Creativity for Non-Creatives

Do you think of yourself as unimaginative? Are you struggling to come up with new ideas?

As Charles Darwin famously said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.” The last couple of years have certainly shown that to be true. We've been impressed by the way enterprising people came up with creative solutions to various business problems.

But what if you are not naturally creative? Can you still pivot your business?

Our clients tell us that we're an imaginative bunch, and we tend to agree, but we're going to let you into a secret...we're not always bursting with ideas!

What if we told you could easily boost your creativity?

First up, you need to relax....

Have you ever struggled with a crossword or Wordle (pssst....if you like Wordle, try Waffle) only to come back to it later and the answer just pops into your head? It is no surprise that Archimedes had his "Eureka" moment whilst in the bath! Clarity of thought might come to you while walking, horseriding, doing yoga or stroking a cat. It's the act of letting your mind wander that's important.

Of course, it wasn't as simple as having a relaxing bath that put Archimedes on his journey of displacement discovery - it was a lot to do with the fact that he noticed water spilling over the edge and realised there was a connection to his body weight!

Put simply, in order to be inventive, we need to pave the way for our brain to connect the challenge at hand with our past experiences, in an environment conducive to provoking ideas.

Steve Jobs described this as "connecting the dots". However, as the late entrepreneur pointed out "Most people don't have enough dots to connect because they haven't had many diverse experiences."

(And, as Domhnall Macsween said in a recent OnFARM podcast "Experiences are what makes life worth living".)

So, you need to "increase your dots"! There are several ways you could do this. For example:

Be a culture vulture - Creativity breeds creativity - Visiting an art gallery is a great way to kickstart some ideas, especially if it's not something you usually do.

Not near a gallery?  Check out The Travelling Gallery . Their current exhibition 'Reconnect' travels throughout Scotland between September and December.  Also take a look at the archived exhibition 'What's For Tea?' which explored sustainable food production and community initiatives through film, installation, sculpture, print and the written word.

Many galleries and artists have online archives of past exhibitions. Take a look at Tonya McMullan's work 'The Lure of Tomorrow's Harvests' in collaboration with Roslin Institute which is an archive of honey collected in the Lothians during lockdown (when there was less pollution).  Tate Liverpool recently hosted Radical Landscapes – a multi-media exhibition featuring illegal raves in the 1990s, the Greenham peace camp and a whole host of artwork to challenge our perceptions of green and pleasant land.

Live it up - There is nothing like a live performance, especially after two years of pandemic restrictions.  The Touring Network is made up of a diverse mix of people and organisations including village hall committees, promoters and performers covering a region from Shetland to Campbeltown with the aim of bringing remarkable performances to rural Scotland.

Travel - we all know that travel broadens the mind but you don't have to go too far to gain a new insight or perspective. Love agricultural shows? Why not visit a neighbouring county show?  Not travelled on a bus or train in decades?  Now's your chance!

Try something new - Swap a livestock auction for a fine art auction, tune into a different radio station, sketch, bake, go a different route... See more ideas here

Play - We know that as children play, the more neural pathways grow and strengthen in their brain. The same applies to adults!

Finally,

Get it down - Creativity can show up unexpectedly! - Carry a notebook or record ideas on your phone. Don't worry too much about getting it right at this stage (and remember, if you have an idea on the back burner that needs some marketing help, get in touch!).

Have a good, creative week.

p.s. We always love feedback from our emails and we'd particularly like to hear how you have managed to "increase your dots"!

‍