, visit an appliance store, a
than a healthy snack. With a little imagination itsupermarket, a bakery, a Christmas tree. What if
becomes a gun, a smile or a frown, a mobileit were a bird, an animal, an insect, a fish?c. Look
phone, a nose, an antenna, a flute, and more.to others. The most creative people in the world
So how can we regain our creativity? What is theare those who draw intelligently from the idea well
solution?of others.d. Look for similarities, differences, and
1. Loosen upvarious characteristics? What objects, things have
Break out of the walls, take on the qualities of asimilar attributes?
rubber band - be flexible. Embrace the ridiculous4. Look Between (Link and Make connections)a.
and challenge the rules. What if the impossibleList all possible associations, even the seemingly
were possible?ludicrous. Don't evaluate, just list.b. Pick out the
2. Look at Things Around You in Unusual Ways.a.best, but save the restc. Draw applications, find
Turn things on their heads. What if the flea wasconnections - While most ideas are never new,
the elephant or the elephant the flea? What if thehow they are applied is never old. What are the
ice was hot and the fire was cold? What if themetaphors, the object lessons, the parables, the
turtle was fast and the rabbit too slow?b. Taketruths?
things to extremes. Imagine the ridiculous,5. Look Back.
exaggerate a quality or characteristic.c. ChangeHow did things go? What worked? What didn't?
the scene. What if you were teaching race-carWhat inspirations came to mind? Unexpected
driving to the golf pro? Or golf to the race-cartruths?
driver? What if you were giving the lesson at the6. Look Ahead.
beach, in a cave, in the morgue, on the moon?How could it be done better next time? Write it
What if you were teaching in the kitchen, the toyon a card and place it in a file for future use.
store, on the farm, in the blacksmith shop? WhatPractice these 6 steps and in no time at all you
if you were a policeman, a lawyer, an alien, a fish?will find yourself being asked the same question I
All these things change your perspective. Some ofam - "How can you come up with so many
the world's greatest inventions and achievementscreative ideas?