4 tips to be creative and come up with the best ideas

When creating any creative work, the most difficult part is without a doubt getting started. You need some idea how to grasp it all. But where do these ideas come from and how can we ensure that we always have enough of them?

There is no shame in looking for inspiration

First of all, we must realize one very important fact. Nothing is original – all creative work builds on what is already there. Get rid of the desperate effort to be completely original, don’t create something out of nothing, and instead be inspired by your role models. Every new idea is just a modification or blending of one or more older ideas. I don’t mean mindlessly copying other people’s work, but picking up where others left off.

Your head is working non-stop

Each of us has 60,000 thoughts. Don’t just let these thoughts flow, and if one catches your eye, make a note of it. Have a place where you collect all your ideas. Whether it’s a diary or a phone, it’s important to note them down and, above all, to return to them.

Set a certain time when you go through all your thoughts in peace again. With time, you may be able to better judge which thoughts make sense to process further and which don’t. You can also consult with someone. Anyway, don’t worry about embarrassing yourself. The best ideas tend to be a little “off”.

Get moving

Don’t just sit rigidly at the computer, get moving, get your body moving and try working with your hands. The computer is a great place to comb your thoughts, but it doesn’t help creativity that much anymore. Take a pencil in your hand, a sketchbook and scribble, cut out. You can also go for a walk in the forest. You are guaranteed to think differently than in the office where you spend a lot of time every day. As soon as something comes to mind, move to the computer and develop the idea further.

Get started!

Let’s face it, creativity is simply honest work. And just like any other work, we can put it off with the feeling that we don’t feel up to it today. Find a time and place that suits you best. My creative moment comes at night when everyone is asleep and the house is quiet and peaceful. At that moment, I prepare my favorite tea and suddenly everything works as it should.

Remember that creativity is a process that we should at least roughly plan and stick to this plan. The important thing is to get started and progress towards the goal, even if it will be in small steps.

And how do you perceive creativity? What personally helps you stay creative the most and when do you come up with the best ideas?

Author: Anna Beňadiková, Operations Manager at EDU Trainings