We constantly hear about a new exercise or diet to keep our bodies in shape. What about our brains? Should they be treated any differently? Creative brainpower is a very important business asset and is often overlooked. Think of creativity as yoga for your business. A business needs to stay flexible and open up to new creative ideas. If a business isn’t willing to occasionally push its boundaries to reach its audience, they darn tootin’ can’t expect their customers to bend over backward to listen. There is no question that big business buckaroos and successful companies have stepped outside their comfort zone for a time or two. Times change and it only makes sense that marketing and creative strategies would change with them.
Creative thinking starts on an individual level and then works its way up through the team to produce great results. Fresh ideas are brought to the table and often improved upon by others. But to be creative, you first have to warm up your brain to the idea of creativity. Try inviting these three creativity-boosting exercises into your life.
1. Try to always keep your mind active.
Think of all those times you find yourself standing around, waiting in line, or stuck in traffic. Devote that time to keeping your mind active, no matter how seemingly simple or mundane. Whether it be memorization, sketching, or even planning dinner or your quickest route home, you’ll keep your brain engaged in a constant state of thinking and looking for problems to solve. It’s training for your brain.
2. Write the old-fashioned way, with pen & paper.
Now and again it’s good to step back, slow down and write something down by putting pen to paper. When you handwrite, you think more about what you’re writing. Putting your thoughts down to paper with a pen commits you to your idea, rather than letting you undo every thought with a keystroke.
3. Take some photos and not digital ones.
Many of us have an old, fully manual film camera tucked away gathering dust. Get some film, load it up, and go on a walk. Take photos of anything that interests you. The wheels in your brain will get excited and start turning when you see your freshly developed photos for the first time. This is a similar concept to writing with a pen. Shooting film tends to slow things down and makes you more aware of your surroundings.
Improving creativity by digging deep for fresh ideas can work wonders. A new idea is a fragile thing. All ideas, even great ones, are vulnerable to criticism. Remember it can be easy to quickly swat away a newly proposed creative strategy; like a child to a plate of veggies. To take your creativity to the next level, contact Peppershock. Together we’ll get those juices flowing.
