Games to Increase Creativity

Creativity is artistic or intellectual inventiveness.
- Webster's Dictionary

Creativity, in its simplest form, is to create. To bring something new in this world and make it exist. Now you might think, how is this difficult? It's so simple to create; a new piece of work, a new recipe once in a while or develop a new process at work. After all, all this is creating in one way, isn't it?

When we speak about increasing creativity, we don't only mean the inception of new ideas but the execution of each idea in a way that, when people see it, they're awestruck! In Italian, there is a proverb called L'arte d'arrangiarsi, which means, to create something out of nothing.

Remember, your imagination will be your strongest weapon while playing these creativity games. Like George Bernard Shaw said, Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.

Is talent a part of creativity? Well, not entirely. However, you need a little talent to apply creativity to it, and achieve an outcome that would amuse everyone. There are different types of creativeness. Scientists will manifest their creativity in their inventions, dancers will do so in their dances and a poet will do so in his poetry!

All of us humans are by birth, creative individuals. Sometimes, it might take us time to agnize our potential but that shouldn't stop you from playing with your creativity. The games listed, will help you in many ways. The most important lesson they will teach you, is failure. Even if you fail, you have to keep trying.

Like Edwin Land said, An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.  Having said that, let's now move on to these games and nag our creativity just a little bit. After that, you will see the wonders it is capable of!

Ask your parents or your sibling, or a friend to write down the start of what can be a story. Something like - 'Standing right next to the tracks was...' or 'I had never seen such a...' After this, also ask for an end, such as '... never again will this happen to me' or '... this was indeed, the best party'.

You have the beginning, and the end, so write a story in between. Your challenge here, would be to write a story that is completely different that anyone would assume from the start. Another way of playing this game, is by asking someone to give you a random title and write a story on that. Don't forget to time yourself! This can be played in a group too.

Sometimes, when you are forced to invent or make something, the entire process can spark some great innovative ideas in your brain. When you are compelled to do something differently, you might just come up with something brilliant in the process. You need to come up 5 new games for the next get together of all friends or any party that you throw or attend.

You have to think of these games on your own. These games should be unique, new and entirely your own creations and borrowing nothing from those that you have played or know.

You win the game if you successfully complete the deadlines you set for yourself! All these involve imagination, but with that, they also involve hard work and determination. These will show you the difference between thinking and being creative.

Problem solving will bring out the creativity in you in a totally different way. This game, if played by children, will give them a new approach to life and if played by adults, will make work easy and fast for them. Give each other some problems or a problematic situation even.

When you know you have to give 5 solutions, you will understand that there may be different ways of doing something. Though you will be knowing the solution, you won't assume only that one this time.

Always ask yourself, 'Is there a better way to do it?' . This can be an example - 'A woman goes to a vegetable market and has $50 with her. She needs to buy veggies for the entire week and also save a little money. How should she plan her purchases?'.

Most of us are habitual to solving the crossword in the newspaper every single morning. Children love it too! This game involves a lot of fun, specially if played in a group. Choose a category for yourself!

The clues need your focus. In the entire game, these will boost your thinking, and in turn, ask your imagination to buck up a little!

This game will really prove to be a task for you and nothing but your imagination and creativity can help you out! To make it more competitive, play it in a group. This way, everyone will think of their own concept and other people will have to guess it. Also, put a deadline for yourself.

This will prove to be a harder challenge for your imagination. Since there will be a deadline, you will also learn how to not relax when you need your creativity to work for you the most. In simple words, your creativity will also be active under stress.

These games will surely work for you if you play them sincerely and with some dedication. They will also tell you how to increase your creativity keeping in mind your surroundings and your competition.

Apart from these creative games, few other simple methods of increasing creativity gradually, are reading a page of the dictionary every day, listening to new music, and being in the company of creative people.

These simple ways will help you increase your creativity, the right way and will keep your brain healthy and open to more ideas. It is also important that you don't doubt yourself in the process. Just as Sylvia Plath said, "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt."