8 Easy Ways to Be Creative at Work

Sharon Moore July 15, 2014

Challenges are common in any type of workplace. And one of the toughest challenges we can face is being called upon to come up with new ideas under the most difficult circumstances. Maybe your boss asked you to come up with a new plan to increase the company’s sales target, or you were assigned to a different department. Or maybe you’ve received an email calling the entire team to brainstorm for a new project. While these moments can lead to a lot of anxiety and stress, they can also be an avenue to spur your creativity, accept the challenge, and open doors to opportunity – maybe a promotion? Why not!

So how can you tap into your creative mind? How do you make it work? How can you win? How can you turn one stressful event into a big opportunity for growth? The following are simple ways to spark your creativity at work:

Keep quiet, until you have something to say.

During a brainstorming session, you probably have one or two ideas in mind. But you may want to sit still and observe. Take in all the details that other people provide, and let your mind process them. Think critically, looking at each angle carefully. Get a sense of the room. To test the waters, you don’t have to dip both your feet into it. Just a foot is enough.

Listen carefully.

Don’t just hear what other people have to say. Make sure your mind is intelligently processing them. You can come up with more, if not, better ideas by listening well to other people. Sometimes, you need not think deeply to spark your creativity. You just have to absorb as much information as you can. They could be enough to trigger your creative mind.

Get visual. Regardless of your role, industry or responsibilities, visualising data and ideas is a great tool to unleash your creativity. So get a pen and paper, or use the white board or your tablet’s painting software – whatever suits you – and start making those graphs and visual representations of your ideas.

Write it down. Write down everything, as in every single thing that comes to your mind. Anything can potentially have value to the project you’re working on. Don’t dismiss ideas just yet. Those things you don’t consider the first time may actually be the stepping stones to your success.

Don’t forget to take a mental break. It’s practically impossible to nurture creativity when your brain is tired, and burned out. So make sure you’re having mental breaks. Take a walk outside, go get yourself a cup of coffee or tea, grab a piece of dark chocolate (it’s good for your brain), play with your pet, chat with your friends, or just sit down, breathe and cultivate awareness of the present moment.

Break some sweat. Engaging in a physical activity can help unlock your creative mind, especially if your job pushes you to be sedentary. Try swimming, biking or joining a marathon race – whatever that suits you – as long as you’re getting physical. Exercising can relax your mind by triggering the release of endorphins (yes, the feel-good chemicals). Afterwards, you will have a fresh mind ready to tackle more complicated problems.

Let others contribute ideas. Be open to the creative input of your teammates. This is the vital step to a successful engagement of your creativity. Your colleagues may have a different and better attack on a problem. They say “two heads are better than one”, and it’s true especially when it comes to handling projects that require creativity.

Analyse your ideas. It’s not enough that you just have to be creative. You also need data and analysis to back your creative thoughts and come up with the best plan. This way, you can formulate ideas that will surely add long-term value to the company.