Two weeks ago I wrote about the importance of creative approaches to world problems. I also shared some examples of what that sort of creativity looks like, from William Wilberforce’s attempts to abolish slavery by first focusing on abolishing the slave trade (a small step, but too big in the eyes of his opponents) to recycling chemically treated flowers into incense sticks in order to keep people from dumping them in the Ganges.
But how do we become more creative and open to creative ideas?
We Nourish Our Creativity By Embracing New Things
I’ve posted before about how getting out of your rut can help you grow. Part of that growth can be in the area of creativity. When I feed my brain new ideas and experiences, I’m giving it more material to work with. I have a broader notion of what’s possible. Here are some ways we can expose ourselves to new things.
- Travel… and don’t settle for just being a tourist. If you travel not merely to see the sites in a different place but to actually get to know the place and the people who live there, you are taking in new ways of thinking. But travel isn’t accessible to everyone. Thankfully there are other ways to exposure yourself to different cultures. Read books, listen to music, and watch television or movies from different parts of the world (not just the U.S. and England). Shop at and eat in immigrant-owned places of business on a regular basis. Be willing to get to know people who are different from yourself.
- Read and watch science fiction. I don’t mean that you only should consume science fiction, but reading about a world with new and different technology is a great way to inspire ideas about what might be possible in the future.
- Hang out with young children, and make yourself open to their ideas. When my child was about three, she sometimes acted out stories with me. Once she wanted to play “The Three Little Pigs,” with me in the role of the wolf. When I said, “Little pig, little pig, let me come in,” she replied, “Come in, Wolf. I’m making pancakes.” I’m ashamed to tell you that I actually responded by correcting her. “No, you’re supposed to say, ‘Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.'” Later I told my dad about this, and he said something about how wonderful her response was. I realized then that I never should have suggested to her that the story could only be told one way.
- Pretend you are someone else — someone very different from who you are. Take acting classes or try out for a community theater production. Write fiction and spend time mentally walking in the shoes of your characters. Join a role-playing game and play a character who is not simply a fantasy version of yourself.
- Listen to, watch, or read some comedy. A good comedian plays with ideas and words, creating surprising combinations. They are masters of “what if…” For instance, what if someone created a machine that fed factory workers so that they didn’t have to take time off for lunch (Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin)?
We Become More Creative Through Play That Helps Us Think Outside the Box
There’s no reason you can’t start playing with words and ideas, too. Here are some ways you can do that.
- Pick an object and challenge yourself to come up with at least twenty different uses for it. What can you use a fork for besides eating?
- Ask yourself how you could engage in an activity without something that you consider essential to that activity. For example, how could you play soccer without a ball?
- Compare two very different things. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter asks, “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” Coming up with questions like that and forcing yourself to compare things like dogs and oranges or beds and the ocean is a great way to exercise your creativity. You also can seek out good riddles, like the kind Bilbo and Gollum used to challenge each other in The Hobbit.
- Tackle challenging crossword puzzles. I’m not thinking of crossword puzzles that merely challenge your vocabulary. Either look for American crossword puzzles that use confusing clues for hints, or seek out British cryptic crosswords.
- Take improv classes. You’ll be forced to think on your feet and build on other people’s ideas — both excellent exercises in creativity.
When we’re skilled at thinking outside the box, we’ll be better prepared to change the world through creative solutions to difficult problems.