How to get in the right frame of mind to liberate your natural, creative genius.
Marinate, then chill
Read up on your topic. Read it again. Dig deep. Go beyond the topic at hand.
Then stop. Let your mind marinate in the challenge for a while. Your mind will start working on the problem all on its own. Allow it the time and space to do so.
Do something else
To help your mind churn, go do something else. You’ll be amazed by what emerges when you let your mind wander, untethered.
When chemist Friedrich Kekulé figured out the structure of the Benzene molecule, he daydreamed a snake biting its own tail. Snapping out of his reverie, he immediately grasped that the molecular shape formed a circle, now known as the Benzene ring.
Don’t judge
No worries if your first ideas seem obvious. Go for quantity. Quality can wait—for now.
As a novelist once put it, “write drunk, edit sober.” (Not literally, of course, so put down the beer.) This sage advice for writers applies to creative activity of any kind. Just let the thoughts flow.
Enter the zone
You know that mental state just before you fall asleep, the limbo between your conscious and subconscious? There’s actually a fancy scientific term for it: hypnogogic.
Practiced creative minds instinctively approach this hypnogogic state.
A former colleague did it by leaning back at his desk, closing his eyes and letting his brain percolate. Coworkers thought he was sleeping on the job. But he was one of the most creative and productive people I ever worked with.
Play
Coax yourself into a more creative zone through play. It’s a way to give yourself permission to be silly, outrageous and downright crazy.
In Rochester, we have a temple of play: The Strong Museum. In it, you’ll find displayed a quote from Albert Einstein: “Play is the highest form of research.” I’m guessing Albert knew what he was talking about.
Release your inner fool
Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, was a student when he had this idea that the best way to get a package from Rochester to Buffalo was to fly it to Memphis first. Fred was told it made no sense. Fortunately, he pursued his “foolish” idea and created an incredibly successful enterprise.
Accept all kinds of ideas, especially the unusual ones. They just might lead to something amazing, with tons of practical and profitable applications.
Believe it
“I’m not creative.” No, not with that attitude. The biggest step you can take to enhance your creative powers is to simply believe in your creative ability.
Here’s one useful stratagem I’ve observed if you find you lack creative self-assurance: Simply pretend otherwise. Fake it, ‘til you make it. You’ll be surprised how easily this works.