7 signs you need to be more creative

If one of your new year’s resolutions is to reignite your creative flame, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got seven handy hacks to make 2017 the most inventive yet.

1. Problem solving seems to be taking forever

The best problem solvers are creative thinkers. Whether you’re a lateral or vertical thinker, being creative isn’t something that’s exclusive to either mindset. However, lateral processers lend themselves more organically to problem solving in purely unique ways. If you’ve got a particularly problematic issue, try approaching it in a different way than you normally would. Oppose the obvious solution and your brain will be forced to come up with inspired alternatives.

2. You can’t remember the last time you tried something new

If it’s been way too long since you said, ‘So I tried this really cool thing the other day’, then shame on you. Doing new things will increase positive endorphins, give you new ideas and you’ll feel great knowing you’ve ticked that elephant safari off your bucket list.

3. Brainstorming has become a bore

Research suggests the majority of traditional brainstorm huddles aren’t effective as there is usually no preparation, or any follow-up process. Other methods of idea generation such as individual thinking and greenhousing are becoming increasingly more popular. Individual thinking promotes an unbiased creativity flow without interruption and greenhousing is a method used to build up early stage ideas while utilising the in-house expertise to garner more realistic visions.

4. Tunnel vision has crept in

It can become all too easy to ignore the great resources around you. First and foremost being your peers. You have a wealth of awesomely creative people right in front of you, so use them to your advantage. If you’re stuck on visuals go to the designer, stumped on copy, shuffle over to the content expert, you get the idea. Another way to give your creative juices a little boost is to simply allow yourself a few minutes a day to daydream. Remember when you thought of that genius idea in the shower that time? It’s exactly the same concept.

5. Your daily routine has become alarmingly similar to Bilbo Baggins’

If you’re guilty of spending your weekends lazing around in your onesie watching re-runs of Fresh Prince, it’s time to shake things up. Go see that exhibition, we all know you’ve been carrying around the flyer in your bag, or sign up for a pottery class. Even small things like changing the order of your daily routine can help spark innovative thinking.

6. Zen is only a word you’ve heard other people use

Creative thinking takes place in the neocortex part of your brain, and in order for it to work to its full potential, the other parts of your brain need to be preoccupied. The limbic system (the emotional bit) and the reptilian brain (the reactive part) can often get in the way, but there is tons of evidence to show that meditation can work wonders at getting all three parts to work in unison. The next time you’re feeling lack luster, take a few minutes to simply focus on your breath and see the difference it makes.

7. You have no idea where your pencil case is

It’s been years since you were seen sporting your favourite polka dot pencil case, and your desk has become increasingly lonely since its departure. It’s time to let your stationary shine and put pen to paper. In the digital era it’s all too easy to crack open your Mac, but by taking a second to jot down ideas, or plot out a new strategy, you can increase concentration, give your eyes a break from the screen and save yourself from those all too frequent arguments with a slow router.

We hope you’ve found some valuable advice to kick-start your 2017 into an imaginative new phase. Give the team a call on 01273 208913 to draw up your next cutting edge campaign.