To increase muscle mass it is necessary to exercise and eat healthy constantly. Persistence is a key piece and to increase our creativity it is done in a similar way.

IDEO U has a course called Unlocking Creativity, which I really loved and I want to share with you tips learned in that course, translated into Spanish and that constantly applying them will help us:

• Trust in the potential of your creativity

As children we played creating imaginary worlds and without a doubt our creativity flowed without limitations. A report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that 15-year-olds feel less creative, curious, persistent and responsible than 10-year-olds. Also, it is quite common to hear in adults who do not consider themselves creative. Despite such self-perceptions, creativity can be nurtured regardless of age, trust me.

• Cancel projects that are failing

Did you know that X, the moonshot factory, applauds and even gives a bonus to supervisors who cancel their projects? Because they continuously design, prototype and experiment, which allows them to know what works and what doesn't. His mantra is “Fail Fast, Fail Often” where terrible ideas and failure are not only accepted, but celebrated. 

• Don't look for perfection

Sure we have heard many success stories where everything sounds perfect. But, history has shown us that nothing is born perfect and only limits our creativity. Instead of searching for the ideal product or planning the perfect project, start to ground your idea and flow with your creativity.

• Learn from failures.

We all fail and many times we associate it with the disapproval of our surroundings. Instead of pointing out the error, it is important to focus on the learning that comes with it. In addition, it is vital to create a mindset of tolerance for error, for example, it can be fostered by encouraging everyone to share their own failures and be guided by the lessons learned.

• Attempt solutions from many perspectives

It sounds simple, but at the moment it can be complex. Changing focus to look at a problem from another perspective requires a lot of creativity that is difficult to achieve if we are under high pressure situations. But, there are many tools to enhance ideation such as role-playing, hypotheticals, paper planes, and even just taking a 15-minute walk in a different environment. In this link From the Ideo blog you can find 10 activities to generate good ideas.

• Brainstorm bad ideas

In the IDEO course they show us a wide variety of dynamics and tools to encourage creativity. However, I selected one because I find it extremely easy to apply. We usually do dynamics where everyone offers their ideas to think of the best way to solve a problem, but instead we only give the worst ideas we can imagine. This will not only stimulate our creativity, but we will have a more comfortable and safe environment to express ourselves, even if we are very shy.

Finally, as with the muscles that are built as a result of our daily habits, our creativity is developed. I encourage you to apply these tips to enhance it and tell me in the comments what do you do to enhance your creativity?