3 Easy Ways To Unleash Creativity and Innovation To Finally Start Thinking Outside the Box

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use the more you have.” -Maya Angelou

Creativity and innovation isn’t just for artists. 

It’s also for scientists and engineers, bankers and tech bros. It’s for mothers with screaming toddlers, and broke college students far away from home. 

Creativity lives within everyone, and it is for everyone. 

But even more importantly than this, we need creativity to solve the problems we face in our world. 

The issue?

We often turn away from exercising our creativity muscle due to fear of failure and embarrassment. 

It’s a stupid idea anyway. I’m probably not the first one to think of it. They will think I’m being weird. 

It is easy to have excuses like this. However, it stifles our development. 

So how do you finally, once and for all, learn how to be creative again- without the fear, the embarrassment, and the doubtful self-talk?

Practice. 

It’s not a quick fix, but it is an easy one. 

This Psychology Today article even suggests that “acts of creativity add meaning, shape, purpose, and richness to our days”.

This is to say, not only will practicing creativity make your life better, but it will also be fun, fulfilling, and add “richness” to your days. 

So how can you get started?

Let’s find out. 

What are the barriers to creativity and innovation? 

While we’re on the topic of using creativity to stimulate innovation, let’s talk about what innovation and creativity actually are. 

Wolfgang Grulke, author of Lessons In Radical Innovation defines innovation as “the change into something new, the introduction of novelties and the alteration of what is established”.

In other academic sources, creativity is defined as “the production of novel ideas that are useful and appropriate to the situation”.

So what are the implications of these definitions for us?

It means that to be innovative and creative, we need to change what is established into something new. 

Let’s consider that: creativity is changing what is established into something new. 

It is transformation. 

How does this take place? 

Is it through locking yourself in a room for weeks to write the next great classic novel? Is it by living isolated from society in the middle of the desert? Maybe for some. 

If you’re not willing to do either of those, however, the good news is that it’s actually a lot more simple. 

The formula is this: (1) recognize what is established and (2) identify how to transform it. 

If it’s this simple though, why isn’t everyone a creative genius?

Well, turns out these two steps are pretty difficult.

Here is a short list of just a few of the reasons why:

• Diminished engagement in artistic pursuits as we get older. 
• Low self-confidence
• Fear of failure
• Educational environments that stifle creative thinking
• Need for conformity
• And so on

The list is exhaustive and depressing. 

The good news is you don’t have to succumb to these reasons, nor do you have to let your creative potential dwindle. 

No matter who you are, what you do, or what problems you face, practicing creativity will make your life and work better. 

Want to know how to get started?

Keep reading. 

3 Simple Steps To Foster Creativity And Innovation

Now that we have discussed some of the common barriers to creativity, and you understand the importance of building the creativity muscle, what are some ways you can put this into practice?

Below are 3 simple easy strategies you can start applying today in order to get started!

#1: Use limitations as catalysts. 

This technique is all about setting arbitrary constraints to get your wheels turning. It’s about asking “What If”s several times to think in a way you wouldn’t have otherwise. 

What if your budget was $10? $100? $1000?

How would you create a particular artistic work if you only had half an hour? A day? A month? A year?

What if you had to cook dinner, but you were only allowed to use what you already had at home?

These limitations are only limitations in the superficial sense, because actually, they open your mind to several new possibilities. 

Concrete Steps Toward Creativity and Innovation

1. Set a specific problem or challenge: Identify a small, solvable problem in your life or work (e.g., how to organize your desk more efficiently).
2. Choose 3 tools or resources: Limit yourself to only three tools or items to solve the problem. For example, scissors, string, and a shoebox.
3. Write down possible solutions: Challenge yourself to come up with at least five creative ways to solve the problem using only those tools.
4. Think like a minimalist: Imagine you have to solve the problem with no access to technology or external help.
5. Ask “What if?”: Pose questions like, “What if I had to do this in under 10 minutes?” or “What if I had to explain this solution to a child?”
6. Test your solution: Try out your ideas practically and assess how well they work.
7. Reflect and iterate: After testing, write down what worked and what didn’t, and how the limitations pushed you to think differently.

#2: Break your routine. 

We are creatures of habit. 

In many ways, this is an incredible strength. 

When it comes to creativity though, it can hinder us. 

Habit shapes the way we see the world, and how we distribute our attention. By breaking out of this, we incrementally get to see the world from a new angle every time. 

Instead of eating the same recipe for dinner, try something new. Try vacationing in a new spot. Try listening to a new genre of music. 

Sometimes what we crave is the familiar, and that’s okay. 

But when we get stuck, or feel like we aren’t making progress, a little shift can be just what we need. 

Concrete Steps Toward Creativity and Innovation

1. Choose one daily activity to change: Identify something you do every day, like your commute, your lunch break, or your workout.
2. Plan one small change: Decide how you’ll do this differently. For example, take a different route, eat a meal from a different cuisine, or do your workout outdoors.
3. Explore a new medium or skill: Find a free resource online to try something new, such as watching a YouTube tutorial on origami or listening to a podcast outside your usual topics.
4. Interact with new people: If possible, initiate a conversation with someone you wouldn’t normally talk to, even just a brief chat.
5. Notice and record the changes: Write down how this change made you feel, any unexpected observations, and what you learned.
6. Repeat daily for variety: Commit to one small routine-breaker every day for a week to build momentum.
7. Be open to discomfort: Remind yourself that unfamiliarity is a sign of growth and lean into it.

#3: Keep a curiosity journal.

Throughout my own life, the benefits of writing have manifested in a plethora of unexpected ways- from the solace of keeping a diary, to the intellectual fulfillment of hosting a blog. 

Yet another facet of my journaling habit that has hugely benefited me is keeping a small notebook to simply write down the things I’m curious about – an idea I want to explore, or a book I want to read. 

It can even be as simple as a thought-provoking question or a clever phrasing. 

Writing down what you’re curious about ensures that you remember it.

It creates a springboard for you to dive deeper into your interests, or to simply become aware of them in the first place. 

Ultimately, it is a habit of self-awareness, signaling to yourself “this is something I want to learn about”, “this is what I believe”, “this is who I want to become”, or “this is why the world is beautiful to me”.

Concrete Steps Toward Creativity and Innovation

1. Find or create a journal: Use a notebook, an app, or even a stack of sticky notes to collect your ideas.
2. Take 5 minutes to observe: Look at your surroundings with fresh eyes and jot down anything that sparks your curiosity. For example, how a particular building is designed or why your coffee cup is shaped the way it is.
3. Think like a child: Ask “Why?” about everything, no matter how simple or obvious it seems.
4. Add invention ideas: Write down any ideas for new products, solutions, or art—even if they seem unrealistic.
5. Revisit and build on ideas: Review your journal weekly to identify patterns or ideas worth exploring further.
6. Share your curiosity: Ask others about the things they’ve noticed or wondered about—it could inspire you further.

Thought To Action 

1. Ask Unconventional Questions: Practice questioning assumptions, e.g., “What’s the opposite approach to solving this?”
2. Keep a Curiosity Journal: Note down observations about how things work or ideas for inventions, no matter how small.
3. Try DIY Experiments: Use simple household items to recreate basic scientific experiments or art projects.
4. Nature Art Observation: Spend 10 minutes observing a tree, leaf, or pattern in nature. Sketch or write about its design and possible applications in everyday life.
5. Leverage Free Resources: Learn from free resources online to maximize your awareness of other disciplines, such as statistics, data analysis, and marketing. 

Sources

Chacón-López, Helena, and Ana Maeso-Broncano. “Creative Development, Self-Esteem and Barriers to Creativity in University Students of Education according to Their Participation in Artistic Activities.” Thinking Skills and Creativity, vol. 48, June 2023, p. 101270, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2023.101270.

Cohan, Deborah J. “The Importance of Creativity | Psychology Today United Kingdom.” Www.psychologytoday.com, 1 Oct. 2022, www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/social-lights/202210/the-importance-of-creativity. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

Nordin, Norshidah, and Mellisa Malik. “Undergraduates’ Barriers to Creative Thought and Innovative in a New Millennial Era.” Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 201, Aug. 2015, pp. 93–101, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.136. Accessed 21 Oct. 2020.