--- title: Psychology: 4 Principles That Will Lead You to Breakthrough Creativity description: Start by relaxing canonical: https://time.com/3968471/creativity-breakthrough-principles/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-23T04:01:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:32.072Z article:section: Ideas og:title: 4 Principles That Will Make You More Innovative og:description: Start by relaxing og:url: https://time.com/3968471/creativity-breakthrough-principles/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdbdd90306cb477e5/69885c113c16394eca458f4c/colorful-balloons.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: colorful-balloons og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 4 Principles That Will Make You More Innovative twitter:description: Start by relaxing twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdbdd90306cb477e5/69885c113c16394eca458f4c/colorful-balloons.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 4 Principles That Will Make You More Innovative ## Video: Business of Creativity: The Dancer [Watch (HLS stream): Business of Creativity: The Dancer](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Tbh54prW.m3u8) (3:39)  _Published 2012-10-26. When Karine Newborn's injury sidelined her succesful dance career, some soul-searching and business sense opened doors_ by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jul 23, 2015 4:01 AM UTC  Colourful balloons in empty warehouse Colourful balloons in empty warehouseGetty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jul 23, 2015 4:01 AM UTC Combing through the research, what are the [overarching principles](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/6-research-based-tips-on-how-to-increase-crea) that we need to know to be more innovative thinkers in everyday life? Here they are, with links to the research backing them up. ## **1) Relax** What is most likely your daily creative peak? [Your morning shower](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/during-what-average-daily-activity-are-you-mo). For many of us it’s the most relaxing part of our day — and the most creative. Just [being](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-more-creative-when-youre-in-a-good-mo) [happy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/another-tip-on-how-to-be-more-creative) can make you [more creative for days](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-a-happy-day-a-creative-day); seriously, just [smile](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-easy-way-to-increase-insight-and). Watching comedy clips helps, trying too hard [hurts](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/3-quick-tips-for-being-more-creative). If you tend to be hard on yourself, [being less critical](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-compassion-the-key-to-creativity) can make you more creative. Anger can boost originality in the short term — [but it doesn’t last](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-angry-people-more-creative-than-sad-peopl). It’s probably no surprise that boring work is better done at the office and [creative work is better accomplished at home](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/where-is-the-best-place-to-get-creative-work?). Hopeful employees [are more original](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-hopeful-employees-more-creative). Trust [can even make your hairstylist more creative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-really-makes-your-hairstylist-perform-at). On the other hand, rudeness from superiors [craters original thinking](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-witnessing-rudeness-make-you-less-creativ) as does [time pressure](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-more-creative-when-theres-a-deadline). Thoughts of money [often bring pressure](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-money-a-lousy-way-to-motivate-people) and the best art is created [when there’s no cash involved](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-artwork-of-higher-quality-when-were-not-pa). Being in [nature relaxes us](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-being-near-nature-reduce-stress) and even a mere [potted plant in the office](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-quick-and-easy-way-to-be-more-creativ) can increase creativity. Or just [the color green](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/will-watching-shrek-turn-your-kid-into-a-crea) for that matter. Sleep is [good](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-the-smell-of-pizza-the-key-to-creativity). [Taking](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-taking-a-break-help-creativity-is-being) [breaks](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-fun-way-to-be-more-creative-and-more) aids your idea-generating. Daydreamers are more [original thinkers](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-daydreamers-better-liars). ## **2) Expose Yourself To New Ideas And New Perspectives** Unusual or unexpected events [increase creativity](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-unusual-and-unexpected-experiences-make-yo). A proven way to stimulate this effect is [travel](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-is-it-about-travel-that-can-make-us-more). Living in a foreign culture [can make you more creative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/want-to-be-more-creative-move). Countries with more international business travelers [patent more](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/want-to-increase-creativity-and-innovation-ge). Merely having [friends from other cultures](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/another-way-to-be-more-creative) can get the muse going. [Imagining you’re a child again](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-quickly-and-easily-be-more-creative) or that [you’re solving a problem for someone else](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/to-quickly-and-creatively-solve-a-problem-sho) was enough to increase creativity. Even frowning when you’re happy — creating dissonance between your mind and body [spurred original thinking](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-frowning-when-youre-happy-make-you-more-c). Doing everyday things in unconventional ways [can do the trick](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-making-breakfast-make-you-more-creative). Being [exhausted](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-most-creative-when-were-exhausted) or [drunk](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-more-creative-when-youre-drunk) increases creativity because they make you [look at the world differently](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/5-ways-that-distance-makes-you-more-creative). Bilinguals [are more creative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-bilinguals-better-at-creative-problem-sol), probably as a result of their dual perspective. Even sarcasm is [enough of a perspective shift to help](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-sarcasm-make-you-more-creative). ## **3) Get Ideas Crashing Into Each Other** Overlapping different projects allows new connections to burgeon at the margins, [helping to create innovative ideas](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-hobbies-the-key-to-creative-breakthroughs). Bill Gates [reads all his books for the year in two weeks](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-it-better-to-do-all-your-reading-for-the-y) because this allows new information to be better juxtaposed and contrasted. Just [being curious](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-curiosity-the-key-to-creativity) offers a boost. A disorganized brain is often [a more creative brain](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-a-more-disorganized-brain-a-more-creative) — and this may be why [those with ADD](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-upside-to-attention-deficit-disor) and [wandering minds](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-a-wandering-mind-make-you-more-creative) are gifted idea generators. Larger cities are [disproportionately innovative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-the-most-creative-places-in-the-worl) as are [people with bigger networks](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-networking-make-you-more-creative). You want a mix of fresh and classic. The most creative teams are [a mix of old friends and new blood](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/which-is-more-creative-a-team-of-strangers-or) as well as [experienced and inexperienced](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/would-your-team-be-more-more-creative-if-memb) workers. The most creative ideas [are fresh but also fit into a recognized formula](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-the-most-creative-things-also-the-most-pr?). Originality requires both [freedom _and_ constraints](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-creativity-require-freedom-or-constraint). Make [little bets and iterate, iterate, iterate](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-optimal-system-for-safe-productiv). And brainstorming’s mantra of refraining from judging or negating ideas is [wrong](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-brainstorming-for-new-ideas-really-work). Let ideas duke it out. ## **4) Work Hard** As Chuck Close said, “_Inspiration is for amateurs_.” You don’t need fancy degrees to be a creative genius. Some of the most brilliant artists of all time had [the equivalent of a college-dropout level of education](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-much-education-did-the-greatest-creative) — but you do need to work hard at your craft. Studying your field extensively doesn’t reduce creativity, [it increases it](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-studying-your-area-of-expertise-too-much). Future geniuses are [often unpopular in high school](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-future-creative-geniuses-unpopular-in-hig) because they spend so much time working on their projects. Chris Rock [relentlessly tests and tweaks new comedy acts onstage over a period of months](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-does-chris-rock-create-such-brilliant-com) to get them right. “_Some historical studies of patent records have in fact shown that overall productivity correlates with radical breakthroughs in science and technology, that_ [_sheer quantity ultimately leads to quality_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-quantity-lead-to-quality).” Artists are [more likely to have mood disorders](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-creative-people-more-likely-to-be-crazy). What’s the connection? Depression makes you obsess about things — [which is a benefit when you’re trying to make breakthroughs](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-great-artists-more-likely-to-be-crazy). Dwelling on your problems [makes you more creative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-people-who-dwell-on-their-problems-more-c). The most original thinkers [work very hard](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-lessons-can-we-learn-from-the-most-creat) and know [the secrets to becoming an expert](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-does-it-take-to-become-an-expert-at-anyt). Literally being _forced_ to write made writers [more productive and more creative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-more-creative-when-youre-forced-to-wo). ## Sum Up Four principles: * **Relax** * **Expose Yourself To New Ideas And New Perspectives** * **Get Ideas Crashing Into Each Other** * **Work Hard** Challenge yourself to use them today. :) **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/what-are-the-four-principles-that-will-lead-y/)**_._** **Join over 190,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) [How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-get-people-to-like-you/) [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3968471/creativity-breakthrough-principles/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3968471/creativity-breakthrough-principles/"},"headline":"4 Principles That Will Make You More Innovative","datePublished":"2015-07-23T04:01:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:49:32.072Z","description":"Start by relaxing","url":"https://time.com/3968471/creativity-breakthrough-principles/","keywords":["Psychology","Workplace","Creativity","career"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdbdd90306cb477e5/69885c113c16394eca458f4c/colorful-balloons.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/bltdbdd90306cb477e5/69885c113c16394eca458f4c/colorful-balloons.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"colorful-balloons","caption":"colorful-balloons","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/3968471/creativity-breakthrough-principles/","name":"4 Principles That Will Make You More Innovative"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Business of Creativity: The Dancer","description":"When Karine Newborn's injury sidelined her succesful dance career, some soul-searching and business sense opened doors","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Tbh54prW/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2012-10-26T16:53:16.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Tbh54prW.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3968471/creativity-breakthrough-principles/","duration":"PT3M39S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3968471/creativity-breakthrough-principles/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```