The human mind is inherently very creative, and capable of amazing feats of imagination – many of the great achievements of human history have been driven by creative thinkers – people like Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Louis Pasteur.

Unfortunately, many of us in todays world have become wired to think in very restrictive ways – those restrictions being handed to us by society, social conditioning, or perhaps by the rules and regulations of the organization we work for.

The good news is that creative thinking is fun to play with, and easy to start implementing in your every day life – here are five of my favorite exercises to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Do something off-handed. Next time you’re pouring the kettle, cleaning your teeth or scribbling a doodle – try doing it using your non-dominant hand. Sure, it’s gonna be a bit tricky, but it will get your brain firing in new ways – which will help stimulate your creative side!
2. Unusual uses for Everyday Things. This is a firm favourite, and ties in perfectly with a bit of de-clutterring. If you come across an object, either something random or something you use every day, pop it on your desk and as your day goes by try to think of creative, unusual ways to use it… A shoe might become a plant-pot… A wedge of stale cheese might become a door-stop… A DVD case might become a really rubbish lunchbox… The point is not to come up with one viable idea, but lots of creative ideas…
3. Get Macgyver on it (or Yoda). Sometimes problem-solving or innovative thinking can best be solved by taking a fresh perspective – and be imaginative with it. Some of my preferred ways to think are to imagine how Macgyver would approach a problem; or how Yoda might overcome a challenge (there is no try!); or what someone from 200 years ago might think of particular product. The more outlandish… the more your creative you’re being!
4. Extreme Opposites. Don’t think on the same scale – if you’re trying to solve a small problem, make it HUGE! If you’re trying to solve a problem with a computer, try using a pencil and paper. If you’re confined by corporate restrictions, imagine what you could do if your were a self-employed millionaire… What if the small problem you’re facing became a world-wide epidemic, with you the planets only saviour?
5. Maximum Enjoyment. This is great fun! Whatever you’re doing – work, driving, ironing, juggling hamsters… Take a few minutes to daydream about how you could make it more enjoyable… You boss in a clown suit… Your chair a comfy pink inflatable one… A psychic iron which does the work through the power of your mind… A remote control for your partners moods… Not only is this creative thinking at it’s best, it’s stimulating feel-good thoughts too – a double-whammy!

Whatever you’re doing today – take a bit of time and start thinking more creative – if you have any great ideas, please share them in the comments!