With a little imagination, anything is possible. Imagination is not just a useful tool when you’re coming up with ideas, or creating stories and worlds in your mind; it can also help you to enjoy more creative activities with your family and even to find creative solutions in the workplace. For this reason, everyone should make it their goal to train and cultivate their imagination, just as they might any other mental or physical skill.
It’s not so much a matter of thinking what can enhance your emotion as it is thinking about what is currently holding it back. We all have an imagination. We just need to give it encouragement to fly.
Here are some common things that hamper our creativity and prevent us from unleashing our full imagination.
Stress
Stress is the number one enemy of creativity, not to mention, our overall health. Not only does being stressed rob us of the energy or inclination to be inventive, it also prevents us from seeing all the possibilities. When we are stressed, we tend to focus on a single idea or concept and get a kind of ‘tunnel vision’. This prevents us from letting our mind wander, which is what results in the most creative ideas!
When you are really stressed, you should lower your caffeine consumption. Some people need a pot of coffee going all day, but if you’re feeling the physical tear down of stress, switch to decaf for a while.
The Environment
If you work in a dull, corporate environment, then it should be no wonder that your brain isn’t firing on all cylinders. Creativity is an input/output process, and if we are in dull, uninspired surroundings, then this prevents us from having the necessary input to be creative.
What is the best kind of ‘rich’ environment for triggering ideas? Anything natural. So get outside and go for a walk!
A Closed Mind
Prejudice doesn’t necessarily mean toward people (although that’s about as big as a locked door gets). It simply means going at something with pre-formed ideas. Our expectations and our beliefs prevent us from exploring the possible and the impossible and narrow our vision. To prevent this, try to forget your assumptions and your pre-formed judgements, and let your mind run free. A great way to accomplish that is with brainstorming. Jot down ideas, and don’t discriminate against even the most unusual and radical. You can then ‘hone’ them later.
A Lack of Practice
And finally, a lack of imagination can come down to a simple lack of practice. When was the last time that you let yourself daydream?
Well, how about now?
