Guest Post - How to Develop Creativity When You Don’t Have It

Today's guest post is contributed by Shannon Wills, who writes on the topic of x ray tech schools. She welcomes your comments at her email id: shannon1wills@rediffmail.com. I completely relate to this post. My natural creativity ends in the kitchen. Developing creativity elsewhere is something that I am working on. Thanks for the helpful tips Shannon.


I was always of the opinion that you could never develop creativity – you either have it or you don’t. I’ve always believed that you’re born with the creative instinct, that it is an innate ability and that there is no way to artificially induce it. But then, my relationship with a very talented and creative friend changed my perception and understanding of this ability. I don’t have an iota of creativity in me when it comes to working with my hands and making stuff. But I realized that if you are clever enough, you could trick creativity into making a home inside you, even if it is only on a temporary basis. And if you’re looking for ways to do this, read on:

• Copy without guilt: One way to get into the creativity game when you’re a novice is to copy your creative friends without any guilt whatsoever. I’m not saying you must steal their ideas, just that you could follow their lead and accord credit where it’s due. When you begin to learn by copying, you’re getting the hang of it. This forms a platform or lays the foundation for you to develop your own creative ideas.

• Learn by association: When you hang out with someone who is creative, you begin to learn by association. You start to think like they do and you’re often inspired by their work. You begin to learn about the practical side of creativity – the materials you could use and the tasks that can be done without too much effort. And when you really want to develop creativity, you’ll find that it comes to you when you persevere.

• Don’t be afraid to experiment: The best part about creativity is that there are no rules or standards. So in essence, anything goes. As long as you’re using your brain and coming up with new ideas to make your own stuff, you’re good to go. So don’t worry about gaining approval or praise from anyone else when you try to get creative. It’s all about gaining confidence in yourself and your newfound abilities.

• Know that even geniuses struggle: And if you’re having trouble once in a while or even more often than not, remember that even the best of creative geniuses are not free from mental blocks that hamper the flow of their creative juices. Give yourself time to learn, time to experiment, and time to grow as a creative thinker and doer, and watch the difference in the way you make things from scratch.