Today, this advanced world exists only because of the creative minds of people here. Creativity begins with imagination. When a person imagines a specific product, they strive harder to bring it to exist to make their lives easier. Everyone wants their dreams to come to life, don’t they? Creativity is used in every aspect of life and it is, therefore, equally difficult to acquire.
Critical thinking is a very valuable skill that every student must have in today’s world, only then can one succeed. Critical thinking and creativity are closely linked. When a student practices critical thinking, he/she not only learns how to solve problems but also how to look for creative ways to tackle those situations. Creative thinking includes analysis, open-mindedness, problem-solving, organization, and communication. Practicing creativity has numerous benefits- boost in confidence, improved expression, a greater sense of freedom, and most importantly stress relief-being some of them. If you are a school student and looking for guidance to boost your creative skills, you have landed at the correct location so let’s dive right in!
INVEST IN YOURSELF
Every person is an asset to themselves and in life, two things that prove to be constant for a person- the person themselves and change. You need to create a life that you love and therefore you need to invest in yourself to enhance your skills and gain experience to fit in the creative field. Investing in oneself consists of putting time, effort, money, and other available resources into making your life better that too in a sustainable way. Students tend to get attracted to material things instead of prosperous opportunities that will contribute to their experiences and make a huge impact on how well they fit in the creative industry later in life. With the world turning digital and providing all services at just a click, we know that there are numerous online learning platforms, for instance, Coursera, Udemy, DesignerShala, LinkedIn Learning, and Skillshare. Many artists host live workshops to guide students looking for help to step into this field, these resources nowadays successfully provide students with a framework to work on at a reasonable and affordable price and without any location barriers. Now is the time to avail the best quality services from the masters of this industry.
Source: Money Crashers
SHIFT YOUR GENRE
Netflix? Perfect stress-buster, right? Now all you need to do is shift your genre which means instead of focusing on the drama, focus on the artistic and design-based shows/ movies. You need to train your mind in a way that even if you are watching romantic comedies, action, or thriller movies, you take note of the aesthetics, design complexity, color psychology, and outfits of characters in the respective movie or show. Some must watch are Next In Fashion, Masaba Masaba, Girl in the City, Emily In Paris, Work It. These shows/ movies show how one conveys their personality through their outfits and also the process and life of people in the creative field. While students love to binge-watch and don’t end up doing anything truly productive, this is a practice that improves their thinking skills through the method that they would love and can happily engage with. It's a win-win!
COLLABORATE WITH PEER ARTISTS
Nowadays, many young artists are collaborating and making artworks where they switch their canvases every 10 minutes. They just add what comes to their mind and go with the flow! This exercise helps you to think of new concepts to synchronize with the theme of the work and also helps you to interpret the creative thinking of your peer artists. You learn new ways of thinking and that positively impacts the uniqueness and newness of the art pieces that you create after learning from this experience. It helps you to convey yourself in a way you have never done before. The audience wants something different and every artist should engage in such collaborative activities to bring a profitable result. Collaboration leads to exceptional art projects, taking risks, and helps you create a brand image as well as an identity of your own.
Source: Academy of Art University
KNOW YOUR MARKET
Isn’t it much easier to work on something when you know the requirements and expected results? Of course, it is because it helps you create a vision for your final work. Every student should learn and adopt the habit of conducting research and market surveys, only then he/she can create something that is genuinely wanted by society. Suppose, the market requires leisurewear in COVID lockdown times but you are busy designing heavy party wear for the audience, it would only result in loss as it doesn’t satisfy the consumer. Market Surveys are easily conducted through online survey platforms like YouTube ads, Instagram polls, Google or Microsoft forms. You just need to insert some specific questions to know the needs of your target audience and forward the form link on social media for people to fill out. You have your answers, now you can think and work in a particular direction plus the audience's needs are fulfilled too! Various professions exist only because there is an audience that pays to satisfy their needs and wants. This is what keeps the world going!
Source: Pexels
CREATE YOUR OWN IFs
Innovation doesn’t consist of some specific steps that need to be followed to get a result. Each person practices his/ her approach based on their thinking, interest, and type of work. Innovation can be practiced with an existing product by asking some simple WHAT IF questions about that product. For instance, WHAT IF the marketing of the product is done in a new way? WHAT IF we use an alternative method for the manufacturing of the product? WHAT IF we use new components? Students should use the what-if technique as much as possible, take risks, make mistakes and learn. Such questions can help you think in a new direction altogether and boost your creativity. This creativity, furthermore, would help you to have a smooth start in the industry. A ‘WHAT IF’ can go a long way!
Source: Artur
Creativity is not an easy quality to develop and it won’t happen in the blink of an eye but these are some exceptional tips that help students apply creative thinking processes. Creativity isn’t something you can develop by reading textbooks, it requires practice and application in your activities. You don’t need to keep doing these activities 24*7, but whenever you decide and sit down to practice your creative skills, these important key tips will help you to boost your skills and bring a new positive change in your work.
The fear of trying a new approach or taking risks in life may hold you back from achieving your goals and earning your dreams, bringing them to real life. Be courageous enough to take risks because new situations and problems are always going to come into your life. One thing you need to always remember is creativity begins with imagination, and imagination comes from the courage to think better. SO THINK, GATHER COURAGE, PRESENT, AND CREATE!