Too many people are under the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That is not true at all. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently give out great results. If you don't practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will very much atrophy into inexistence. But keep working at it and this ability will soon come to you in a snap.

Unleash Your Creative Thinking

The first step is to become a human leech. No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available—we're saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning as you can. Read everything available—good and bad, and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. Watch dance videos and go to dance shows of every genre. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color to your life. 

Focus on a creative activity every day. Yes, it's an effort, but even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence that what you’re doing is getting you somewhere. Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing" and "delicious." Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Who knows—you might actually take to liking those things you do every day. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises.

Think out of the box—don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means, enabling you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.

Try something new every day and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum you've never explored before. Chat up someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you push yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure will grow and so will your zest for life. Think about it. When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it's been a while, I tell you, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could've added to your growth emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Why don't you try bungee jumping today? Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and make you the life of the party.

Embrace insanity. As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting." Exactly! Every creative thought was once deemed insanity by other "normal" people at one time or another. Luckily, that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by them. The thing is, sanity or being normal confines people to think...well, normally. We think limits. Creativity is essentially breaking through barriers. Yes, this includes the bizarre and the downright strange. I'm not saying that you yourself should develop a creative personality. That might go haywire. Examples of creative personalities are George Washington who often rode into battle naked, James Joyce who wrote Dubliners with beetle juice because of an intense fear of ink and Albert Einstein who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the term could probably be "arch nemesis"). Of course, it's important that your creativity doesn't get you detached from the real world completely.

I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your "limits." If you follow these steps, pretty soon you'll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking will bring about a new zest for living life and creating interesting choreography!