One way to stimulate the creative part of the brain is to have adequate sleep. That may seem absurd to some but actually, sleep is very important.
If you find yourself trying to figure out a creative solution to a challenging issue, simply go to sleep! “Many people have found that a problem unresolved at bedtime seems much simpler in the morning, as if the brain had been quietly working on it overnight,” notes The Times of London. And researcher Dr. Ullrich Wagner said that “sleep acts as a creative learning process.”
So, make sure you sleep very well and that would help the creative part of your brain to function properly.
Reading is also very important in developing the creative mind. Reading a wide range of materials on various subjects from fiction to physics helps to develop the creative mind.
This is because since we are interdependent, as we read what others have researched and written down, we acquaint ourselves, not only with the beauty of the different styles of writing there are, but also to interesting pieces of information that we can join with our own to have a clearer picture that may as well be the jewel we need for our business!
Also, when we see an artwork, we listen to music, we watch a drama or a movie, let’s not simply enjoy their beauty and satisfy ourselves with that.
It’s helpful to imagine what may have moved that artist, that musician the playwright or scriptwriter to come up with such a masterpiece. In other words, it is helpful to seek to know beyond what is obvious. And that is a way to develop our creative minds.
It is no wonder, then, that proverbs are very beautiful and powerful. Both the one that creates the proverb and the one to whom it is said have their creative minds stimulated to get the meaning.
And when the meaning is gotten, it is not applied to just one event or phenomenon but to a wide range of life’s experiences. By putting the thought processes to work that way, our imagination is heightened, and our understanding is enhanced, opening doors to creativity before us.
Developing interest is also very crucial for creativity and innovation. When we have interest in something, we learn it with a passion and practice it with finesse. Thus it is important that you develop interest in entrepreneurship. No one can force you to do so.
Today, many people go to school to study things they are disconnected from. Their motive is the job market and how much money they can make.
But that is short-sighted and kills creativity. In his popular speech to students at Stanford University, Jobs encouraged them to look for their passion and follow it. He said “Keep looking.
Don’t settle.” If you also keep looking and not settle till you find what you want, that is when your power of creativity and innovation would be triggered-off for marvelous things.
It is when we all seek to develop our creative minds and elicit our potential that we can really reach our dreams. Indeed, the world would have been a better place if we were all not made to live up to someone else’s standards by the system and we did things our own unique way.
That is one huge fault that has caused retrogression in the world. I believe that there are many “Steve Jobses” who are tellers at some banks because they are struck by the myths surrounding entrepreneurship. Can you imagine how those could have contributed to changing the world?
Granted, not all of us can be entrepreneurs due to varying circumstances. So, I’m not advocating a mass conversion of everyone to entrepreneurship. However, I believe that there are many who could make great entrepreneurs out there who have settled in their comfort zone and not going out. These are the ones I’m challenging to come out.
It is not only entrepreneurs that have to develop their creative and innovative skills. Employees also need to do so in order to add value to their employers’ business.
Some talk about “intrapreneurship”, i.e., being an entrepreneur within an organization, contributing to innovation. That is also a useful way to apply one’s creativity.
However, there are some corporate organizations that simply do not encourage creativity and innovation. If you are in any such organization, please, I implore you to resign as soon as practicable!
You may be assured of your salary alright; but do you really enjoy what you are doing? Are you challenged to use your creativity? If you know you have something to offer, please don’t delay, otherwise you may live to regret some day in the future!
Free yourself!
Indeed, creativity and innovation are not the preserve of just a few. We all have the potential. And entrepreneurship is nothing mythical.
What matters is the will; if you really have the will, you’ll find the way. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived into believing that you’re not creative. If you really believe that you’re unique and you do well to unearth that uniqueness, you may find your talent.
However, be sure to not do so just to satisfy your ego or with a competitive mindset. That attitude would rather act retrogressively against your vision. Know yourself. Be yourself. Build confidence in yourself. And put yourself to work. You may as well be the world’s next Steve Jobs!
In conclusion, the veil that has long covered entrepreneurship as something reserved for a mystical few must be lifted. The belief that only select individuals are creative or innovative enough to become entrepreneurs has shackled countless minds from expressing their full potential.
As we have seen, everyone possesses within them the raw material for creativity — it is wired into our biology, our psychology, and our very humanity.
The difference lies in the decision to nurture that creativity, to boldly take risks, and to see failures not as dead ends but as bridges to higher purpose.
The systems we inherited may have dulled our vision, but they do not define our future. Each of us must take responsibility for reshaping our mindset, removing the societal blinders, and daring to walk paths uncharted by tradition.
The charge, then, is simple but profound: unshackle your innovation. Whether as a full-fledged entrepreneur or a daring intrapreneur within an organization, your creative voice is needed. The world cannot afford to lose another visionary to a system that rewards only conformity.
Refuse to be buried under the myths of inadequacy. You don’t need a genius label or a perfect pedigree to build something great — you need courage, curiosity, and an unwavering belief in your capacity to create.
The next Steve Jobs or Elon Musk might not be someone else. It could be you — if only you believe, begin, and persist.
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The author is a dynamic entrepreneur and the Founder and Group CEO of Groupe Soleil Vision, made up of Soleil Consults (US), LLC, NubianBiz.com and Soleil Publications. He has an extensive background In Strategy, Management, Entrepreneurship, Premium Audit Advisory, And Web Consulting. With professional experiences spanning both Ghana and the United States, Jules has developed a reputation as a thought leader in fields such as corporate governance, leadership, e-commerce, and customer service. His publications explore a variety of topics, including economics, information technology, marketing and branding, making him a prominent voice in discussions on development and business innovation across Africa. Through NubianBiz.com, he actively champions intra-African trade and technology-driven growth to empower SMEs across the continent.
