A PaperSpecs webinar about How Habits Influence Creativity by Stefan Mumaw.

I really enjoyed this webinar that I watched yesterday, so I am sharing some of the key points.

Habits play a role in our creative level. Creativity and habits coincide and we gain creative energy through the habits we employ or don’t employ. We can control our creativity.

We define creativity as problem solving. We sometimes mistake artistry for creativity. The two often overlap but you can not be creative without a problem to solve.

Habits that positively influence creativity:

– Journaling: you need to record ideas and get them out of your head – make room for new ideas
– Puzzles: problem solving, you can train yourself to be better
– Creativity Exercises: you need a purpose to be creative
– Million Dollar Idea List: something that can grow creatively. Products, services, silly ideas etc. What would make you a million?
– Texture Exploring: Pay attention to the things you usually take for granted – daily route, your desk
– Purposeful Exploration: find creative inspiration in traditional media – take a purposeful look at these things – pay attention while watching tv, reading newspaper and find ways that others have expressed their creativity. Often we use these mediums to escape but we should look at them in a different way.
– The power of Novelty: we want what is new, a new solution, a way it has never been done but what are our personal habits (new way home, new lunch spot)? We have to be willing to take in the novelty around us and experience new things. The habit of trying something new should be encouraged.
– Human Interaction: we are communal creatures – creativity is born from experience including other peoples. All people solve problems – surround yourself with people different from you. We need new perspectives.

Habits that negatively influence creativity:

– Failure to Start: scarred to get ideas off the ground.  creativity is meant to be a process and it is better to start even if you don’t finish.
– Failure to Document: leaving ideas in your head takes up space for new ideas to form
– Poor Time Management: need to make room to develop ideas
– Boredom: completely solvable – you have a mind and body to fight off boredom
– Routine: challenge routine, can we find a better routine or better way.
– Isolation: influences creativity in a negative way. A bad habit is creatives only surrounding themselves by other creatives.
– Apathy: have to be purposeful and want to solve the problem

Fear squashes creativity. Two significant areas of fear that play a role in our creative level:

– fear of failure: not willing to take a risk
– fear of judgment: plays a role in how creative we choose to be

For example: Steve Jobs doesn’t care what people say and that is why Apple has continued to stay innovative and creative. He has ability to put fear of failure and judgment aside.

Exploration of our own creative habits

– Concept Choices – is it always the same?
– Design Choices: fonts, colors, etc. Do we need to break a pattern?
– Paper Choices: do we use the same stocks all the time? are we afraid to try color and texture?

Habits we can form to improve creativity – three concepts to apply to yourself:

– No Creativity without Purpose: create the problem and define it if you need to. You can not be creative without a solution to solve.
– No Creativity without Restriction: the more restrictive the problem, the more creative the solution.
– No Creativity without Action: need to pursue it and make it our own responsibly to make ourselves more creative

WE CONTROL OUR OWN HABITS! Creativity is a habit you need to practice everyday.

Images and content copyright Stefan Mumaw.