Hi 👋🏽 again !

Creativity is something that is thought to be “magical” . Creative people— whether they are inventors, entrepreneurs who introduce a new product to the world ,  designers , film makers,artists or writers —are seen as ‘gifted’ or ‘different’.

Is creativity something that people are naturally born with ? Or can it be cultivated?

Studies show that creativity like every other skill can easily be cultivated if you practice it regularly. People who don’t consider themselves creative too can learn to “think differently” as that’s what creativity truly is. It is to find connections between objects in a way that hasn’t been done before . It is to see the usual objects with a new 👁 eye. It is to find unusual solutions to common problems. (Remember the story of the crow who couldn’t get the water from the pot ?)

Here are three tips you can use straight away if you want to be more creative: 

1. Ask the “what if” questions:

 Whenever you are doing the most mundane of tasks like say brushing your teeth, ask the “what if” questions. What if your toothbrush could talk ? What if water has to be made from scratch by combining hydrogen and oxygen? What if we didn’t have toothpaste ?

2. Allow yourself to day dream😴 

 Your mind wanders when you do nothing. Allow your mind to dream 💭 and think. Do nothing ! Ever notice how you get ideas in the shower or while doing some very  banal activities like folding clothes ? Some of my best poems have come to me while I was ironing clothes! Take time off from your phone and do another activity which requires no active thinking on your part. 

3. Expand your mind 

The more you listen to podcasts, the more you read, the more foreign TV shows you watch and the more Ted talks you listen to, the more your mind expands . I mentioned foreign TV shows as then we have to work hard to read the subtitles. It also really opens our eyes to new cultures which are different from our own. Expand your mind in all ways you can and you will be surprised how it contributes to your creativity!

We can use creativity in our daily lives to solve problems that bother us. It is not only writers or artists 👩‍🎨 or film makers who are creative.

Software Engineers who wrire  elegant code, Architects who come up with simple executable designs and solutions using local materials,  scientist who innovate, chefs who combine cuisines, gardeners who landcape — everything in life that you do can become better when you approach it with creativity!

Let me know in comments whether you found these tips useful !

See you again tomorrow!

❤️ Preeti