According to Steven M Smith, a professor of
psychology at the Institute for Applied Creativity at Texas A & M
University, many people believe that only a handful of geniuses are
capable of making creative contributions. The truth is that creativity
thinking is the norm in human being and can be observed in almost all
mental abilities.
Scientific understanding of creativity is far from
complete but one lesson already seems plain: originality is not a gift
doled out sparingly by the gods. We can call it up from within us
through training and encouragement. We can get the most out of our
abilities in certain ways. Some of these ways are deceptively simple,
such as reminding ourselves to stay curious about the world around us
and having the courage to tear down mental preconceptions. Here the four
top steps:
Wonderment: try to retain a spirit of
discovery, a childlike curiosity about the world. And question
understandings that others consider obvious.
Motivation: as soon as a spark of interest
arises in something, follow it.
Intellectual courage: strive to think
outside accepted principles and habitual perspectives such as "We've
always done it that way."
Relaxation: take the time to daydream and
ponder, because that is often when the best ideas arise. Look for ways
to relax and consciously put them into practice.
Creativity
requires spending time "doing nothing" - workaholism guarantees its
death
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