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What Is Creativity?Creativity is “the ability to create new things or do old things in new ways,” according to renowned developmental psychologist Howard Gardner.
What Is Creativity?
Creativity is “the ability to create new things or do old things in new ways,” according to renowned developmental psychologist Howard Gardner.
1Go for a WalkAlthough psychologists have long known that regular physical activity can help enhance and protect cognitive abilities, walking might be of particular benefit when it comes to creativity.If you’re tied to a desk and struggling to come up with a good idea, go for a quick walk.
1
Go for a WalkAlthough psychologists have long known that regular physical activity can help enhance and protect cognitive abilities, walking might be of particular benefit when it comes to creativity.If you’re tied to a desk and struggling to come up with a good idea, go for a quick walk.
Go for a Walk
Although psychologists have long known that regular physical activity can help enhance and protect cognitive abilities, walking might be of particular benefit when it comes to creativity.
If you’re tied to a desk and struggling to come up with a good idea, go for a quick walk.
2Reward YourselfCreative RF/JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty ImagesRewarding things that are alreadyintrinsically rewardingcan backfire and insteadreducemotivation, a phenomenon known as theoverjustification effect. However, research has also found that creativityincreaseswhen rewards are offered explicitly for producing creative works.So if you’re looking for inspiration, promise yourself a desirable treat as a reward for coming up with a creative solution. Just don’t overdo it, or you risk decreasing your motivation.
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Reward YourselfCreative RF/JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty ImagesRewarding things that are alreadyintrinsically rewardingcan backfire and insteadreducemotivation, a phenomenon known as theoverjustification effect. However, research has also found that creativityincreaseswhen rewards are offered explicitly for producing creative works.So if you’re looking for inspiration, promise yourself a desirable treat as a reward for coming up with a creative solution. Just don’t overdo it, or you risk decreasing your motivation.
Reward Yourself
Creative RF/JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images
Rewarding things that are alreadyintrinsically rewardingcan backfire and insteadreducemotivation, a phenomenon known as theoverjustification effect. However, research has also found that creativityincreaseswhen rewards are offered explicitly for producing creative works.
So if you’re looking for inspiration, promise yourself a desirable treat as a reward for coming up with a creative solution. Just don’t overdo it, or you risk decreasing your motivation.
3
Create Some Psychological Distance
Daniel Truta / EyeEm / Getty Images
The next time you face a difficult problem, try imagining that the issue is distant and disconnected from your current location.
4Surround Yourself With InspirationPositive psychologistMihaly Csikszentmihalyisuggests that surroundings play an important role in the creative process. Stimulating environments can facilitate creativity, so surrounding yourself with things that you find inspiring and motivating can help.Create an office space that helps you feel inspired and energized. Seek out stimulating experiences and settings that can help trigger inventiveness.
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Surround Yourself With InspirationPositive psychologistMihaly Csikszentmihalyisuggests that surroundings play an important role in the creative process. Stimulating environments can facilitate creativity, so surrounding yourself with things that you find inspiring and motivating can help.Create an office space that helps you feel inspired and energized. Seek out stimulating experiences and settings that can help trigger inventiveness.
Surround Yourself With Inspiration
Positive psychologistMihaly Csikszentmihalyisuggests that surroundings play an important role in the creative process. Stimulating environments can facilitate creativity, so surrounding yourself with things that you find inspiring and motivating can help.
Create an office space that helps you feel inspired and energized. Seek out stimulating experiences and settings that can help trigger inventiveness.
5
Create Restrictions
When trying to solve a problem, people often resort to tried-and-true solutions rather than innovation. Using old ideas often leads to good outcomes, nonetheless—but sometimes,mental setsand functional fixedness develop that make creative efforts challenging.
When trying to solve a problem, try narrowing the scope of things you can use. You might find yourself coming up with new and innovative ideas that you might not have considered otherwise.
6DaydreamSam Edwards / Getty ImagesIn today’s high-tech, connected world, distraction is just an arm’s length away. Instead of filling idle moments with apps, games, etc., try letting yourself be bored for a spell.In one study, bored participants performed better on creativity tests than those who were elated, relaxed , or distressed.In another study, researchers found that boredom gives people time to daydream, which in turn heightens creativity.Boredom encourages creative thinking because it tells the brain that the current situation or environment is lacking, which forces the brain to fill the void.
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DaydreamSam Edwards / Getty ImagesIn today’s high-tech, connected world, distraction is just an arm’s length away. Instead of filling idle moments with apps, games, etc., try letting yourself be bored for a spell.In one study, bored participants performed better on creativity tests than those who were elated, relaxed , or distressed.In another study, researchers found that boredom gives people time to daydream, which in turn heightens creativity.Boredom encourages creative thinking because it tells the brain that the current situation or environment is lacking, which forces the brain to fill the void.
Daydream
Sam Edwards / Getty Images
In today’s high-tech, connected world, distraction is just an arm’s length away. Instead of filling idle moments with apps, games, etc., try letting yourself be bored for a spell.
In one study, bored participants performed better on creativity tests than those who were elated, relaxed , or distressed.In another study, researchers found that boredom gives people time to daydream, which in turn heightens creativity.
Boredom encourages creative thinking because it tells the brain that the current situation or environment is lacking, which forces the brain to fill the void.
7Reconceptualize the ProblemGone With the FamilyCreative peopletypically re-conceptualize problems more often than less creative people do. This means taking a step back to see it from a different angle. Revisit the problem from the very beginning. Is there a different way to think about it?Starting over with a fresh point of view can foster creative thinking and lead to novel solutions.
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Reconceptualize the ProblemGone With the FamilyCreative peopletypically re-conceptualize problems more often than less creative people do. This means taking a step back to see it from a different angle. Revisit the problem from the very beginning. Is there a different way to think about it?Starting over with a fresh point of view can foster creative thinking and lead to novel solutions.
Reconceptualize the Problem
Gone With the Family
Creative peopletypically re-conceptualize problems more often than less creative people do. This means taking a step back to see it from a different angle. Revisit the problem from the very beginning. Is there a different way to think about it?
Starting over with a fresh point of view can foster creative thinking and lead to novel solutions.
8
Channel Your Emotions
Researchers linked positive emotions to creativity long ago, but further research has found that both strong positive and negative emotional states were associated with creative thinking.
You don’t need a bad mood to gain inspiration—but the next time you lapse into a negative state, try applying some of that energy toward solving a problem or accomplishing a task instead.
9Surround Yourself With BlueColor psychologysuggests that colors affect moods, emotions, and behaviors. According to a study, blue’s association with nature, peace, and tranquility helps people feel safe enough to explore and be creative.
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Surround Yourself With BlueColor psychologysuggests that colors affect moods, emotions, and behaviors. According to a study, blue’s association with nature, peace, and tranquility helps people feel safe enough to explore and be creative.
Surround Yourself With Blue
Color psychologysuggests that colors affect moods, emotions, and behaviors. According to a study, blue’s association with nature, peace, and tranquility helps people feel safe enough to explore and be creative.
10MeditateYoung woman doing yoga,hand close-up.RunPhoto/Getty ImagesSome types of meditation are linked to an increase in creative thinking. Meditation has long been used as a relaxation technique, but recent research has demonstrated health benefits that extend far beyond relaxation.In particular, open-monitoring meditation, in which you’re receptive to all thoughts and sensations without focusing on any particular object or idea, can encourage divergent thinking and the generation of new ideas.Look for ways to incorporate meditation techniques into your daily life. Simply focusing on your thoughts and experiences might help foster creative thinking.
10
MeditateYoung woman doing yoga,hand close-up.RunPhoto/Getty ImagesSome types of meditation are linked to an increase in creative thinking. Meditation has long been used as a relaxation technique, but recent research has demonstrated health benefits that extend far beyond relaxation.In particular, open-monitoring meditation, in which you’re receptive to all thoughts and sensations without focusing on any particular object or idea, can encourage divergent thinking and the generation of new ideas.Look for ways to incorporate meditation techniques into your daily life. Simply focusing on your thoughts and experiences might help foster creative thinking.
Meditate
Young woman doing yoga,hand close-up.RunPhoto/Getty Images
Some types of meditation are linked to an increase in creative thinking. Meditation has long been used as a relaxation technique, but recent research has demonstrated health benefits that extend far beyond relaxation.
In particular, open-monitoring meditation, in which you’re receptive to all thoughts and sensations without focusing on any particular object or idea, can encourage divergent thinking and the generation of new ideas.
Look for ways to incorporate meditation techniques into your daily life. Simply focusing on your thoughts and experiences might help foster creative thinking.
10 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Steinberg, H., Sykes, E. A., Moss, T., Lowery, S., LeBoutillier, N., & Dewey, A. (1997).Exercise enhances creativity independently of mood.British Journal of Sports Medicine,31(3), 240–245. doi:10.1136 2Fbjsm.31.3.240
Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014).Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition,40(4), 1142–1152. doi:10.1037/a0036577
Byron K, Khazanchi S.Rewards and creative performance: a meta-analytic test of theoretically derived hypotheses.Psychol Bull. 2012;138(4):809-830. doi:10.1037/a0027652
Wronska M, Kolańczyk A, Nijstad B.Engaging in Creativity Broadens Attentional Scope.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1772. doi:10.3389%2Ffpsyg.2018.01772
Hocking, I., & Vernon, D. (2017).A bridge too far: Conceptual distance and creative ideation.Creativity. Theories – Research - Applications,4(2), 333–352. doi:10.1515/ctra-2017-0017
Bonaiuto M, Mao Y, Roberts S, Psalti A, Ariccio S, Cancellieri U, Csikszentmihalyi M.Optimal Experience and Personal Growth: Flow and the Consolidation of Place Identity.Front Psychol. 2016;7:1654. doi:10.3389%2Ffpsyg.2016.01654
Gasper, K, Middlewood B.Approaching novel thoughts: Understanding why elation and boredom promote associative thought more than distress and relaxation.Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.2014;52:50-57. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2013.12.007
Mastria S, Agnoli S, Corazza G.How does emotion influence the creativity evaluation of exogenous alternative ideas?.PLoS ONE. 2019;14(7):e0219298. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0219298
Xia T, Song L, Wang T, Tan L, Mo L.Exploring the Effect of Red and Blue on Cognitive Task Performances.Front Psychol. 2016;7:784. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00784
Colzato LS, Ozturk A, Hommel B. Meditate to Create: The Impact of Focused-Attention and Open-Monitoring Training on Convergent and Divergent Thinking.Frontiers in Psychology.2012;3. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00116.Csikszentmihalyi M, Getzels JW. Discovery-Oriented Behavior and the Originality of Creative Products: A Study With Artists.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1971;19(1), 47-52.Csikszentmihalyi M.Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Collins. 1996.Eisenberger R, Armeli S, Pretz J. Can the Promise of a Reward Increase Creativity?Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1998;74(3), 704-714.Gasper K, Middlewood BL. Approaching Novel Thoughts: Understanding Why Elation and Boredom Promote Associative Thought More Than Distress and Relaxation.Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2014;52, 50-57.
Colzato LS, Ozturk A, Hommel B. Meditate to Create: The Impact of Focused-Attention and Open-Monitoring Training on Convergent and Divergent Thinking.Frontiers in Psychology.2012;3. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00116.
Csikszentmihalyi M, Getzels JW. Discovery-Oriented Behavior and the Originality of Creative Products: A Study With Artists.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1971;19(1), 47-52.
Csikszentmihalyi M.Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Collins. 1996.
Eisenberger R, Armeli S, Pretz J. Can the Promise of a Reward Increase Creativity?Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1998;74(3), 704-714.
Gasper K, Middlewood BL. Approaching Novel Thoughts: Understanding Why Elation and Boredom Promote Associative Thought More Than Distress and Relaxation.Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2014;52, 50-57.
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