What is creativity?

A dictionary definition might go like this: The ability to create inventions, solve problems or create a work of art using an unconventional or innovative approach.

But creativity is also a much-asked skill in business and employment. If you think about it: All progress stems from some sort of creative act. Thus someone that can produce such acts on a consistent basis is a valuable addition to any undertaking.

But how does one learn to be creative?

Well, to answer this, let’s look at the problem of not being creative.

Research has shown that too much passive media consumption at a young age tends to hinder the ability to develop a rich fantasy. You might be tempted to think that creativity is a result of high intelligence, but that is not the case. Sure, it does not hurt to be smart, but you can be a smart robot without being able to fantasize new ways of doing things.

On the other hand it’s common knowledge that for example travelling much increases your ability to think “outside the box”, because you experience a lot of new things and ways of doing things differently when you witness how people from other cultures live.

So what is the difference between surfing the web and watching TV (bad) and traveling (good)?

Well this whole thing only really works when you are doing it actively. Watching TV is very passive and your brain simply discards most of it. And for the sheer amount of data it is as if it became cluttered with useless information that it cannot really process.

When you are doing the same thing actively, by being there, by having a heightened sense of alert, very positive things happen.

For example remember your last trip. Let’s say you’ve been to Tokyo. For most non-Japanese the experience of being in the city is very impressive. Everything is huge, there’s lots and lots of people and technology is everywhere. Or remember the last time you went to a new bar or club. Same thing. Because the territory is new for you, your brain switches in “possibly dangerous”-mode. You realize much more, even tiny details.

Now that your mind is open it also stores the information better, because of your aroused state. All your input is stored with stronger emotions and is thus easier to recall later.

That’s why you should travel. Or simply go to new places in your town. Actively observe how you feel and then try to reproduce the feeling at a familiar place. This way you will learn to see things with the eyes of a traveller.

Later on, after you have mastered that, when looking for a creative solution… well, who knows what you can come up with.

You might be surprised.

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