According to Ayn Rand, a creative man is someone who ‘is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.’ This description fits in quite well with the concept of entrepreneurs who wish to better the world they live in as opposed to simply make more profit for themselves. One must never underestimate just how crucial creativity is to keeping things interesting in business, but it must also be said that this isn’t something that is easy to sustain or even build up in the first place. When faced with a complete lack of ideas, the dilemma is now on how entrepreneurs can reverse this situation and bring back that creative spark. Below are some ideas that could help you turn things around in the event this dilemma happens to you:
Tip # 1: Gather Ideas and Resources
The first thing you can do to help build up your creativity is to constantly be on the lookout for brand new ideas. Consider the source of these ideas and know that you do not have to look too far for them; you may survey your surroundings or perhaps just look into any area of interest you have. Although books are a wonderful resource, those who want a more diverse pool of potential ideas should search far and wide online for things that are interesting. Be sure to bookmark any article or website that you feel may come in handy someday. What you find may not be particularly useful today, but keeping it around can help you prepare for a rainy day in the future when you are once again in dire need of a creativity boost.
Tip # 2: Create Some Quiet Time for Your Concentration
Here is another idea you can use to help you with any creativity-based issue: take time to schedule a period of thinking into your day-to-day routine. This will take you away from many of life’s noise and distractions, helping you achieve a greater measure of concentration on the things that need your attention. For many people, things like multitasking and juggling numerous projects prevent them from concentrating as well as they should be. In realizing that concentration and willpower are finite resources, you can better strategize where and when to exert effort. Take time to concentrate on one thing at a time and you should see your capacity for creativity swell to greater heights.
Tip # 3: Give ‘Reverse Brainstorming’ a Chance
The first two tips focuses on looking for new ideas and improving concentration, which more or less leads to brainstorming when you combine them. For this tip, you may want to take ‘reverse brainstorming’ into consideration. This is something that can help you in identifying any possible causes to your problems, as opposed to looking strictly into the possible solutions. When you talk about this method, the goal is brainstorming actual problems. By doing so, you may end up discovering brand new approaches or perspectives that can help you in solving the big picture aspect of your issue.
Tip # 4: Website Design Updation Every Once in a While
It may behoove you to try and shake things up on occasion in regards to the design of your website. While there is something to the saying that if “it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” should your creativity be somewhat lacking, then maybe this can serve as side project that can help give it a much needed kick. You may apply what you’ve learned in the previous tips to see if there is anything that actually needs fixing or updating. If you want, you can even get free website themes on websites like Template.net, Canva, etc.
Tip # 5: Try to Avoid Perfectionism When You Can
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear: perfectionism does not have to be considered an inherently bad thing. There is nothing wrong with trying to get things 100% correct, but when it comes to creativity, your focus may end up wasted on the details for too long, preventing you from looking into brand new solutions. If you worry too much on not getting it entirely right, your brain will have little space left in regards to creative thinking. It is best not to wait for a fully formed idea before you share it and put effort into its improvement. There is a time to get everything right and a time to explore; it is best to figure this out first before you overextend yourself.
Tip # 6: Give Listening to Podcasts a Shot
Remember the first tip that recommended you look for resources in your various areas of interest? Well going back to that idea, there is another source beyond just books or online articles that can serve you just as well, if not better: podcasts. Unlike reading something, a podcast will allow you to spend more time on things that you normally wouldn’t be able to do if you were sitting down and reading. You may be commuting towards work; perhaps you could be at home brushing your teeth or preparing dinner. Listening to a podcast enables you to learn in a way that frees you up to do a lot of other things, although not to the point of multi-tasking too much. Those who learn faster through listening will also benefit more from this. Lastly, entrepreneurs may even get involved in actual podcasts themselves, either as a guest on somebody else’s podcast or doing their own; this can provide you with a different perspective and allow for the development of new ideas.
There you have it. As important as creativity is to the success of a business, there will always be times when entrepreneurs will feel drained or a bit lacking in terms of it. The six ideas shared above are guaranteed to mitigate some of the struggle, although to what degree is going to depend greatly on the individual and how the tips were incorporated into their work. Take the time to consider each one and see your creativity soar as a result.