How to awaken the imagination, a key element of creativity

Most of the time when we talk about imagination, we think of children. There is no doubt that imagination in childhood is essential, but it is no less important in adulthood. As a key element of creativity, imagination becomes a fundamental ability to have something that we all need at some point: ideas.

Ideas are behind all types of creations, projects, plans and solutions. It is good ideas that allow us to solve problems that arise in these situations, which allow us to overcome the obstacles that arise along the way.

Learn to free your ideas

The good thing about ideas is that they are like plants: a flower, a plant or a tree can grow from a small seed. But a seed by itself is nothing if you don’t plant it. And if you want it to sprout you have to plant it in optimal conditions. These conditions depend on each seed. Some are more delicate and others are born even in extreme conditions. In any case, all plants have the same principle: planting a seed.

But not all seeds sprout. And of those that sprout, not all develop with the same strength and vigor nor do they produce equally tasty fruits. It all depends on the conditions to which they are subjected and the care they receive. Some will even give rise to new seeds, some of which may give rise to new plants in the future.

The same thing happens with ideas. You have to plant many ideas for some to prosper., even for some to become a great idea. Those ideas that germinate and grow will have to be fed and cared for, even protected when bad weather comes.

Thus, as to reap you must sow, The key is precisely to let the ideas flow. But how? You’ve probably experienced that the more you need an idea and the more you put yourself into it, the more difficult it is for something interesting to emerge. This is nothing unusual, but rather normal. You have your brain so busy thinking about thinking that you don’t leave it free for ideas to flow. Ideas need to have a free runway to come out.

Various investigations have shown that The best ideas come when doing mechanical tasks, such as cooking or washing, or when going for a walk. Even more recent research assures that the best ideas are had during the shower. John Kounios, co-author of the book The Eureka Factorexplain what “Hot shower water dulls the external senses and directs attention to internal thoughts. And this state of consciousness promotes creative thinking.”

Strategies to awaken the imagination

Imagination is not just a child’s thing. However, they know how to take advantage of it better than anyone. Because? Mainly because they do not put obstacles in their way of thinking, because they let themselves be carried away by the ideas that arise and let themselves be inspired by simple things. A child is capable of creating an empire with two boxes and three sticks (even less).

As adults we can recover the ability to imagine and generate and develop ideas. It doesn’t matter that not all of them reach somewhere. The important thing is the training, because that is what will allow you to turn a potential good idea into a great idea. The more ideas you have, the more chances there are of finding one of these and the more prepared you will be to manage it. Let’s see some strategies to achieve it:

Trust your creative ability: We all have the ability to generate ideas, that is, we are all creative and have enormous potential to generate great ideas. Believing that you are creative is not going to make you a more creative person, it is simply going to give you the confidence you need to start thinking and let your ideas flow.Practice meditation: Leaving your mind free of thoughts is the best way to give free rein to ideas so that they begin to flow. Clearing your mind of all thoughts will unleash your subconscious so that ideas can emerge later without pressure.

Walk: The point is not that the walk helps you think, but that, among other things, it allows you to free your mind, oxygenate your brain and activate your circulation. Walking can also unleash your subconscious mind and activate your creative side. In a moment of “mental jam” there is no better way to release tension than to drop everything and go for a walk.Dance: Dancing is a fantastic strategy to release creative energy. In addition to helping you oxygenate your brain thanks to movement, it also works as a liberator through body expression. Music itself activates the creative part of the brain on its own.Writes: A journal can help you let your thoughts flow and be more introspective, release fears and express everything that is inside you. Another way to do this is through creative writing, in the form of stories, poems or longer creations. The truth is that it doesn’t matter what you write. The real benefit is in the writing itself.Do stupid and crazy things: crazy things bring excitement to our hearts, release tensions, unleash laughter, relax the atmosphere and trigger our imagination. But, above all, crazy things make us feel free and help us laugh at ourselves. By freeing ourselves from stress and ties, we are also giving free rein to ideas in our brain.See the world through the eyes of a child: Children have an amazing ability to be open to the possibilities of almost anything. To get to see things from their point of view, spend time with children, play with them or, at least, play as if you were a child. Reading children’s books or watching children’s programs will also help you approach things in a simpler and more open way.Read: reading is a great source of inspiration, especially fiction. Reading allows you to take your mind somewhere else, detach yourself from your ties and dream about different things. The same can be achieved by watching a movie or following a television series, although reading involves much more elaborate mental work.

Meditation

In relation to the previous point, meditation has been mentioned as a way to release creativity. This point deserves special attention. From Buddhism it is stated that creativity is not practiced or encouraged, but rather it is released. That is to say, Creativity is within all of us, we just have to let it out. As? Through meditation.

All the conditions that are imposed on us from a young age diminish our imagination and creativity. In this way, when meditating, we are leaving the mind free of imposed concepts and we are turning water full of mud into transparent water. If from a young age we are focused in a specific direction, it will be difficult for us to see other paths over the years. However, through meditation we may be able to see all those paths that we thought did not exist.

So, thanks to this technique, We will be freer and our mind will become a spring of creativity and spontaneity. Meditating twenty minutes a day will be more than enough to begin to notice changes at a mental level. Of course, we must have patience and motivation and, above all, be relaxed. Let’s let the creativity flow!

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