{"id":23375,"date":"2019-05-14T15:41:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T15:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/motivate-research.com\/?p=23375"},"modified":"2020-09-17T17:51:47","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T17:51:47","slug":"how-to-get-unstuck-and-start-thinking-creatively-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/motivate-research.com\/how-to-get-unstuck-and-start-thinking-creatively-again\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get Unstuck and Start Thinking Creatively Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.19.12″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|2px|0px|false|false” inner_width=”auto” inner_max_width=”1080px” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title meta=”off” featured_placement=”background” _builder_version=”3.19.12″ title_font=”Montserrat|700|||||||” title_text_align=”left” title_text_color=”#ffffff” title_font_size=”80px” title_font_size_tablet=”55px” title_font_size_phone=”25px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” background_color=”#707070″ custom_css_main_element=”background-blend-mode: multiply!important;” custom_css_post_title=”max-width: 70%” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.15″ custom_margin_phone=”|||||true” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”20px|||30px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|0px||0px||true” custom_padding_phone=”|0px||0px||true” inner_width=”auto” inner_max_width=”1080px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#ff4c09″][et_pb_row use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1220px” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”3.19.12″ custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” width=”80%” max_width=”1220px”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” module_id=”blog-post-main-content” custom_padding__hover=”|||” custom_padding=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Blog Post Author” module_class=”blog-post-author” _builder_version=”3.19.12″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” header_3_font=”Roboto|700||on|||||” header_3_text_color=”#f3653b” header_3_font_size=”18px” max_width=”800px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||0px|” custom_padding=”50px|||” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n

By Mona Patel<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Blog Post Content” module_class=”blog-post-main-content” _builder_version=”3.19.12″ text_font=”Montserrat|300|||||||” text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”30px” header_2_font=”Lato|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”27px” max_width=”800px” module_alignment=”center” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n

This article was originally published on December 9, 2014 at\u00a0Forbes.com<\/a><\/span>. The original article can be found\u00a0here<\/a><\/span>.<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Everyone has their thing. The thing that ignites passion, fuels persistence and feels like it\u2019s\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0thing they are here on earth to do.<\/p>\n

Until two years ago, I thought mine was to design great experiences. In 2009, I started Motivate Design and built it to serve really special clients — clients who were nice, smart, passionate and wanted to build great experiences too. It has been a great ride.<\/p>\n

Solving problems feels great, but I realized that it\u2019s more fun and rewarding to help those clients solve problems for themselves. The teacher in me kept wanting to help people learn to do their best work; to identify the core problems.<\/p>\n

I looked around me and I saw clients who were stuck. They wanted to shift the way they thought, worked and innovated, but they weren\u2019t sure how. It became my mission to help them see that there was a space between option A and B — this gray kaleidoscopic space full of opportunities that could help them solve big, meaningful problems. So I set out to create a technique that showed people how to reframe problems as awesome opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/div>\n

Getting Out Of The Box<\/strong><\/p>\n

Start by reframing the way you think about your creative potential. Instead of imagining it as something fixed, think of it like a muscle. Everyone has it, but some people are more toned and flexible than others because they’ve used that muscle more and have worked to strengthen and hone it. To get your creativity muscle in shape, we came up with the What If Technique\u2122 (WIT).<\/p>\n

The fundamental premise is that\u00a0anyone<\/em>\u00a0can ask a question that starts with “What if,” not just design experts.\u00a0Think about it. You used to ask lots of “What if” questions as a child. And then somewhere along the way, your parents, friends, teachers (and if no one else, then your boss) probably told you to stop. To get back in the box. To color within the lines. To stop asking questions that couldn’t be answered — or at least were really, really hard to answer.<\/p>\n

Tap back into that childhood brilliance uninhibited by rules and ask, \u201cWhat if\u2026?\u201d\u00a0The goal is\u00a0to help you see the difference between facts and beliefs, to reframe the impossible as the possible, and to see problems as opportunities. Doing so will help you\u00a0discover and overcome your patterns of thinking \u2013 your \u201cblind spots.\u201d You will confront your fears and the excuses that prevent you from coming up with those fantastic, innovative ideas and more importantly, doing anything with those ideas.<\/p>\n

The Reframe<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can you solve every problem by reframing it and asking what if? What would a personal trainer say? Some problems (and people) are tougher than others. But yes, in theory, everyone should be able to achieve their own form of healthy. And therefore, every problem\u00a0does<\/em>\u00a0have a solution. The\u00a0ultimate goal is for you to believe that you are creative.<\/p>\n

That means starting by getting yourself in the right frame of mind. You can do this by choosing at least one piece of the following list to focus on for the rest of your week; it’s an exercise we use at the beginning of workshops, in our office and with our clients. Write it down in your notebook. Print it out and keep it on your desk. Take it in, ruminate on it for a bit, and then try to apply it to your life:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The status quo is often just a lingering trend; it stifles innovation.<\/li>\n
  2. So-called \u201ccreatives\u201d do not have a monopoly on creative output.<\/li>\n
  3. Examine your beliefs; don\u2019t limit your creativity by framing your beliefs as facts.<\/li>\n
  4. To sustain a competitive advantage, \u201cgood enough\u201d is never good enough; push for continuous innovation on the macro- and micro-scale.<\/li>\n
  5. Discover, and then let go of the negatives you carry.<\/li>\n
  6. The way forward is between Option A and Option B — explore that delightful, kaleidoscopic gray space.<\/li>\n
  7. We all have Excuse Personas; figure yours out and check your B.S. at the door.<\/li>\n
  8. Just saying \u201cno\u201d is easy; figuring out the \u201chow\u201d is the challenge.<\/li>\n
  9. Never underestimate the power and reach of your allies and ammo.<\/li>\n
  10. If you think it\u2019s all been done before, you\u2019re wrong.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Your next big idea might be\u00a0just a reframe away. Could it be the big multimillion-dollar idea that will be your new company? Maybe. More importantly, you will have great ideas, momentum to move forward and the confidence to say, \u201cI have amazing ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Related Posts” module_id=”recent-posts” _builder_version=”3.19.12″ text_font=”Montserrat||||||||” header_font_size=”20px” max_width=”800px” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”100px||100px|” global_module=”20731″ text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n\n

    [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_color=”#67b9ac” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” module_class=”right-sidebar modoc” custom_padding__hover=”|||” custom_padding=”|||”][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” height=”25px” _builder_version=”3.19.12″ global_module=”23073″ saved_tabs=”all” text_orientation=”left” form_field_focus_text_color=”#ffffff” \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.12″ header_font=”Montserrat|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”34px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_3_font=”Montserrat|600|||||||” header_3_text_align=”center” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||0px|” custom_padding=”25px|30px||30px” global_module=”23074″ saved_tabs=”all”]<\/p>\n

    Subscribe<\/h1>\n

    Get YouX\u2122 directly in your inbox<\/h3>\n
    \n
    \n