Spark Your Creativity

So, you have decided that you want to change things in your business and your life.

You feel that you are stuck in a rut and just can’t seem to get out of it.

You sit down to write social media posts and can’t think of anything to say.

Your real estate business is going nowhere and you realize that you have to change the way you are doing business.

Or, you’ve reached a pinnacle of success and now you want more.

That’s where creativity is your friend.

Here’s the thing — we constantly hear about artists who have a “natural talent.” In reality, talent has little to do with it.

Creativity is a skill, just like playing baseball. It can be developed. It takes practice.

So, if you’d like to “learn” how to become more creative when it comes to your business, social media or marketing strategies, here are nine ways (that the experts suggest) to jump start your creativity.

1. Doodle – In the book The Doodle Revolution, Suni Brown says that people like Henry Ford and Steve Jobs used this method. It can activate unique neurological and cognitive breakthroughs. Try it for 10 minutes and see what happens.
2. Sign Up for Something You’ve Never Done Before – Push yourself outside your comfort zone. Sign up for an adult education class. Try painting, pottery or something artistic in nature. This is the “practice” part of the equation.
3. Create an Environment – It’s all about location! Leave your office. Go to Starbucks or a park. Or close the door with a Do not Disturb sign. The goal is to create a place where you feel relaxed or stimulated — but with no distractions and no judgmental comments from others.
4. Move Your Body – Go for a walk. A hike. It’s been shown that physical movement has a positive effect on creative thinking.
5. Use a Notebook – Carry it with you wherever you go. When an idea pops into your head, write it down—and don’t judge it. Some of your ideas will not see the light of day. Others may not work “right now.” Review what you have written every 30 days and you’ll be surprised that some of your ideas can actually be implemented.
6. Keep Toys on Your Desk/Drawer – Think Lincoln Logs, Legos, Rubik’s Cube. Do something creative with your hands and mind.
7. Practice Writing – Short stories. Fiction. Real-life scenarios. Only 100 words, but with a beginning, middle and end to the story.
8. Take the 30-Circle Test – Draw 30 circles on a piece of paper and, in one minute, adapt as many circles as you can into objects. One circle could become the sun. Another could be an apple. Take quantity over quality. Here’s a link to a TED talk by Tim Brown and download a PDF with the circles already drawn for you.
9. Role Play – Even if you already know or feel what something else is thinking, physically role-play situations where you place yourself in the role of “your clients” and have someone ask you questions or make a presentation to you. It’s like producing your own “play.” Note how YOU react to being the client instead of the real estate guru.

So, what do you do to get into a creative mood?

 

Based in Folsom, California, Sierra Pacific Mortgage has 144 offices nationwide. The Easterbrook Team at Sierra Pacific is associated with the #1 office in the nation for SPMC for 2015.  We want to thank you so much for the support.  Come by and visit our office at 806 Bidwell Street in Folsom.  Keep the loans coming and we’ll keep closing them at lightning speed with a positive,