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Every Mind is Like a Rubber Band; Some Stretch it and Others Knot.

Follow this 8-step approach to stretch your mind and use it creatively.

Many of us may think that we are not creative; while others don't even try to be creative, and some think that it's not their job and that someone else should find a solution.

This couldn't be further from the truth. In all reality, every one of us is creative in some way.

The only challenge is that we don't imagine. We don't stretch the rubber band inside our brain - a beautiful gift of God to all human beings.

We "knot" the creativity of our mind and accept the fact that it's not our cup of tea.

The only difference between the mind and the rubber band in real sense is that the moment you leave the rubber band after it's stretched, it goes back to its original position but the mind does not. That is the beauty of the mind and the more you stretch it, the more you build it. The more you imagine, the more you find solutions.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Why are most people not creative?

It's not that most people are not creative; it's just that most have a fear of being rejected or appearing foolish in front of others.

However, when you conquer a fear your mind gets stretched to go beyond the place of fear and each time you face it, you become stronger.

So, the question arises, how often do we stretch our minds?

There have been reports suggesting that as human beings we use only 5% of the potential of our minds, some suggested its 10%. As Einstein said,"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

Which implies that it is not what we think of how much of our brain capacity we are using, but how much we think we can use.

The fact is that the more we use it the better it develops.

In the same context, our minds have no limits what it can do. The only thing is that we don't stretch it enough and allow the mental muscles to develop on the creative side.

It's similar to how a person exercises for weeks and months and sometimes years to get in shape. As such, we can exercise our mind to get creative as well.

The solution is to hit the mental gym often to become creative.

I have outlined some tips to get more creative and exercises that can help you stretch your mind as well as gain confidence in the creativity area.

Here are a few tips to get more creative at work and at home:

1. Have no fear
The first rule of getting creative is that you should have no fear of failure. Remember, creativity is a process and there is bound to be failure. But don't allow that to scare you; just keep moving in the direction of creativity.
There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.
-Brene Brown

2. Ignore what others think of your idea to be
Don't worry that others will find you irrational, crazy, or mad. That's how unique ideas are developed. People will laugh and in fact, unless they laugh don't think your idea is crazy enough to be implemented.
For every big idea, you get the same response but don't allow it to affect your progress. Keep going.
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
-Albert Einstein

3. Break the rules:
Break a few rules today; first, write down some rules of the industry and think of a way in which you can break it convincingly and professionally. The condition is to have no fear. Feel convinced that it can work, and then prove it.
"Genius simply cannot be reduced to a set of rules for anyone to follow."
- Albert Einstein

4. Do some brainstorming.
Write the topic you wish to think about or solve a problem. Keep writing your thoughts on paper. Draw, scribble, or sketch, preferably with a pencil on a notebook. Review it again and again and keep adding more elements to it or simply draw again and again. When you do this, you actually are stretching your rubber band (mind).
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to focus"
- Graham Bell

5. Allow your subconscious mind to work on your idea.
Before you go off to bed, spend a little time to ponder in which direction you need to go. When you go to sleep with an idea in your mind, it is possible that you will wake up with a fantastic thought or concept.
"The subconscious mind is aware of the many worlds unfolding in each moment."
- Kevin Michel

6. Relax before you begin to think of ideas.
Get a kick if you need with a hot cup of coffee which soothes your mind and allow the creative juices to flow. Have some music playing in the background if you like.
"It's a good idea always to do something relaxing prior to making an important decision in your life."
- Paulo Coelho

7. Look at visuals.
They really help big time to find a solution. Google the topic you have in mind with different keywords and only look at the images, not text. You will find that something gets connected somewhere.
"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things."
-Steve Jobs

8. Don't judge your own ideas.
Keep going until you find what you feel is great and convinced of it. There is no rule in creativity, there are only solutions; how you do it.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
Albert Einstein
You can try the following exercises and create your own list of creative exercises as well, to do every morning for 10 to 15 minutes. Don't be afraid to get weird. Your goal is to imagine, because imagination is the path to getting creative.
1. Draw a sketch of something you wish to achieve during the day.
2. Think of a place you visited and put it on paper in the form of a sketch.
3. Visualize how an apple looks on the inside and then try to draw it.
4. Draw an orange pie but put 10x the size of the seeds inside it.
5. Draw how a man would look if he had to wear jeans up over his chest.
6. Think how it would be if the books were 1x1 meters long, how you would carry them to the school.
7. Draw a car with the wheels of a tank and now imagine how you would build 4 doors to it.
Continue to think of such weird things and allow your mind to stretch. You can go on and on endlessly in expanding your imagination.
Final Words
Don't wait for a situation or an opportunity to get creative in the same way as you don't wait for an opportunity to stay fit; you just do it. Just begin to stretch the rubber band of your mind. Begin to think creative. Inspire your mind, visualize on paper.
The idea is to learn to stretch your mind like a rubber band and once it learns to stretch by itself, there is no way it will get back to its original shape. You will only get creative by the day and soon, gain the confidence that you can do it.
At that stage there will be no situation that you can't find a solution for.
Stretch - to get creative and to get your mind in shape!!
Have a creative day!!
Suggestion:
Think of executing the idea you have come up with. Without execution, a creative idea remains just a thought.
After you have found one, I suggest you find an agency, an IT person, or anyone who you think can help you with it.
Conclusion:
Should you require creative solutions for branding, marketing or web, do get in touch with me atdeepak@BananaMarketers.com or visit our portal to seek a specific service www.BananaMarketers.com
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