--- description: Stop brainstorming title: 41 Simple Ways to Make Yourself More Creative image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ca860f92720acf2/6987ea58e53aba05ee4db3c8/455120725-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=750&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 41 Simple Ways to Make Yourself More Creative by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 14, 2015 4:01 AM CUT  Ink in water on white background Ink in water on white backgroundGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 14, 2015 4:01 AM CUT Here’s what the scientific research says: 1. [Travel](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/want-to-increase-creativity-and-innovation-ge "undefined"). 2. Or just [expose yourself to other cultures](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/another-way-to-be-more-creative "undefined"). 3. Or stay where you are and [learn their language](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-bilinguals-better-at-creative-problem-sol "undefined"). 4. Don’t surround yourself with the color [red](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-the-color-red-have-magic-powers "undefined"), stick to blue. 5. Get [rejected](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-social-rejection-increase-creativity "undefined"). 6. Buy a [potted plant](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-quick-and-easy-way-to-be-more-creativ "undefined"). 7. Give the problem to [someone else](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/to-quickly-and-creatively-solve-a-problem-sho "undefined"). 8. Or pretend you’re solving problems [for someone else](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/another-way-to-increase-your-creativity "undefined"). 9. Or pretend you’re a [child](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-quickly-and-easily-be-more-creative "undefined"). 10. Think about love, [not sex](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/if-you-want-to-be-more-creative-should-you-th "undefined"). 11. [Take a break.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-taking-a-break-help-creativity-is-being "undefined") 12. And stop being so [hard on yourself](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-compassion-the-key-to-creativity "undefined"). 13. [Smile](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-easy-way-to-increase-insight-and "undefined"). 14. Or [frown while happy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-frowning-when-youre-happy-make-you-more-c "undefined"). 15. But either way, [be](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-more-creative-when-youre-in-a-good-mo "undefined") [happy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/another-tip-on-how-to-be-more-creative "undefined"). 16. Or a bit [paranoid](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-upside-to-trusting-nobody "undefined"). 17. Follow Jeremy Dean’s [6 steps](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/6-research-based-tips-on-how-to-increase-crea "undefined"). 18. Add a little [background noise](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-background-noise-make-you-more-or-less-c "undefined"). 19. Team up with both [old friends and strangers](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/which-is-more-creative-a-team-of-strangers-or "undefined"). 20. And people [who don’t know what they’re doing](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/would-your-team-be-more-more-creative-if-memb "undefined"). 21. But you should work toward [becoming an expert](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-studying-your-area-of-expertise-too-much "undefined"). 22. Don’t be [_too_ original](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-the-most-creative-things-also-the-most-pr "undefined"). 23. Stop [brainstorming](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-brainstorming-for-new-ideas-really-work "undefined"). 24. Take a [shower](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/during-what-average-daily-activity-are-you-mo "undefined"). 25. Stop [trying so hard](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/3-quick-tips-for-being-more-creative "undefined"). 26. Watch [Shrek](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/3-quick-tips-for-being-more-creative "undefined"). 27. Do the [unexpected](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-unusual-and-unexpected-experiences-make-yo "undefined"). 28. [Dance](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-dancing-make-you-more-creative "undefined"). 29. Look at the [Apple logo](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-seeing-the-apple-logo-make-you-more-creat "undefined"). 30. Get [drunk](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-more-creative-when-youre-drunk "undefined"). 31. Stay [up all night](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-most-creative-when-were-exhausted "undefined"). 32. Hang out with [sarcastic people](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-sarcasm-make-you-more-creative "undefined"). 33. Do everyday things in [unconventional ways](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-making-breakfast-make-you-more-creative "undefined"). 34. Play [video games](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/3-ways-playing-video-games-can-improve-your-l "undefined"). 35. Have [hope](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-hopeful-employees-more-creative "undefined"). 36. Get some [distance](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/5-ways-that-distance-makes-you-more-creative "undefined"). 37. Turn it into a [competition](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-competition-increase-or-reduce-creativit "undefined"). 38. Don’t get [paid](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-artwork-of-higher-quality-when-were-not-pa "undefined"). 39. Let that [mind wander](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-a-wandering-mind-make-you-more-creative "undefined") (but be careful.) 40. Work from [home](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/where-is-the-best-place-to-get-creative-work "undefined"). 41. Still not Picasso? Here are [29 more ways](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/29-ways-to-stay-creative "undefined"). **Join over 180,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/06/41-ways-to-be-more-creative/ "undefined")**_._** Related posts: [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") [The 8 Things The Happiest People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/happiest-people/ "undefined") [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3815462/41-simple-ways-more-creative/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3815462/41-simple-ways-more-creative/"},"headline":"41 Simple Ways to Make Yourself More Creative","datePublished":"2015-04-14T04:01:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:21:06.960Z","description":"Stop brainstorming","url":"https://time.com/3815462/41-simple-ways-more-creative/","keywords":["Psychology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ca860f92720acf2/6987ea58e53aba05ee4db3c8/455120725-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ca860f92720acf2/6987ea58e53aba05ee4db3c8/455120725-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"ink-water","caption":"ink-water","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3815462/41-simple-ways-more-creative/","name":"41 Simple Ways to Make Yourself More Creative"}}]}] ```