Here are some of the self-sabotaging things youre probably doing every day.
Over the years,studyafterstudyshows that taking breaks and embracing boredom is key for generating new ideas.
It turns out were more creative when were in the diffuse mode.
The same goes for breaks.
While thats helpful for efficiency, it kills your creativity in all kinds of ways.
This kills your creativity quicker than you might think.
But going to Cancun and living with local fishermen might.
The creative directors who lived overseas and immersed themselves in the culture had consistently higher rating on innovation.
It could be as simple asgoing into new parts of townor digging into the cultural roots of somewhere nearby.
Expose yourself to new things and take the time to truly understand them.
Youll be surprised at how much creative youll be.
As weve mentioned before,emulating successful peopleisnt some magic bullet.
Just because youre a fan of Ernest Hemingway doesnt mean you should start living your life by his schedule.
Schedules can be helpful, though.
Its more about working consistently at the times you feel most creative.
Youcan pinpoint this timeif you oughta, but chances are that youalready know when youre the most creative.
Schedule your day around that.
This idea goes well beyond just scheduling.
We tend to glorify stories about creative geniuses and attempt to recreate those creative bursts for ourselves.
Dont emulate the specifics.
Instead, integrate ideas that make sense to you and your system, then move on.
You Ignore Side Projects
How many creative projects do you have sitting around right now?
Evidently this also applies to work: Optimal experiences correlate positively with mental health.
However, in our society leisure is used as an escape from work.
Side projects dont have to correlate to your other creative pursuits.
Of course, all kind of obstacles get in the way ofpursuing creative side projects.
In the end, its about forcingyourself to get startedandworking on those projects a little bit every day.
Photos byTina Mailhot-Roberge,Lars Plougmann.
