Using Imagination To Boost Your Creativity

Imagination

Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” Given at his famous 1929 interview for the Saturday Evening Post.

Hands journaling

My Idea Journal

I have an idea journal.  I use this to log ideas for possible paintings and record concepts I can bring into a painting.  I even use it to record ideas on substrates or canvas shapes.  Some of these ideas get used, and some do not. Yet, because I don’t want to lose any moment of inspiration that may later foster into something extraordinary, I capture every idea in my journal.

My idea journal is like my imagination station, where all these ideas culminate.  I am not solving possible problems with the ideas in the idea journal.  I am only logging what-ifs and exploring ideas that could be. You can read more about my idea journal in my blog post Dealing With Second-Rate Ideas. 

Dave Reiter

How Imagination and Creativity Are Different 

We usually think of imagination and creativity as being the same. However, even though the two are close cousins, they are slightly different. It is like two friends helping each other out.  One friend can lift a single heavy object, but two together are like powerlifters, able to lift exponentially more. Similarly, by working together, your imagination can boost your innovation and creativity exponentially. I use imagination in my art practice, and you can use it in your business. 

Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like and create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.

In comparison, imagination is the action of forming mental images of new ideas or concepts not present to the senses.  It is the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful and to imagine things that have not actually occurred. 

Imagination is dreaming.  It is asking the what if’s. It sees the possibilities.  What would our company look like if…?  What would our staff do if…? It is dreaming with no limitations.  If you like the idea of imagination you might want to read John Spacey’s great article on 18 Examples Of Imagination.

Why imagination?

You can’t stay in the imagination stage in business all the time, or you wouldn’t get much done.  Yet, if you never go there, you won’t be able to pull future possibilities into your present-tense environments.  Imagination unlocks possibilities.  It removes barriers in our minds, and once we remove obstacles, we can then go beyond those impediments.  Furthermore, if we can imagine the end, maybe we can identify the possible obstructions we may face along the way and consequently think of creative solutions to remove those hindrances. And if we remove enough barriers, maybe we just might be able to bring what we envisioned into reality. Imagination and creativity can work together.

If you want to be more creative in your business, imagination is key to boosting that creativity.  (click to tweet)

Innovation light bulb

How can you use imagination in your business? 

  • Personal imagining. Think about what your company could be and where it could go.  You may think you do this now, but I would challenge you to take it a step further. Set a meeting time with yourself. Put it on your calendar, even if it is only an hour. During this time, you can imagine your company and the possibilities of where it could go. 

    Take a moment and doodle a bit (see my blog on Doodling While You Are Noodling).  Draw what you are thinking. Scribble down stick figures if need be of how your staff is working together.  You are tapping into the creative side of the brain.  Give yourself permission to dream, and don’t say it can’t happen. You are just dreaming.

    Make a list of your what-ifs.  Write it down. Don’t forget about it. Personal imagery is essential because it removes you from your current circumstances and allows you to see from a different perspective, above the conditions rather than within the environment. When I am logging ideas in my idea journal, I am taking my imagination and popping myself up into stratospheric thinking above my current context. I get to see the surroundings from a different perspective.

  • Team imagining. If you haven’t done this, you are really missing out.  Set a time with some of your key team members. Simply put, team imagining is done through a dream meeting where you get your team together and dream of possibilities for your company, your division, and even the group with which you are working.  You are not problem-solving per se, but you dream of the future and what possibilities could be.  You are tapping into the imagination, removing barriers, and imagining what the future could hold.

    Maybe you envision new ways to connect with your customers or imagine new ways your company can unleash its potential. Perhaps you are looking at new market possibilities and asking questions that stretch your thinking in new ways. Record what you discover, and then schedule a follow-up meeting to talk through the ideas and see if anything is implementable. I have found team imagining to be very invigorating for the people involved.  It can boost the team’s energy and help you solve some problems creatively like never before. 

    As a starting point, you can use the 50 What-If Questions to Reimagine the Future from the Board of Innovation. However, I would recommend doing this after having two or three of your dream meetings.  Nonetheless, they are good. 

By letting your creative mind lead the way into imagination before “coming back to reality” with your team and your company, you will be better prepared to face some of the more immediate problems and solve those challenges a bit easier.  In fact, those problems just might seem a little bit smaller and more manageable in the grand scheme of where your company is going after dreaming. 

Imagination is what takes us beyond where we presently are and stretches us like nothing else.  Dream a little and let that imagination boost your creativity like never before.

Until then, keep the creative edge.



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Business, Motivational, Team Building, Leadershipdave reiterAlbert Einstein, Idea Journal, Ideas, Imagination Station, Imagination, Creativity, Dreaming, FutureComment