Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination.
– John Dewey

Want to boost your creativity? In an article from Positive Psychology, Jeffrey Gaines shared these six tips:

1. Walk. “Creative output was found to improve by about 60% when walking (either indoors or out), versus sitting. So, if you’re looking to boost your creativity, try going for a short walk – or a long one.”

2. Embrace Constraints. Jotform CEO Aytekin Tank cites the example of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), whose editor bet he could not write a children’s book using only 50 distinct words. Geisel responded with one of his bestselling and most beloved books: Green Eggs and Ham.

3. Relax. If you don’t have your own tried-and-true way to relax, Gaines suggests progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, walking meditation, or yoga postures.

4. Collaborate. “Uzzi and Spiro (2005) argue that many of history’s great creators – such as Beethoven, Marie Curie, the Beatles, and Maya Angelou – were involved in creative networks in which members critiqued, encouraged and collaborated on each other’s projects.”

5. Sleep. “One set of experiments suggested that in REM (dream phase) sleep, the brain replays memories to extract essential patterns or lessons from them. In non-REM (deep or dreamless) sleep, the brain then makes connections between these patterns or lessons and other things we already know. We can thereby arrive at new solutions to problems that have preoccupied us during waking hours.”

6. Try a Genius Hour. Spend an hour or so on a side project, something you are passionate about. “The inspiration, ideas, and skills you develop in this labor of love might well translate to other, more routine projects, moving those forward in positive ways.”