Exercises to develop creative thinking. Creative Thinking: Developing Creativity

Sometimes creativity in your personal or professional life is just as necessary as a sip. fresh air. But unfortunately, not all people know how to think creatively. Many original ideas rarely visit. How to develop creativity? And is this possible?

Everyone is endowed with creative potential, we are born with it. This is an ability of our brain that can be awakened.

Change conventional thinking to non-standard thinking

We often live and think in automatic mode. It's more convenient, isn't it? We hesitate to leave our comfort zone and look at things around us from a creative point of view.

After all, a chair is needed to sit. But who said that only for this? Non-standard thinking plays an important role in the development of creativity. Try to destroy stereotypes. Improvise!

Curiosity is not a vice

There is no creativity without curiosity. This quality helps the birth of new impressions, ideas and research.

Write down ideas

Let you always have a notebook at hand to write down any thoughts that arise. Much does not remain in memory. But you can always return to what you wrote and use the idea in right time. Never throw away ideas born with the thought: “This is stupid!” Any thought has the right to exist.

Find your source of inspiration

It could be a painting, a song, a book, a poem, a film. The world offers ideas that can be used as the basis for creating your own plans. Just don't confuse inspiration with plagiarism.

Obstacles are your motivation

Do not confuse “difficult” and “impossible”. If you want to learn creativity, then eliminate the word “impossible.” Yes, it can be complicated and difficult. When faced with an obstacle, focus on solving the problem. Overcoming the discomfort and negative feelings that arise becomes a good source of inspiration.

The vast majority of inventions created to improve comfort were created by those who wanted to overcome inconvenience.

Create big ideas yourself

It’s so easy to enter the desired phrase into a search engine and confidently expect a list of answers to the question to appear. Yes, such inspiration from others is valuable. But if you want to develop creative thinking, then try to come up with ideas on your own.

If the muse doesn't come...

If no meaningful thoughts come into your head for a long time, take a break. Take a shower, drink coffee or go for a walk. Sometimes the most creative ideas come to mind at an unexpected moment.

How to develop creativity - exercises

Let's start training. But first:

- believe in yourself;

- stop scolding yourself! Creativity is not secret weapon chosen ones, but an ability available to everyone. You just have to want it;

— list 10 of your qualities or skills (right now 🙂) that will be useful to you in creating creative ideas. For example, resourcefulness, self-confidence, logical thinking, desire for development and so on. Write everything that comes to mind.

- encourage your imagination and stop self-criticism.

Exercise 1

Here are two groups of words. Your task is to connect the words from these columns. Remember, there is no such thing as bad associations :)

For example, a woman is like a detective - you never know what will happen.

Exercise 2

Choose any fairy tale from childhood and look at it differently, asking the question “why?” For example, the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs”. Why did the piglets live in separate houses? Why was every house built from different materials? Why did the wolf want to destroy the piglets' houses? And so on... The purpose of the exercise is to break out of hackneyed patterns and go beyond standard thinking.

Exercise 3

Answer questions that begin with the words “What would happen if...”. The exercise develops spontaneous creativity. Come up with a development of the following sentences.

What would happen if...

... were people walking on the ceiling?

...were the butterflies the size of a cow?

...was the water ice?

...there were no plants growing on the ground?

Exercise 4

Take a blank sheet of paper and draw several small crosses at the same distance from each other. The task is to create something from each cross. It could be a symbol, an animal, an object, a person, and so on. Drawings should not be repeated among themselves.

Exercise 5

Make up a word. For starters, something in which fewer letters, for example, sleep. Now imagine that this is an abbreviation for which you need to come up with a decoding. Let these transcripts seem strange and ridiculous. But the more you practice, the better your resourcefulness and creativity will develop.

Interesting facts about creative thinking

1. Blue and green color helps birth creative ideas, while red stimulates attention to detail.

2. Physical exercise improve the ability to think creatively.

3. Background noise levels affect creative thinking. Silence is useful for intensive problem solving. And for the birth of creative ideas, a noise level of about 70 decibels (for example, like in a cafe) is suitable.

4. Dim lighting helps a person feel more free and relaxed, which means that no internal blocks interfere with the creative flow.

5. Travel improves creative thinking.

10 books to develop creativity

2. Edward de Bono - “Six Thinking Hats”

3. Austin Kleon - “Steal Like an Artist”

4. Natalie Ratkowski - “Profession - illustrator. Learning to think creatively"

5. Hugh MacLeod - “Ignore Everyone, or How to Be Creative”

6. Marina Moskvina - “Learn to See”

7. Julia Cameron - “The Artist's Way. Your creative workshop"

8. Yana Frank - “Muse, where are your wings?”

9. Scott Belsky – “Bringing Ideas to Life. How to bridge the gap between vision and reality"

10. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – “Creativity. Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention"

Cartoon about creative thinking

A funny pig who comes up with creative ideas to achieve cherished goal. The main thing is not to give up, even if it seems that there is no way out. 🙂

On Lifehacker. If you want to learn how to awaken your creative impulses and what you need to do to help your inner creator grow and develop, be sure to take the time to read this article. You will not regret!

“I’m not a creative person, I’m not given this,” many of us say, looking with admiration at the caricatures of street artists or listening to a long-haired hippie singing a Radiohead song in transition. But there is good news: the latest Scientific research They say that all people are the same and that a creator lives in each of us. Therefore the phrase “I’m not a creative person” is just a convenient excuse for laziness.

The myth of a creative streak was cultivated and carefully guarded among bohemians for a long time. Artists, musicians, actors, designers and even average copywriters like to look like they belong to a different breed, and while working they are moved by at least the hand of God. The standard of a creative personality is a cross between Lady Gaga and Aguzarova, who yesterday was going to fly to the moon, today she is crushing the charts with a new song, and tomorrow she is giving an interview about the benefits of meditation in a funny kokoshnik. And to start creating, we need to go through the nine circles of hell at least three times, undergo drug rehabilitation and go to meditate in the Tibetan mountains.

Scientific research rejects any division between the creative and corporate working classes

What can we say if in the modern corporate environment there is an artificial division into “creative” and “corporate” types who relate to each other like Gryffindor and Slytherin students. However, almost all studies creativity, which have been conducted over the past 50 years, reject this division: the creative muscle has nothing to do with genetics, intelligence, or personality traits.

For example, during an experiment at the Institute for Diagnostics and Personality Research (IPAR), scientists invited several dozen successful representatives of various creative professions to the conference. Over the course of several days, they went through a lot of questions, which did not really clarify where to look for creative inclinations. The only common features of the subjects looked like this: balanced personal characteristics, above average intelligence, openness to new experiences and a tendency to choose difficult options. As you can see, nothing special.

There is no such thing as a creative personality type

Then stubborn guys in white coats began to look for creative inclinations in personal qualities person: a huge amount of information was collected about the outstanding creators of the 20th century, after which everyone passed the virtual test “five-factor model of personality.” Scientists expected that creative people would have a bias in one of five personality characteristics (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism), but again the finger in the sky - among the subjects there were neurasthenics, and extroverts, and friendly drunkards, and many more Who. Conclusion: there is no creative personality type.

Having abandoned psychology, they began to look for the creative muscle in the human brain. The researchers did not give a damn about the request for cremation and immediately after the death of the genius they began to study his skull. And again disappointment: the brain of the famous physicist was no different from the brain of a professional baseball player or a homeless person who had been hit by a car. The third round of slingshot shooting at airplanes is completed, the scientists are “on fire” with a score of 3:0.

There is no correlation between the gene code and creativity

When psychologists, physiologists, and simply everyone who cared were left with nothing, genetics, which had previously unsuccessfully tried to find the old age gene and the gene, began to solve the problem. To rule out differences in genes and the influence of upbringing, the scientists studied only families with twin children. Researching the Connecticut Twin Registry since 1897, Marvin Reznikoff's group assembled a team of 117 twins and divided them into two groups (identical and fraternal). The results of two dozen tests showed that there is no correlation between the gene code and creative abilities. 4:0, and it's almost Argentina versus Jamaica.

Over the past 50 years, there have been a wagon and a small cart of such experiments. In his book “The Muse Won’t Come,” David Brooks provides a dozen more references to unsuccessful attempts to find the nature of the creative muscle and concludes that, like any other skill, it can be improved through training.

Training to improve creative thinking

Morning Pages

Old as time, but effective method. As soon as we wake up, we grab a notepad and pen and start writing. It doesn't matter whether it's a story about Godzilla walking through Tokyo, an essay about a warm blanket, or a sleepy analysis of the geopolitics of Mongolia. The main thing is to just write and not think about anything. The norm for morning writing is three notebook pages or 750 words. You can use the 750 words resource and drum on the keys, but experienced scribblers advise doing it the old fashioned way - with pen on paper.

What if

This is not even a method, but a simple question that Stanislavsky forced any aspiring actor to ask. “What if” can be applied to any familiar object, part or action. For example, what if the story in a book was told with pictures? This is how the comic came about. Or what if, instead of world news, we told what worries ordinary people? This is how the yellow press appeared.

This method perfectly develops imagination and is actually the trigger for any creative process. And it’s a lot of fun to ask strange questions. What if all people drank blood? What if the president of the country became funny man with the habits of a dictator from a banana republic?

Word crushing

In the adult brain there is a rigid system of symbols that, at the first opportunity, likes to evaluate and label everything around. As a result of such automation, but this is also the main reason for narrow and stereotyped thinking. By coming up with new words, we force our brain to turn off rational thinking and turn on imagination. The technique comes from childhood and is extremely simple: we take any two words, combine them into one and then try to imagine what it would look like in life. Bath + toilet = bathtub, Kim + Kanye = Kimye.

Torrens method

The method is based on doodles - scribbles of the same type that need to be turned into a drawing. On a piece of paper we draw identical symbols in a row (a circle, two circles, a nail, a cross, a square, etc.). Then we turn on our imagination and start drawing.

Example. The circle could be Captain America's shield, a cat's eye, or a nickel, and the square could be a haunted house or a piece of art. It develops not only imagination, but also persistence in searching for ideas, since each new doodle is a competition with oneself.

Focal object method

The method is to find connections between the main idea and random objects. For example, we open a book on a random page, grab 3-5 words that first caught our eye, and try to connect them with the subject we are thinking about. A book can be replaced by a TV, a video game, a newspaper, or something else. Works great when the thought process moves by inertia.

Gordon's analogies

This is not the easiest to learn, but a very effective method. William Gordon believed that the source of creative ideas lies in the search for analogies, which he divided into four groups.

• Direct analogy: we are looking for an analogy to an object in the surrounding world. On a scale from your room to the country.
• Symbolic: We are looking for an analogy that will describe the essence of the object in a nutshell.
• Fantastic analogy: we come up with an analogy, taking the limitations of objective reality out of the equation.
• Personal analogy: we try to take the place of the object and look at the situation through the eyes of the object. For example, how does the chair on which we sit live?

Indirect Strategies

This one is very strange and interesting way, which was invented by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt to bring tired brains out of creative block along secret paths. The essence of the method: we have 115 cards with advice written on them. Moreover, the advice is quite strange: “Remove ambiguities and turn them into details”, “Massage your neck” or “Use old idea" The trick is that there are no direct instructions for action, and in each advice two people can see two different solutions to the problem. You can make the cards yourself and pour them, for example, into a vase or use online tips. For example, .

Stick to a daily routine

In his latest work, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki Murakami debunks the myth of the creative lazy person, talking about the fact that a strict daily routine (getting up at 5 a.m., bedtime at 10 pm) became the main catalyst for his performance. The mind is inclined to be capricious and find excuses for its own laziness, and following the regime takes it out of it and teaches it to turn on half a turn.

Don't neglect other creative activities

Study or. Any creative activity keeps the brain in good shape, and their alternation switches attention and allows you to find answers in rather unexpected places.

According to research, more than a third of Nobel Prize winners in literature were engaged in another form of art - painting, theater or dance. Einstein called music his second passion and, if he had not become a physicist, most likely would have become a violinist.

Don't give up

When things don't get off the ground, persevere. For example, the writer Rody Doyle says that during a stupor he begins to pour out on paper the nonsense that comes to mind. After a while, the brain stops pushing and protesting and simply turns off, releasing streams of thoughts. And Hemingway, when he sat down to write a novel, could write dozens of versions of the first sentence until he found the one he believed. Then he developed the action from it.

Don't get hung up

If persistence does not help, we go from the opposite. Take a walk, do something distracted, communicate with other people. There is a theory according to which everything has long been invented, but creative process lies only in the combination of these ideas. And if the answers are hidden within us, we just need to tune in to the right wave and hear them. You can sit in the sun in the lotus position, concentrate on washing dishes, walk through the forest listening to ambient music, or go jumping at a rock concert. The main thing is to do what allows us to turn off the internal dialogue and concentrate on the moment.

Treat creativity like a game

Creativity is first and foremost fun. Don't take it too seriously. Now I will explain why. In 2001, an experiment was conducted at Maryland College in which students had to guide a mouse through a maze drawn as in childhood. The students of the first group walked forward towards the piece of cheese (positive attitude), while the second group ran away from the owl (negative attitude). Both groups completed it in the same amount of time, but the students of the second group started avoidance mechanisms, and the second group took, on average, 50% longer to solve the problems that followed the maze than the students of the first group.

Just start

Many of us in childhood dreamed of becoming musicians, artists or actors, but over time, a pragmatic approach to life pushed these dreams further into the mezzanine. Betsy Edwards has a theory that most modern people With age, the left half of the brain becomes dominant. She is responsible for analytical thinking, the symbol system and the mode of action, and every time we try to learn to play the guitar or draw, we hear her voice, which advises us to put this bullshit aside and do something useful.

At first it will be difficult to step over, but if you have the courage and desire, then over time his voice will become quieter, and criticism in the style of “you draw like an asshole” will be replaced by something more constructive. Getting started is the hardest thing.

CONCLUSION

As you can see, Every person can think creatively, the only question is training. This can be compared to a lack of flexibility: immediately trying to do the splits, we will grunt, moan and cry, but if the muscles are properly warmed up and stretched, then in a couple of years it will be possible to send a resume for the position of a circus gymnast. The main thing is to remember that it's never too late to start something new: artists, musicians, poets and writers already live within us. Feel free to wake them up.

Creative is a person who not only moves in the general flow with the crowd, but can see in ordinary things something interesting, knows how to come up with something new. If needed short definition Creativity is the ability to think outside the box and generate new ideas.

Creativity is inherent in every person, it manifests itself especially clearly in childhood and adolescence. But gradually a person begins to think more narrowly, stereotyped, suppresses his creativity, so it is difficult for him to create something new and unique. How to develop creativity? “Easy and Useful” will tell you.

Components of Creativity

The concept of “developing creativity” is too vague and incomprehensible. If we want to build muscle, we go to the gym and work on certain muscles. If we want to learn a language, we learn new words, make sentences from them, etc. What exactly do you need to work on to develop creativity? Its main component is imagination, so first of all you need to work on it. But other creative abilities are also important:

• Ability to generate a huge number of ideas in a short time: this way there is a greater chance of coming up with something that will really be useful.
• Original and flexible thinking without standard templates, thanks to which something new, non-standard is born, and a person can quickly switch from one to another.
• To generate new idea, you need to be open to new information, expand your knowledge, since often one’s own experience is not enough, or the brain produces standard solutions to the problem.
• Also important susceptibility. This is the ability to find the simple in the complex, unusual things in the ordinary, consider all the details, identify contradictions, and so on.

A creative person must be able to think in integral images, as well as be able to generalize and build a single whole from different knowledge and ideas. But at the same time, he is able to detail the problem, break it into parts in order to understand its essence.

Creativity in children

We've sorted out the theory, now it's time to move on to practice. To develop creativity and creative abilities, you can and should perform various exercises. It’s good if a child grew up in a creative environment and, from the age of 3, imitated adults who had these qualities well developed.
Over time, they should also manifest themselves and take hold; sooner or later, talent in one area or another should be discovered. Gradually, the child will stop imitating his teacher and move on to independent creativity. But some people remain imitators all their lives.

How to develop

Developing creativity in children is not only about communicating with people with out-of-the-box thinking. You can purposefully work on these qualities. Like most skills at this age, it is learned through play. The child should be interested, should like the process itself, that is, in this case, the main thing is not the result, but the activity itself.

It is important to create a special atmosphere, to be friendly and open. You should not criticize a child, even if you think that criticism is deserved, or be impatient, as in this way you will destroy the first shoots of talent emerging from him. Also, you don’t need to tune in to instant results: they may not appear immediately.

If you send your child to any club or development center, choose a teacher carefully. Only a teacher who himself has a creative mindset can develop creative thinking in children.

Exercises

There are exercises to develop children's creativity. This, by the way, good way have fun with your family or entertain the kids during a family holiday.

These exercises will help develop creativity in your child. However, an adult can also work on himself.

Creativity in adults

If you want to develop creative thinking in adults, it is important to create a suitable psychological mood. A person who feels like a failure cannot be a generator of ideas.

Fighting fears

The creativity in a person can be ruined by self-doubt, fears and doubts. Therefore, it is necessary to learn to control your fears, uncertainty, and remove this negative attitude towards what is happening. How to deal with this? First of all, admit that you have these feelings. And then try to replace them with positive thoughts.

An exercise called “Tick-tock” helps a lot. The principle of operation is the same - track your fears, and then replace them with positive thoughts, but do this not in your head, but in a notebook, that is, write everything down. Divide the sheet into 2 parts. Sign “tick” over the first one, “tak” over the second one. In the first you need to write down your fears, in the second - ways to combat them, positive thoughts. For example, you wrote under “tick” that you will never be able to do something. Now all that remains is to find a solution to the problem: act gradually, step by step, drawing up detailed plan. The main thing is to start. And so we describe every fear. Gradually you will notice that you have everything negative thoughts began to be replaced by positive ones. But to do this you will have to do this exercise many times.

Try to remember your successes as often as possible, you can even write down all the times when you achieved success. This will help you gain self-confidence and achieve more. You also need to convince yourself that you are a creative person. People often think and feel the way they imagine themselves, or the way their environment thinks of them. Therefore, it is important to feel like creative people. To do this, you need to write a short story about how you are a creative person. And also come up with and write down several statements, not only from the first, but also from the second and third person, for example, “Elena, you are a creative person” or “I am endowed with the gift of creativity.”

Developing creativity

When your fears are gone, you can begin training that will help develop creativity. Try to train yourself to have “double vision”, which will help you see what many do not notice. Learn to look at the world carefully: any tree or unusual structure can give you the right idea. Try to monitor your thoughts, write down everything that comes to your mind. If you come up with an idea, immediately write everything down on paper. Organize your “data bank”, store these ideas either in a special box or in a desk drawer.

Often the flight of fancy is hampered by the fact that we all live, obeying some kind of habit. Everything is “laid out on the shelves”, that’s why we think narrowly. To somehow cope with this problem, you need to make a list of your habits and gradually change some of them:

• today go to the store or to work on a different road;
• take a vacation not in the summer, as you are used to, but at another time of the year;
• do not listen to the same radio station, turn on new ones;
• diversify your menu, use new recipes;
• meet new people.

To develop creative thinking, it is necessary to constantly get acquainted with new information and feed the mind. First of all, read books, but not all of them, but those that can be useful to you. Study biographies famous people, books with useful tips, special magazines, journalistic publications. But this should not just be reading, but thinking about the information received. Try to solve old problems with the help of new knowledge.

Study even advertising brochures, pay attention to new trends. It is useful to go to various seminars and lectures, watch interesting programs on TV or on the Internet. Don't sit at home, visit a museum or exhibition. Even a simple trip to the store or to a folk art fair can give you a new idea.

What else will help you in your creativity? It is necessary to make your thinking flexible and fast. To do this, try to make lists. Take an object and try to come up with many ways to use it, including non-standard ones. Or choose several unrelated words and in 5 minutes make up several sentences that contain these words.

It is worth working on your imagination. Take a book in your hand and try to imagine what exactly you will read in it. This is how George Bernard Shaw liked to have fun. Or, after reading part of the book, figure out for yourself what will happen next, how events will develop in it. Watch movies with friends without sound. Let each of you voice one or another character. You will get your own original story.

It is quite difficult to talk about how to develop creativity in one article. But we showed you in which direction you need to move, and then be creative, come up with new exercises for yourself, hone your skills and improve.

Creativity is the ability of an individual to think outside the box. Make decisions, create something new and generate a lot of ideas.

Interestingly, the presence or absence of high intellectual abilities does not mean that a person is creative. The development of creative thinking occurs most effectively in childhood and adolescence.

Creativity is the ability to create something fundamentally new, deviating from traditional patterns and established systems of thinking. Such a person is able to solve a problem in a completely new way: by adding just one original detail or by completely changing the concept of decision-making.

Creativity: what is it?

The concept is based on a verb English speech create, translated meaning “to create.” And creative means creating, being creative.

A person with creative, non-standard abilities knows how to create and isolate something new from familiar and established things.

Definition in psychology:

• creating something new from the familiar;
• solving a problem in unusual ways;
• rejection of stereotypes;
• originality and flexibility of thinking;
• unusual analysis and synthesis;
• intuitive choice of the only correct solution;
• generating a huge mass of ideas.

Grade

It has been found that creativity directly depends on a person's ability to apply information initially given to solve a problem in different ways, and at a fairly fast pace.

First study this concept was started separately from the intellectual abilities of the individual, and is more related to creativity.

At the moment, the assessment and study of creativity is carried out in two independent directions:

1. Connection with intelligence.
2. Connection with personality.

J. Guilford was the first to give his assessment, identifying 16 intellectual characteristics that characterize the ability to think outside the box according to the following criteria:

• speed of thought processes (number of ideas that appear in a given unit of time);
• flexibility of thinking (switching from one problem or idea to another);
• originality (the ability to create something new without using stereotypes);
• curiosity (awareness of problems in the surrounding world);
• the ability to develop hypotheses, etc.

But when studying intelligence abilities using classical tests, and the concept of creativity, which was also assessed in the form of testing, scientists came to conflicting conclusions. It was not possible to obtain a clear answer to the question of whether the level of intelligence and the ability to create are related to each other.

Diagnostics carried out by scientists and psychologists at different times give reason to assert that the formation of creative abilities is also influenced by the following factors:

• environment (society, surroundings, parents, level of income, etc.);
• personal characteristics (character, psychological aspects etc.);
• presence of talent (for a certain type of creativity).

At the moment, such abilities are assessed using E.P. Torrance tests, but psychologists agree that it is impossible to measure them using tests alone.

Some experts are confident that the measurement of abilities should be carried out using an analysis of the acts of creativity of each individual, and not just psychology.

Development of creative abilities

It should be divided into 2 phases:

1. Development of creativity as the creative ability of an individual. The development time is 3-5 years, when children’s imitation of an adult with similar qualities is the determining mechanism for the formation of creativity.
2. Development and consolidation of skills“specialized creativity” aged 13 to 20 years. It is defined as the presence of talent and its further development in a certain field of activity.

The second phase ends either with a denial of imitation and a transition to one’s own original creativity, or with a delay in imitation for the rest of one’s life.
The development of creativity, along with intelligence, largely depends on environmental factors, which are decisive.

Intellectuals and creators are not born. Initially, a child may only have abilities or inclinations for one or another type of creativity.

And if the environment (parents, teachers) allows the talent to reveal itself, then the child can subsequently become an extraordinary person.

However, communication with people of low intelligence leads to the exact opposite result. Just like being in an environment that is not conducive to the development of creativity.

Methods of raising children

How to develop creativity in children? Creativity, like other skills, is best developed through play. The child should be interested in the process itself, and not the end result.

What should be considered when organizing training in children's groups:

1. Creating an atmosphere. The teacher should be friendly and open. The wrong attitude, denial, impatience, criticism (even deserved) can destroy the first shoots of emerging talent;
2. Understanding the student's needs. If a child cannot instantly switch from one task to another, this does not mean that he lacks the inclination to develop creative abilities. Such children need more time, their neuropsychic processes proceed more slowly. It is worth using methods for developing creativity aimed at accelerating mental reactions;
3. Interesting activities. The child should be interested during classes. This may be the introduction of elements of novelty into ordinary games, unfamiliar emotional experiences And so on;
4. Patience. Don't expect instant results. They will definitely happen, but not right away. Excessive acceleration of events will ultimately lead to a stop in the development of creative abilities;
5. Personal example. A teacher conducting classes with children must have a creative mindset.

Exercises

There are the following types of exercises to develop creative and intellectual abilities:

• Science fiction writer. Take any dictionary or book and randomly choose two different words or phrases. Then try to think of a relationship between them, perhaps by combining them into a funny story. An excellent exercise for developing thinking;
• Mad Artist. All you need is a blank sheet of paper and markers or pencils. Now try to depict an animal that does not yet exist in nature. Don't forget to come up with a name for your creation;
• Crazy architect. Now your task is to depict a house of the most unusual design. Imagine that, for example, everything in it should be different geometric shape: round roof, triangular windows, etc. Now imagine what it will all look like in reality;
• Original naming. Try to give each familiar object a new name. For example, an orange is citrus, a window is a window, etc.;
• New solution. When communicating with friends and colleagues, try to constantly come up with something new. For example, when discussing plans for the weekend, put forward all the ideas that come to your mind, even the most unrealistic ones;
• Monologue alone. When you are alone with yourself, think about a problem. Then answer these questions: What do I see? What do I hear? What do I feel? What do my thoughts mean?

There are still a huge number of exercises and trainings for developing creative abilities. Whatever techniques you choose, the main thing is that they force your thinking to work contrary to stereotypes and generally accepted opinion.

Video: Creative class in Russia

How to develop creativity, how to break the rules correctly, where to go beyond limits and where to set them, and why you need to be afraid to start creating.

Photographic equipment is becoming more and more “smart”, more advanced and more and more accessible. How did this saying sound from the students of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University in the 70s? “Give me Nikon and I’ll change the world?” And here he is, Nikon - but will the world turn upside down? Compared to the 70s, yes, but it’s not Nikon.

In short, professional, masterful equipment does not always equal professional, masterful photographs. What does it take to move forward and develop as a photographer? To keep creating when faced with a creative block? To make your photos stand out from the billions taken each year? To ultimately find your niche and attract clients? That's right, creative.

For those who need to shake things up, regain inspiration and look at their creativity from a new angle - 15 tips on how to develop creativity.

1. Forget about the rules

Forget about what constitutes a genre, about the rules of composition, about color theory and the like. Imagine that there are no “buts”, “impossibles”, “but what about”. Imagine that everything is possible. And there are no ideas or topics that are not considered or discussed. Take the risk of going beyond boundaries, at least mentally.

2. Set limits and boundaries

This may seem to contradict the first point. But in fact, the more boundaries, the more opportunities for creativity. Limitations force us to look at the situation in a new way and come up with new ways to achieve the desired result.

Create your own boundaries. For example, use only one lens and only a prime lens for a whole month. Or shoot only black and white photos. Or work only in vertical orientation.

This method is especially useful if it immediately causes internal protest and resistance. Don't give in to this feeling and be persistent: creativity will follow.

3. Less equipment, more creativity

It would seem that the more opportunities, the richer the choice, the more varied the result. But in reality, if you have a separate “ideal” lens for every scene and five different “ideal” cameras for every occasion, there is no room for improvement. Just like there is no room for creativity.

This doesn't mean you have to throw away most of your equipment or just use your old point-and-shoot camera. This means - see point 2. By artificially limiting the available options, at least for a while, you will free up space for creativity.

4. Trust yourself

If your inner voice says you need to take a photo, take it. This advice is often heard from street photographers, where the “decisive moment” is the cornerstone. But the same applies to any genre and any form of photography. If you feel like you need to shoot, shoot. Even if you have to pull the camera out from the bottom of the bag. Even if it seems like you can’t shoot. Even if you tell yourself that you can take this photo later.

“Later” usually doesn’t come. Photographs are frozen moments; moments that will never be repeated. It won't be the same scene, the same light, the same mood. Shoot.

5. Don't forget about physical activity

Sports, or even light physical activity will help develop creativity, especially if you have a sedentary job. Walk, run, ride a bike - whatever your heart desires.

Firstly, it will give your brain a rest, and then you will begin the task with fresh energy. Secondly, photo walks will allow you to see new places and new characters to photograph.

Third, researchers at Stanford University have shown that the physical act of walking increases creativity by an average of 60%, and this effect continues for some time after you stop.

6. Visit new places

One of the secrets of creativity is variety. When walking, take new routes and new places. Travel to new cities and countries. Novelty gives impetus to creativity.

7. Surround yourself with creative people

Creativity is a contagious thing. In addition, communication will give A New Look on things, will allow you to voice, discuss and develop emerging ideas. And if you can work with an experienced photographer, so much the better.

8. Tell stories

Everyone has their own stories. Tell us. This trains imaginative and creative thinking. Try to make sure that both you and your interlocutor mentally see what you are talking about. Visualization - important aspect to develop imagination. And we are talking not only about the image, but also about sounds, smells, tastes, sensations. Try to convey all this in your story and in your photographs.

9. Be curious

Learning something new ignites the creative spark and enhances the imagination. Why do children have such a rich imagination? Because they are curious and open to everything new.

Ask questions, study and try something unfamiliar, expand your scope of interests, look for what your soul is drawn to. Because the fuel for creativity is passion.

10. Change and change

Try yourself in a new genre. Are you a studio photographer? Take up street photography this weekend (learn the guru's tips on). Are you photographing architecture? Switch to sports photography for a day.

11. Set yourself non-standard tasks

Challenge yourself and try unusual exercises. For example:

• Make 10 different photos the same scene.
• Choose a location and take 24 completely different shots. Without moving.
• Imagine you're shooting on film and you only have 36 (24, 12) frames. And there is only one film per day.

Such challenges, constraints and conditions can lead to surprisingly creative solutions.

12. Not a day without a photo

Not a day without a line. In our case, no photo. Even if you don't want to. Even if there is no inspiration. Even if there is no time. Because, firstly, it will give a start, it will launch the creative process. Secondly, skill is honed only by practice.

13. Be inspired by others

There is nothing wrong with learning something and getting inspiration from the masters. Remember the expression: “Good artists copy, great artists steal?” Do you know how Benjamin Franklin honed his writing style? Copying texts from the Spectator magazine, where some of the best texts his time.

14. Start a personal project

A personal project is not just for documentary photographers or photojournalists. And not only for beginners who are just trying their hand at it. The process of working on it will benefit everyone, regardless of genre or experience. This is a great opportunity to do something that ignites passion in your soul and learn something new - about the world and about yourself. And both of these points, as we found out earlier, are essential conditions for unleashing creative potential.

15. Don't be afraid of your fears

Fear of criticism, fear of failure and even fear of success - all this not only prevents a creative person from showing his work to the world, but also limits our creative self. Fear is actually a good thing; this is an indicator that your business is truly important to you. Are we going to worry about something that doesn't affect us? This means that this is exactly what is worth doing. You don't want to spend your life on something to which you are indifferent?

P.S. You can and should develop creativity!

As a bonus - a short video from director and video blogger Simon Cade, author of the YouTube channel DSLRguide. Don't forget to turn on Russian subtitles!

Still haven't felt the urge to create? Get up and go create anyway. Appetite comes with eating.