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 kinds of creations, projects, plans and solutions . It is the good ideas that allow us to solve the problems that arise in these situations, those that 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 sow 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: the planting of a seed.

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

It is the same with ideas. You have to sow many ideas for some to prosper, even for some to become a great idea. Those ideas that germinate and grow will have to be nurtured and cared for, even protected when bad weather comes.

Thus, as to harvest you have to sow, the key is precisely to let the ideas flow. But how? Surely you have experienced that, the more you need an idea and the more you put yourself to it, the more difficult it is for something interesting to come up. This is not unusual, but it is normal. You have your brain so busy thinking about thinking that you don’t let it free for ideas to flow. Ideas need to have a clear track to come out.

Research has 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 ensures that the best ideas come in the shower. John Kounios, co-author of The Eureka Factor , explains that “hot shower water dulls the outer senses and directs attention to inner thoughts. And this state of consciousness promotes creative thinking ”.

Strategies to spark the imagination

Imagination is not just a child’s thing. However, they better than anyone know how to take advantage of it. Why? Mainly because they do not hinder their thoughts, because they are carried away by the ideas that arise and are inspired by simple things. A child is able to create an empire with two boxes and three sticks (even less).

As adults we can regain the ability to imagine and to generate and develop ideas. It doesn’t matter if they don’t all get 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 coming up with one of these and the more prepared you will be to manage it. Let’s see some strategies to achieve it:

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

•  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.
•  Dancing is a great strategy for unleashing 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.

•  A journal can help you to let your thoughts flow and be more introspective, to release fears and express everything that is within you. Another way to do it is through creative writing, in the form of stories, poetry or more extensive creations. The truth is that it doesn’t matter what you write. The real benefit is in the writing itself.
• crazy things bring excitement to our hearts, release tension, unleash laughter, relax the atmosphere and fire 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 freeing up ideas in our brain.
• 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 to approach things in a simpler and more open way.

• reading is a great source of inspiration, especially fiction. Reading allows you to take your mind elsewhere, detach yourself from your ties and dream of 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 affirmed that creativity is not practiced or encouraged, but is liberated. That is, creativity is within all of us, we just have to let it out. How? Through meditation.

All the conditions that they impose on us from a young age diminish our imagination and creativity. In this way, by meditating, we are freeing the mind from imposed concepts and we are turning muddy water 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 will be able to see all those paths that we thought did not exist.

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