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Stop Wishing Your Job Was More Creative and Make It So

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Did you ever wish you had a job that allowed you to exercise more creativity? You’re not alone. Today’s workers crave opportunities to exercise creativity, and they want to work for a company that allows them to take creative risks. But, it’s not all up to your employer. Here are some tips for being more creative at work, no matter what you do for a living.

paint brushes 

(Photo Credit: Mae Chevrette/Flickr)

1. Always remember to think outside the box.

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No matter what type of work you do, there are ways of tackling problems creatively. Always remember to think outside the box – to challenge yourself to find solutions (or at least consider options) that aren’t immediately obvious. If something is always done one of two ways, try thinking of a new idea. Remember that yes-or-no questions can also be answered with “maybe,” “both,” or “neither.” Don’t get too rooted in conventional thinking and logic, and you’ll be exercising your creativity like a champ in no time.

2. Teach something that you know how to do well.

When you’re used to doing something, when you’ve done it a thousand times, it can be hard to connect with new ways of thinking about it. But when we teach, we learn about the topic on a whole new level. The questions asked by the person you’re working with could propel your understanding further. Even just breaking down the task or skill into concrete steps could shed some new light.

3. Doodle.

It sounds crazy, or maybe even counter-productive, but doodling can actually be really good for you. In fact, there are a lot of great reasons to doodle at work. Not only can it boost creativity – many find it also improves focus and overall productivity. Just be careful to doodle during appropriate times, or your quest for heightened creativity could backfire.

4. Change your routine.

Little changes can make a big difference when it comes to creativity. Even just taking a different route to work could change the things you think about and even spark a new idea. Try changing up your workday routine too. Talk with different people. Work in new locations or just different spots around the office. Meet somewhere other than the same old conference room. Change and creativity are good friends; help boost one by embracing the other.

5. Pretend you have all the time in the world.

Our busy schedules can keep us locked in the same old patterns. It doesn’t feel like we have the time to do things differently, so instead we tend to stay the course. Doing things the same way, day after day, is anything but creative. Instead, when you sit down to do a task, pretend (just for a minute) that you have all the time in the world to complete it. If you did, what would you do differently? Just angling your mind in this way should help stimulate your creative side and help get some new ideas flowing.

Tell Us What You Think

How do you spark your creativity? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.


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