I’m always amazed at how many people I meet who say they aren’t terribly creative. For starters, it’s not true. Perhaps they’re not as creative now as they were when they were children, but the reality is – every human has the capacity to be creative. It’s part of our DNA. Cave dwellers painted on walls, while animals of all kinds participate in play. You could say the world is one gigantic playground.

And yet, many adults have forgotten how to play. It’s understandable. Life is about work, getting things done, and taking care of others. Life is about responsibilities and decisions and the never-ending ploy to squeeze more effort into more hours in the day. Play, naturally, takes a back seat.

But one could also argue that the most successful people are also the most creative. The entrepreneur who hits it big. The clever engineer who solves a tricky problem. The resourceful non-profit executive who works with limited resources. Those who apply their creative minds to solving problems and offering alternative options often get rewarded in ways that far surpass the average worker or individual. In other words, if you want greater success, first be more creative.

How do you go about rediscovering your inner child? You must re-learn it. Here are seven useful ways to get in the “mood.”

Accept and Even Embrace Failure. That’s right. Learn from your mistakes. How does that help creativity? Because it frees you from having to do things the “right” way. When I paint, I fail a lot. Sometimes I mix terrible combinations of color which become mud. Other times I screw up the look of a shadow. The reality is – I often have to fail to see what works or to learn something new. Go ahead. Fail. Failure is learning and from learning comes new approaches.

Mix Odd Combinations. Artists and engineers do this all the time. So do chefs. Someone combines a running shoe with an iPod. The result? A smart shoe that keeps track of running times. Get in the habit of joining things that normally aren’t put together. Who cares if the combination doesn’t at first make sense. That’s not the goal. The goal is to get into the habit of seeing the world differently and playing around.

Go for Volume. To be more creative, you must expand on the number of ideas you have. Too many times we look for one or two solutions to a problem when there may be hundreds. Get in the habit of always looking for 10 different options to any one problem, opportunity or situation. In other words, if someone asks you to come up with a new way of distributing your product, give them 10 alternatives instead of two. More importantly, don’t evaluate the quality of those options initially. Don’t limit yourself. It’s more important you seek out as many alternatives as you can think of.

Thicken Your Skin. Creativity and innovative thinking often makes other people uncomfortable. For example, have you ever introduced a new idea at a staff meeting, only to suddenly feel a cold chill in the room? Chances are you won’t introduce a new idea to that group again. But that’s wrong. You should be able to introduce new ideas effortlessly and without shame. It takes some fortitude, though. Start small and build up your confidence. Get used to the idea of offering ideas. Get people to trust you that regardless of the quality of the idea, the act of generating something new is worthwhile and valuable.

Feed the Beast. Not sure you can display your newfound creativity in your current workplace? Find another outlet instead. Leap into a more creative pursuit in the arts. Do it because it’s fun, not because you need to make a living or impress your friends. What you may discover is that your newfound artistic bent will start to spill over into your professional pursuits, resulting in more creative decision making.

Use the Tools. You can’t build a house without some basic tools, so why should you expect to be more creative without taking advantage of some of the tools that are available. For example, Brainwriting (the technique where you write down each thought) is an excellent tool for creative thought. Similarly, visualization (where you simply imagine an action taking place) is one of the most creative tools at your disposal. Do a Google search for innovation or creativity tools and try some of them.

You Are What You Think. If you think that you are creative, then you will act in accordance with that self-belief. As one motivational speaker once said, “You are what you think about most of the time.” Remind yourself that you have creative abilities and then confirm that belief in simple, effective ways. Be creative quietly and without fanfare. Prove to yourself that this is something that is actually pretty easy for you to do.

It’s okay to be a child again, or rather – to think like a child. Children have fun with make-believe. They let their imaginations run wild. Why? Because it’s fun and rewarding. You can do the same. You can be creative. You can have fun, regardless of your profession or lot in life. In the process, what you may discover is that your newfound creative bent elevates you in your profession in ways you never imagined.

Gene Pinder is the director of marketing for Centennial Campus, an award-winning research park at NC State. He also teaches innovative thinking to graduate students.

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“Africa’s ‘Cocoon’ Phase” touches on some interesting points. Everyone knows that Africa has a vast amount of natural resources and most observers are perplexed as to why there is not more to show for it.

Any would be investors or entrepreneurs would be wise to keep their eyes on China and their activities on the continent. Angola is the new number 1 exporter of oil to China, having surpassed Saudi Arabia in this capacity.

While in Sierra Leone recently, I saw numerous buildings and other work that China had done there. I do not think it was out of the goodness of their heart but with a vision of getting first rights of refusal at the many resources available in this nation. We are all aware of one of these resources because of the movie, “Blood Diamond”.

You can check out this article here.

Until next time, Jim