Everyone with a brain is capable of enhancing their creative thinking. One way to do this is to observe and suspend judgment. If you approach new concepts with an open mind, you will find that finding new ideas is as accessible as taking steps in a new environment in uncharted territory. As creatures of habit, most people are comfortable with predictability and routine. This also means that the stimuli we subject ourselves to through whatever we listen to, look at or learn from will stay the same. Walking/bike riding down a different street, taking a different bus route, eating at an exotic-looking restaurant or being physically active in non-routine ways can help shatter any perceived creative blocks. Even admiring art pieces like Albrecht Dürer’s 4 Horsemen can stir the imagination.
Words of Wisdom from an acclaimed Mentalist
Famed Metnalist the Amazing Kreskin suggests a simple exercise where if one is reading a book, let their finger fall on any random noun on a page, take note of it, and then repeat the process at least five times. After that, take the nouns in pairs of 2 and try to make a sentence with it. (Kreskin, 60) This forces the brain to think creatively as there is no established, ritualistic pattern to fall back. Ex: Phlegm Trails Clearly, this technique is not only economically feasible (Just a trip to the library will do if you don’t have books) but has infinite possibilities.
For corporations with resources, Kreskin suggests a best practice that he learned of in Japan: sending employees to an island with no distractions so they are filled with inspiration when they come back. Those employees may not have called it as such, but to gain ideas from being present in nature is a form of Mimesis: The act of representing or imitating reality in art. (Accented Cinema, 2024)
Finally, Kreskin also asserts (A Mentalist with decades of experience hypnotizing people for entertainment would be a wise person to listen to since he has shown consummate skill with suggestibility) that “all ideas, no matter how outlandish, have merit and can be made to work. This assumption turns off the suppression of your very creative unconscious to produce a wealth of ideas that might otherwise never be dredged to the surface and presented to you.” (Kreskin, 61)
Education as a pathway for enhanced Creative Thinking
If you seek a more systematic approach to enhancing creative thinking, online platforms such as Skillshare and SkillSuccess offer plenty of courses and resources to help you develop creative thinking while gaining new skills. It might also be beneficial to observe the latest trends in technology to see how some people have used their thoughts to produce something valuable to others and themselves.
A good example is the fliteboard, which combines kite surfing with hydrofoil. (Something that looks like a surfboard with a motor) To see it in action will incite your mind, and learning its origin story is even better. This fun-looking apparatus was created by a world record-holding kite surfer who “didn’t want to wait for the wind.” (Fliteboard.com, About us) A simple self-directed question can be all it takes to break any blocks, especially if posed to AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
Barriers to Creativity
There may be a psychosocial component that is the culprit behind stagnated creativity. If it’s depression, Kreskin recommends being productive in health-promoting activities such as “Fresh Air, healthy foods, and an active life are the best cures for depression (and seek counselling if these don’t do the trick).” (Kreskin, 72)
Navigating Copyright Infringement with 4 Steps
Sometimes, it’s not something that is going on inside of you but something external and primordial, such as not wanting to engage in copyright infringement once the idea has taken shape and has been executed. Yang Zhang of Accented Cinema suggests that to balance the fine line between appropriating ideas and avoiding the negative aspects of copyright infringement, there are four methods to utilize: 1.) Announce your Theft, 2.) Steal From the Rich 3.) Have a sense of Humour, and 4.) Steal, not rob.
Methodology no. 1 is achieved by keeping where you got the idea, especially if it’s an established character or icon. An example is Wong Jing’s City Hunter movie, featuring Jackie Chan fighting in clothes from the Street Fighter franchise due to obtaining the character license.
Methodology 2 emphasizes that if you need ideas to take from the rich, they will hardly be impacted by intellectual theft as someone who is a struggling artist. The sheer amount of influence would make any attempt at appropriation appear as a parody and certainly not worth litigation if the person/company has no money. No.3 builds on this notion of using Humour as a charm to make the audience (or whoever has noticed that your creative thinking has not been so creative) love and appreciate your ideas/creation while dismissing the apparent copyright infringement.
Methodology no.4 Steal not Rob reminds you that if you take an idea, only take part and try to put your unique spin on it. The concept of not trying to ‘reinvent the wheel’ is applicable here, in the sense that while the idea may be similar, it has enough of its originality that the creative thinker would not be seen as a copycat but a true artist. Yang recommends that ample resources be provided to emerging artists while protecting the creations of existing, established ones.
How to Steal ideas responsibly to curb stunted creative thinking
This sentiment is echoed by author Adam J. Kurt, who explains that when people say ‘Great Artists Steal,’ it’s mainly about imitation vs inspiration. ”Imitation is laziness or refusal to accept your influences. Inspiration is recognizing that influence and turning it into something new.”
Parting Words: The Big Picture Problem (Unchallenged Dogmatic Beliefs and Monetary System)
While there are a myriad of ways to rev the image engine of our minds, stalwart Freedom Fighter and champion of becoming the “true media” Mark Passio shows where the real problem lies using the story of Nikola Tesla, his belief in universal enlightenment and the Wardenclyffe Tower as an example. Tesla’s funders Nathan Rothchild, J.P. Morgan and John Jacob Astor were more interested in controlling and profiting from energy than finding ways to make free energy for everyone.
Going further into the past and its effect on the present, Mark explains that the “fight or flight” state of consciousness stemming from the reptilian portion of the brain we have, and the invention of money and the endless desire and pursuit of it, supplant our highest ideals and leave us with a scarcity mindset, ultimately creating a scenario where “humanity has collectively become incapable of truly creative and liberating thinking.”
Creative thinking lies within all of us, and how we choose to achieve it, therein lies our empowerment.
References:
Anime News Network. (2024). Answerman FAQ: ‘How do I get my idea made into an anime?’ [online] Available at: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2013-10-18 [Accessed 3 Feb. 2024].
Douglas, N. (2017). An Artist Explains What ‘Great Artists Steal’ Really Means. [online] Lifehacker. Available at: https://lifehacker.com/an-artist-explains-what-great-artists-steal-really-me-1818808264.
Fliteboard USA. (n.d.). FliteboardTM eFoil | Most Awarded Electric Hydrofoil Surfboard – FliteboardTM USA. [online] Available at: https://fliteboard.com/en-ca [Accessed 3 Feb. 2024].
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2020). The Four Horsemen, from The Apocalypse. [online] Metmuseum.org. Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/336215.
SkillShare (2014). Online Classes by Skillshare | Start for Free Today. [online] Skillshare. Available at: https://www.skillshare.com/.
Success, S. (n.d.). Adobe Photoshop CC – Master Photoshop Like A Pro Designer. [online] Skill Success. Available at: https://www.skillsuccess.com/course/master-photoshop-cc/?swcfpc=1 [Accessed 3 Feb. 2024].
The Amazing Kreskin (No Publishing Date). The Power Within. Kreskin Inc.
www.whatonearthishappening.com. (n.d.). What On Earth Is Happening. [online] Available at: https://www.whatonearthishappening.com/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2024].
www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Mark Passio – Scarcity To Abundance. [YouTube video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMRLDFChjtc [Accessed 3 Feb. 2024].
www.youtube.com. (n.d.). World Wide Creativity in Copyright Infringement | Video Essay. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAoC8svYXts&list=WL&index=1 [Accessed 3 Feb. 2024].
