HOW TO BUILD CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS. One school of thought advocates the idea that creativity can be taught while another school of thought opposes it by saying creativity is always inborn. The debate rages throughout the world – and remains inconclusive. When the same question arises in the context of design, OPUS vocally supports the contention that it is very much possible for a candidate to develop his creative thinking skills. In fact, OPUS trains aspiring designers to face the creative ability test in NID and NIFT exams and therefore it has strong, compelling reasons to suggest so. However, before proceeding to discuss several methods to build creative thinking potential, one must be made aware of the fact that a creative bent of mind is a pre-requisite in candidates. The inclination to pursue a career in the realm of creativity must bloom from a strong and genuine urge to express oneself instead of banal attractions like glamour and remuneration governing one’s choice. Rest assured that with OPUS as your mentor, no creative challenge remains an unsolved mystery. You are allowed to explore the depths and gain confidence in order to express yourself in refreshingly original and innovative ways.
Contents
How to improve Creativity | BUILD CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS
Creativity and lateral thinking get a tremendous boost if a clutch of behavioral and habitual practices are analysed and paid attention to. As we know creativity is broadly defined as an art of thinking, imagining or doing something new in a different way in order to classify it as unique and practical, let us first take up a host of behavioral trends for discussion in this OPUS design blog.
Need for change
One should feel the need to bring in change. Necessity is the mother of creativity. Unless one grows uncomfortable with the present, innovation cannot set in. In order to trigger lateral thinking, OPUS believes candidates should frame surroundings and the environment in such a manner that necessities and requirements always remain in plenty.
Find faults
OPUS is of the view that a creative designer should always find fault or shortcomings in the existing designs. Because every design lacks perfection and we are always in pursuit of the perfect design. The quest proves elusive but it certainly enables to grow less imperfect. When designers look for problems or flaws, there is an inherent inclination to come up with something better, to upgrade it the existing output. Every innovation begins with requirements – and requirements are proportional to fault findings. Develop the attitude of finding mistakes and defects in whatever you come across – in designs and everything around you.
Be different
In design tests, you are often asked questions to test your ability to perceive things differently. List possible ways to utilise a used toothbrush or suggest if safety pin can be used as an electric connector. OPUS has found that most of the candidates perceive things in the usual or normal way. If you observe things differently, the creative spark is there. So be different, think differently and do things differently. Try to spot the unusual, the hidden and raise questions.
Exposure
OPUS has observed that design candidates derive benefits when they expose themselves to different situations. In order to be creative, one should be aware of many things in many areas. A graphic designer should not restrict himself to the world of graphics. Interior designs and visual communications should figure in his pursuit though he is not specializing in it. When the restrictions are removed, diverse ways to think manage to find space. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, observe things and surroundings, stay keen to absorb more. Never neglect the small, finer details or minor issues. An electronic chip is small, but it is almost equal to a human brain.
Sharing ideas
OPUS encourages the habit of sharing thoughts and ideas with friends, family, guides and teachers as it helps candidates in more ways than one. Your vision – the way of looking at things around – is always assessed by others. They can judge the merit in thinking and find loopholes so that you can rectify yourself at an early stage. Their suggestions enable you to look at other ideas. Candidates discover the potential of teamwork and collaborative effort to polish and refine an idea. Locate mistakes in what others have suggested and analyse them impartially in order to avoid repeating those errors.
Assess ideas from others
OPUS supports the view that design guys should respond to what their friends have come up with. Try and locate errors in how they conceived it. Find merits in their concepts and what other ideas can be derived from them. Also keep in mind how superior their creative output is. A competitive assessment enables you to judge where you rank in terms of creative standards and how much effort you need to invest in order to outperform the peers.
Live in assumptions
OPUS feels when designers imagine things, they imagine impossible things and that is perhaps what makes them highly creative. Consider anything and make suitable assumptions on how to deal with it. Unwrap your imagination and think crazily. Do not remain conscious of the fact that what you are imagining will be laughed at. Inhibition damages creativity. Let it flow out. Discover the power of assumptions.
Observe and analyse others
Watching and understanding others develops your power to analyse. Find how creative they are, read their expressions to analyse character. Children are crazy. Observe their actions and get inspired. Boost your speed of observing them. OPUS advocates the healthy trend of observation.
Fear of failure
In order to be creative, one must be prepared to undertake risks of failure, criticism and rejection from people. When a designer does things differently, he should be ready to face flak and still keep doing things differently. If you tend to withdraw yourself, you are denying yourself the chance to prove critics wrong. Most people are afraid of taking the creative plunge. Jettison the fear of failure and give it a shot. Not taking risks is the biggest drawback. Whether your design is going to take the world by storm or not becomes clear only when you have made it. Keep trying and evolving and get closer to success. OPUS celebrates the power of participation to push the creative bar.
Confidence
As discussed already, OPUS insight reveals that criticism affects many creative people and they lose confidence. If this state prevails, generation of ideas gets impaired. Appreciate the output of your ideas factory, but resist plunging into a narcissistic state. Keep doing things differently with aplomb in order to make progress in the field of creativity.
Jotting down ideas
Ideas strike you like a sudden flash. When you are least prepared for it. Risk of losing the idea makes it important to note it down. OPUS urges you to develop the habit of writing down thoughts and revise them later to understand the full potential.
Comparisons
OPUS agrees it is always a healthy exercise to assess where you stand in terms of creativity. Find out how different you are, where you lag behind and what your strengths are. A complete appraisal of this kind will give you mirror view of your potential and pitfalls. Work on them accordingly and take lessons to ameliorate your creative standards. If you are highly ambitious, you can start assessing where you stand vis-à-vis distinguished professionals operating in the design field.
Shun routine
Performing the same tasks in a routine manner often acts as a dampener. Boredom sets in and such a milieu impedes lateral thoughts. Avoid doing inane things at a stretch. Take a break from your schedule and pursue some refreshing exercises to fight ennui. Watching movies, reading books, music and gaming, travel and sight-seeing are some relaxants to indulge in depending on your taste. Follow this OPUS wisdom and transform yourself.
Positive minded pals
OPUS recommends staying in the company of positive-minded people who support and boost you. Stay away from carping critics who pick faults all the time. Your circle plays a decisive role in shaping your creative vision. Those who get inspired by your works are also preferable because they will make you realise your potential and urge you to keep believing yourself. Your confidence will not waver.
Be pragmatic
OPUS has already stressed this aspect – stay practical in approach. Develop crazy thoughts but as a designer you should make sure that almost all your ideas are practical.
Having discussed vital behavioral practices for every aspiring designer, OPUS takes the opportunity to explore the set of habitual practices to build creative thinking skills.
Patterns and puzzles
Brainstorming exercises like puzzles and math games should be practiced regularly. Research proves that lateral thoughts are developed when a person spends time with patterns. Observing the trend of the pattern or framing a new pattern are good ways of brainstorming. It is difficult to find designers with mathematical ability. A creative person with good mathematical ability performs well in his career. Even if you do not possess a mathematical background, going through the basics is highly recommended by OPUS experts.
Multiple engagements
Doing things simultaneously enhances your diverse capabilities. Cultivate the habit of performing multiple activities. Try listening to music while browsing or think of creative ideas while travelling or jogging. OPUS tom-toms multi-tasking for you.
Supportive environment
Calm and noise-free milieu, active state, stress-free living, access to green surroundings and proper natural ventilation will boost creative output. The place you live or work from should stimulate lateral thinking ability. OPUS encourages design aspirants to live in harmony with nature.
Be productive
Respect time and make good use of the available hours. Instead of squandering time on chatting and watching television shows, spend time to think and analyse the world around you. Reading books or browsing topics of interest is a healthy pursuit. Never stay idle. Keep your mind engaged with some food for thought. OPUS prods you to churn ideas.
Gaming
Research reveals that playing games – mind, action, and puzzling video games – enriches lateral thinking. Age is no bar for playing games. Sudoku is one worthy example.
Art, Craft and DIY
Demonstrate creative aptitude through doodling, sketching, painting, or any other artwork. Even if you are not good at sketching, go for it. Cultivate the habit of visiting art galleries, going through crafts and designs in order to develop new perspectives. Find creative people online and connect with them, stay updated with their creative works by analyzing their ideas. This will curb your fear of being different because the creative ecosystem will inspire you to stay involved.
DIY – Do it yourself – is a good way to start lateral thinking. Utilizing waste things to make something new generates fresh possibilities. Develop DIY thoughts with unused objects and waste material. Trust OPUS and find the amazing benefits.
Solitude
Spending time alone is important for a creative soul. Reserve a few hours for brooding every day. When you are alone, your mind is free to come up with new thoughts and this builds lateral thinking. Successful OPUS candidates have always done so in the past. New ones are encouraged to follow the footsteps.
Learning is a continuous process. Pore over new content as it fertilizes your mind to incubate novel ideas. Going through unrelated topics demands greater concentration on the subject. OPUS faculty prescribes it for design nerds.
Errors
A mistake is not the equivalent of failure. It is a part of the learning process. But make sure mistakes are not repeated. Do not be afraid of committing mistakes. An attempt has to be made otherwise you are not able to learn. OPUS guides tell you the immense power of learning lessons from mistakes.
Music
Listening to music relaxes the mind and this enables to create ideas. Experiments show that slow, soft melodies and classical music soothe the mind whereas the pop, rock variety boosts confidence and keeps the mind active.
Open up
The world comprises good and bad people. Some people will try to impede your growth and ridicule your efforts. Do not get affected by criticism, just keep trying and one day they will realise their mistakes. OPUS opines: let your work shine.
Photography
Carefully observe all the elements and parts in the photograph. Pay attention to the background. It is a good exercise for the mind. Improved visualization delivers good result. Better observation leads to more creative thoughts. OPUS eggs you see more.
Inspiring work
If you do interesting work, you take less time to do it. Your productivity is directly proportional to your interest. Pursue activities where application of creativity generates interest. It is important to work with satisfaction.
Storyboard
Illustrating a story is a creative way of delivering ideas. Try framing an interesting story using illustrations. Concentrate on a character and narrate the story in the form of sketches.
Places
Visit spots like museums and art galleries and science exhibitions and historic places to learn a lot. The works on display provide you with ideas to stimulate your thinking.
Physical exercises
Aside from mental practices to activate lateral thinking, physical exercises also play a positive role. Walking or cycling, playing tennis or swimming are some productive indulgences that control lethargy and procrastination.
Sense of humour
Laughter is the best medicine. Leading stress-free lives is the key to happiness. Jokes and comic interludes relax the mind. Humorous, fun-loving people tend to be more witty and creative. Sharp, instant response mechanism demands good lateral thinking.
Teaching
Teaching is an art that requires practice. While teaching, you think of ways to communicate with listeners, to deliver the message effectively and prepare the questions to be answered. OPUS faculty believes in this truth. And their efforts contain similar pearls of wisdom that design aspirants need to inculcate in order to flourish. Attending OPUS classes will make you aware of how much truth is hidden in this observation. If students begin to follow it judiciously, they will make substantial progress.
Food habits
Healthy food habits support thinking ability. Nutritious food intake is required to activate the nerves of the body. Experiments confirm that consuming liquid drinks, particularly water, keeps us active. OPUS slogs hard along with students and that is why they produce outstanding results to feel proud of.
Movies
Watching cartoon strips or creative animated movies enable us to understand how impossibilities were depicted as possibilities. Push the limits of creative thinking. OPUS eggs you to enrich visual experiences to think visually. Remember, your mind will see it before the world sees it.
Culture
Meeting people from diverse backgrounds and different cultures always broadens outlook. Designers gain a lot through exploration of multiple cultures. OPUS institutes bring people from diverse backgrounds under the same roof. Because they are driven by the urge to create. If you are an aspiring creator of stunning designs, you should interact with as many people as much possible without holding any bias or prejudice.
Reading stories
Last but certainly not the least is the advice for wannabe designers to read more. Short stories impart moral lessons that are good for developing and learning new ideas. Reading illustrated story books enhances exposure to a medley of visual narratives.
These valuable tips surely help design aspirants to hone their creative thinking skills. As a true guide, OPUS shares these self-improvement ideas. In the same breath it is also important to stress the fact that these are time-intensive exercises and the improvement reflects gradually over a period of time. For those aspirants who want proper grasp over the creative ability test, it is important to seek tutelage from a leading coaching institute like OPUS where the best trained minds deliver amazing fundamental knowledge and quick learning techniques to help aspirants to sharpen their creative vision in the shortest possible time. There are certain areas where you need greater precision in focus in order to tackle the creative sections in design tests.
Outlined below are some key areas where mentoring helps in finding the right way to develop. OPUS role gets stellar here.
For instance, brainstorming and free thinking in an environment where other applicants are also doing the same will trigger healthy competition. When guides conduct such sessions they are able to steer it in a direction where the output is commendable with collective participation. Each one knows how much he has contributed to it and how much he should have ideally contributed. It gives him insight into how well received his ideas are and how he should tweak them in order to gain more appreciation from peers and faculty.
Idea breeding techniques is another area of improvement. Surely experienced mentors are in a better position to tell design aspirants the techniques to follow in order to generate more out of the box ideas at a rapid pace.
Attending the OPUS institute will spur design candidates to undertake certain activities that will trigger creative thinking. Tasks for improving observation and audio skills will further enhance the creative output in terms of quality and amount. Thematic thinking – based on issues – also leads to development of innovative ideation.
Fundamental elements of design are brushed at OPUS – to enable design candidates to strengthen the basics. Where the formal training scores high is in the cultivation of a sense of composition. Drawing and freehand sketching are good trial methods to develop sensibilities in design. Color tools and techniques are also stressed well for aspirants to gain proficiency in.
Creative writing seems irrelevant for design students but idea generation and thematic detailing figure importantly in the scheme of things. The ability to explain in interesting ways and attach themes in executing novel concepts cannot be possible without a way with words. OPUS helps aspirants to develop proper creative expression that students require for the upcoming studio test and interview in leading design colleges.
Apart from imagination and design exposure, colour perception, scale and proportion and sensitivity to colour also matter a lot. Logic and ordering principle also need to be brushed up in aspirants for 2017 design exams. OPUS teaches products are designed for a purpose. Evaluation of imagination and memory drawing are some other techniques to boost creative thinking. Symbols, pictograms and communication design, 3D form and visualizing 3D objects are important elements to improve flair for design. Neatness of presentation and inspired design creation are immensely productive.
Practice sessions with past entrance papers and mock creative ability tests are exceptionally well-designed to bring the best out of aspirants in 2017. Once aspirants gain perspective, proportion and composition strengths, the road to success is paved. The role essayed by OPUS in this long journey to achieve creative excellence is highly appreciable because it is designed to challenge the popular notion that creativity cannot be taught. OPUS shows the way to achieve so and prove that even those with no formal background in creative grooming can realise their potential and enhance their creativity for the purpose of excellence in design career.
Come and fulfil the creative dreams without fears. Soar high and set new benchmarks of creative excellence in design.
All the best!
__________
Related Post: NID: Why is it Crucial to Build Observation Skills
