Improving Your Creative Imagination

Start by exercising your basic imagination. This can be as simple as thinking in pictures more, or listening to music in your mind. Start playing little "movies" in your mind, until you can watch them on command. It's a simple process, but for those of us that can't easily do it naturally, it can take a lot of practice. Fortunately, it is not an unpleasant activity.

The second step to developing a more creative imagination is to get more creative in your thinking and imagining. Pay attention to your creativity, because our subconscious minds give us more of what we pay attention to. If you ignore creative aspects of your life, you're telling your subconscious they're unimportant. On the other hand, if you notice when you're creative, your subconscious mind will start feeding you more creative ideas.

Having different surroundings can also encourage your creativity. Want more creativity in your love life? Try hiking up a mountain with your partner. Are you a writer? Try sitting on a roof to write. Looking for creative new ideas for your business? Bring a notebook to the park and sit by the duck pond. A change of environment can get your thinking out of it's ruts.

You can also play games that exercise your creative imagination. One such game uses a technique called "concept combination." Played alone or with other players, you combine random concepts or things in new ways, to see who has the best idea. A thermometer and a billboard, for example, could generate an idea for a sign that checks the weather and adjusts the message accordingly ("Come in out of the heat for a cold beverage," or "Come in out of the rain and warm up with our gourmet coffee.").