Innovation is often associated with big ideas at a macro level.
However, small, incremental changes can result in new innovations.
Some people consider innovation as the next big thing.
But…
It’s actually “change that adds value.”
Innovation involves the creation of effective ideas. What’s more, studies have revealed that an innovative idea can improve productivity.
Creative thinking can develop new processes for getting work done to enhance productivity.
Think creatively to work smarter, cut out unnecessary things, and streamline core things. Focus on workflows and programs aimed at improving productivity.
Build innovative solutions aimed at meeting your specific needs or demands. Continue to improve your innovations to accommodate your changing needs and stay productive.
Try out new ideas to find out what works and what doesn’t. Apart from improved productivity, other benefits of being innovative include:
- Better quality services and products
- Reduced costs
- Increased motivation and retention
- Increased value
- Helps solve problems
Innovation and creativity go hand-in-hand in the pursuit of elegance and excellence. Creativity can boost your thinking and problem-solving skills.
Creativity, according to an article published on Forbes, can improve your health. For instance, it increases happiness, improves mental health, reduces dementia, makes you smarter, and boosts your immunity.
Other benefits of creativity include:
- Provision of a way to express yourself
- It benefits all facets of your life
- Lowers anxiety and stress
- Fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Improves focus and gives a sense of purpose
- Enhances your ability to learn and births ideas
- It’s fun and fosters personal growth
Here’re five ways to boost your creative and innovative skills:
Top 5 Ways to Boost Your Creativity and Innovative Skills
- Develop hands-on skills and never cease to learn
HBR ties arts to engineering, creativity to technology, sciences to humanities. You must learn many things to be creative and make such connections.
Learning is a gateway to being innovative. Follow your interests and passions, even if they don’t seem sensible to activate your creative and innovative mind. Learn about topics you’re clueless about.
Read or scan through information daily to find inspiration for your business or brand’s challenges. You achieve ideation and cross-pollinate to learn and take action, bringing your innovative self-back and rousing you to life.
This is also a great way to develop hands-on, creative skills. For instance, learn how to use various hand tools and equipment you can use to fix things around your home.
Don’t forget to invest in protective gear and clothing to wear when working on a DIY project. A helmet is designed to protect your head from injuries. It has various features, including premium sensors to help monitor your project.
Above all, keep on learning.
- Maximize on and balance your neurochemicals
Some neurochemicals, dopamine and serotonin, foster creativity when a balance between the two is met. The two neurochemicals maximize and work together to boost your creativity.
However, stress-inducing hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline can impair serotonin’s ability to enhance creativity. Therefore, it’s necessary to reduce stress to improve your creativity and innovative skills.
High blood pressure can also ensue from the stress hormones, suppressing your brain’s general ability to relax and concentrate on cognitive work.
Your mind and body focus energy reserves into critical functions such as fighting stress, hence lowering creativity and production.
Stress reduces your ability to open up to new ideas. Under such circumstances, you prefer what you already know.
Determine when your serotonin level is usually high. For some people, the hormone level is high in the morning. Depression, being cynical, high anxiety, and craving for sugary foods often indicate low serotonin levels.
However, high inspiration, confidence, and feeling relaxed or energetic point to high serotonin levels.
Eat healthy foods rich in high proteins to improve your brain function and heighten your serotonin levels. Drink coffee when the hormones are high but avoid it when feeling stressed or anxious.
Additionally, engage in aerobic exercises and keep yourself on the move to enhance your creativity.
- Paint your home or office blue
Different colors induce varied feelings. Whether you work from home or the office, the color blue can inspire you to become creative.
Color blue, according to a study, can make you creative. All you have to do is surround yourself with it.
The ocean, the sky, and water are often associated with peace, openness, and tranquility. The color’s benign cues induce the feeling of safety in the atmosphere, making it easy to be exploratory and creative.
Paint the room where you do your thinking blue to foster creativity. Head for some natural blues outdoors at the beach or wear a blue outfit to inspire yourself to creativity.
- Overcome your fears
You must learn to overcome your fears to become innovative. Note that this isn’t the same as killing your fears. Develop confidence to enhance your creativity.
Don’t let your fears stop you, but keep going.
- Find inspiration
Focus on what captures your attention, be it a menu, an ad, or even a funny email. Note and display them on your ideation board.