How to develop your creativity and come up with great ideas

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How to develop your creativity and come up with great ideas

Una vez escuché que creativity is nothing more than the ability to bring different stimuli that you have been exposed to throughout your life experiences into the present, combine them productively, and create an idea.Therefore, I dare say that if you work on your memory, you work on your creativity.

Statistically, nothing that seems original to us really is:Everything has its roots or inspirations in something else, only we don't realize it because we don't know those references. That "something else" is also a combination of other ideas, which in turn are a combination of other ideas, and so on. Hence the almost extreme importance of being an observant person with everything that happens around us, and then bringing those references and turning them into an idea.

We are rarely taught how to generate ideas or how to boost our creativity. In this article, I set out to tell you my most treasured tips on developing creativity. My goal is to help you let your imagination flow, allowing you to create innovative and captivating proposals. Will you join me on this journey?

Observation as the Key to Inspiration

Observing your surroundings consciously is essential to nurturing creativity. Pay attention to everything around you and write down anything you find interesting. There are management tools like Notion, Trello, Milanote, Google Drive, Pinterest, Mymind that allow you to save and organize your inspirations, even a personal notebook. The goal is for you to have a specific place to go to look for triggering ideas that will allow you to create new ones.

We just talked about observing the environment, but it is also important to observe the internal. The key lies in developing the ability to recognize our available resources, those that we have in our favor. Instead of focusing on what you lack, make the most of the resources you already have at your disposal.For example, you can reflect on the space in your home that you could use as a creative corner, identify the times of day when you feel most inspired, and review your references to the world, such as favorite books and movies. All those elements - in fact, your whole history - are part of your creative baggage.

Before I continue, here is a list of sites that you can observe, especially if you are looking for visual inspiration:

  • Dribbble: A platform to discover and share creative designs.
  • Behance: An online community where designers can showcase their work.
  • Pinterest: An endless source of visual and creative inspiration.
  • Designspiration: A gallery of innovative designs, photographs, and projects.
  • GoMoodboard: A tool for creating moodboards and organizing your ideas.
  • Awwwards: A website that awards the best designers, developers, and web agencies according to a jury of experts.

Stimulate Your Brain

Stimulating and exercising the brain through activities such as reading, learning new skills, or solving puzzles strengthens our creative capacity. Keeping ourselves open to new experiences and exploring different areas of interest stimulates our mind. So, how can we push ourselves to generate fresh ideas?

  • Play with your environment:Changing or altering your environment helps to stimulate creativity. Exposing yourself to new places, working in creative spaces, or simply going for a walk can inspire new perspectives. Everything depends on the lens you look at it with, right?
  • Feed your hobbies:Never underestimate the power of your interests and hobbies in developing your creativity. Doing activities that you enjoy expands your knowledge, as each experience enriches your perspective and makes you a more complete person. You never know where the next big idea might come from.
  • Cultivate curiosity:To be observers, we must first be curious. If we are not really interested in what we want to observe, we will hardly be able to register it. And if we find a group of people who are curious like us, so much the better! Teamwork always enriches and motivates us.
  • Versatility gives flexibility to your approach:Trying different approaches and methods to address a problem broadens our creative capacity, while experimentation helps us to foster innovation and idea generation. Keep an open mind and consider different perspectives at all times. Remember the phrase "don't fall in love with your idea" whenever you suspect that your idea is the best.

Finally, don't be afraid to be inspired by your role models and the references you admire. Copying does not mean replicating exactly (and you shouldn't), but learning from the best and then adding your personal touch.

My last piece of advice is: experiment as much as you can.The wider your repertoire of experiences and stimuli, the more raw material you will have to create original ideas.

Good luck on your creative journey.