18 exercises to stimulate creativity (which anyone can try)

I recommend these exercises if you have a creative job and your work requires your brain. Since probably all jobs now require brains, this… Well, it might be useful for you.

I recommend:

1. Visit a foreign country– a study was conducted: one group of students was sent to study abroad, the other was left in their native country. After one course, all students took a creativity test, which showed that students who went abroad became significantly more creative.
2. Make a list of problems – always have a notebook with you, in which you write down all the problems and things that annoy you during the day. By doing this, you will automatically, without even realizing it, try to avoid a similar situation next time.
3. Collect the treasure chest as well – put in it all the inspiring photos, quotes, things... Every time you open this chest you will be flooded with memories and ideas that you have come up with.
4. Create a creativity room – create a space for creativity at home. It can be a whole room, a wall, a corner, a table, etc. In this space, put all your hobbies, trophies, achievements, and also hang a board or a piece of paper and write down your future plans and ideas. You should feel the impact every time you step into this space.
5. Solve problems away from home - If you have a problem, try to solve it not in a quiet place, but where there are a lot of people and there is enough noise. Noise will make you think "louder", deeper and more creatively.
6. Hang out with sarcastic people – sarcastic expressions are like a breath of fresh air for our brains, because they are used to receiving mostly stereotyped and often heard information.
7. Write down ideas– we've all probably faced that moment when we have a very good idea, but we forget it and later regret it. Banschick, a creative guru, suggests taking a piece of paper every day and writing down everything that comes to mind, all ideas, and not worrying about reviewing or analyzing them - the very essence of the writing process.
8. Embrace some solitude – being around a lot of people encourages creativity, but sometimes a little solitude is just necessary. Go to a quiet place, put on your headphones and connect with your thoughts, but before doing so, have a clear goal that you want to solve.
9. Listen to music – music stimulates our brain, creativity and emotions. Classical music can have a strong influence and cause the "Mozart effect". Listening to Mozart's music develops creativity, concentration, and cognitive functions. It's not exactly established that this effect exists, but a little classical music sure doesn't hurt.
10. Write by hand – "The Creativity Cure" Book authors Drs. Carrie and Alton Barron advise people to use less Microsoft Word-like programs and write more by hand. The feeling of writing, the smell of the ink and the paper are all there to make your creativity flow.
11. Meditate – stuck in your daily routine? Start meditating, it strongly stimulates your divergent thinking.
12. Ask others for their opinions – don't be afraid to ask the opinion of others, it may be the advice that will ignite the new idea that you so need.
13. Associate – try this game: Open the dictionary, close your eyes and put your finger on a word. Then write down all your thoughts about that word, all the associations that come to you, on a sheet of paper. Repeat this exercise and it will open the door to free thinking.
14. Think about the future– scientists say that our ability to solve problems develops when we think about them in advance. So think about a 2020 New Year's party or a trip to Paris and let your imagination run wild.
15. Look for green or blue– blue evokes sky, ocean, open space, and green evokes associations of growth. Therefore, it acts on our brains as creative stimulants.
16. Write – take a piece of paper and write on it for 10 minutes everything you can think of, just don't judge yourself. Associate and create is a free writing method.
17. Break it down – this method is very simple, take an object, let's say a flower and dissect its parts (rings, stem...). People who use this method solve problems much more effectively, because they know that when a big problem is divided into smaller ones, it becomes simply the implementation of goals.
18. laugh - have a little fun, it has been proven that even when you are in a bad mood, laughing a little improves it, creates a sense of creativity and positivity.

…At least it works for me!