Picture this You are in your office, their hand on your chin, looking at an empty paper that is in front of you. You look around the room and make eye contact with a coffee mug, a paperclip or even a pair of scissors. Unremarkable, right? But what if I told you that these ordinary objects can capture and instill an idea which has the potential of revolutionalising the way one thinks, designs and invents? Here is your guide to a world in which the ordinary is extraordinary.

We always expect that creativity means something big or small – could be a flash of genius or a tool conceived for artists, musicians or writers. But the matter is that the solution to the lack of creativity may be much closer than we think it is. If ordinary objects which seem mundane and straightforward can ignite your creativity, change your mind set and lead you to new discoveries then they are extraordinary. So in this blog post, let me share with you how you can make something mundane become extraordinary.

The Power of Seeing Differently: Creative Potential in the Ordinary

In simple terms, creativity is about perceiving the world with the lens which is not the norm or standard. The bottom line appears to be not that one has more resources, but one thinks resourcefully with whatever one has. That is where the magic occurs in the invitation to present the familiar to us in different ways.

Let us use the purported narrative of Thomas Edison who was counted among the most superior inventors of the world. Edison while making attempts to invent the incandescent light bulb, included cardboard as a component of the filament experiment. A cheap material in today’s packaging hitherto cardboard was used in a very expansive invention of the human civilization. Edison was not concerned with seeking something novel in that respect he was imaginative using the available resources.

Or look at Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century with a portfolio that is still very modern. Picasso once remarked, ‘Every child is an artist, the question is how an adult is an artist. ’ He has worked on some of such styles which included cuts and pastes from newspapers, cloths and even sand. Used as such, these everyday objects became works of art that paved the way to new artistic experiences in the world of Picasso.

Creative Problem-Solving: Everyday Objects as Tools for Innovation

When a problem is identified, the immediate tendency is to search for an elaborate solution, probably assuming that that something so intricate is all that is required. Yet, creativity has much to do with either minimalism and experimenting on the use of limited resources. Loose, nonprofessional objects are useful when striving to overcome an stagnation and promote the out of the box approach.

For example, suppose you are stuck at an early stage of work on the project, and you try to find an inspiration for writing the material. You might turn to a rubber band. It seems like a regular, even boring, pencil eraser but its ability to be flexible and to have tension can translated into one’s tenacity and ability to push through a difficult task. Manipulating a rubber band as a tool and toying with them, for instance, twisting, stretching or even snapping, can help one think of a solution of the given problem, constructing the required project or thinking of a different perspective of the problem at hand.

LEGO bricks are another very obvious object and are not just children’s playthings, but they are creativity enablers for architects, engineers and designers. Since the use of these plastic and foam blocks, which are colorfully arranged or disassembled to form a creation, fashioners have built anything from, skyscrapers to furniture designs. The toy evolved into an instrument used in innovation and designs across the globe.

The beauty of objects that we encounter during our day to day activities comes in the form of seeing things in a different perspective. When one begins reacting to these objects in a different way, then one sets into motion a process of looking at things in a discovery frame. Thus, this kind of play helps you think outside the box because it makes you to look at the space available to you as more of a canvas rather than a constraint.

The Science Behind Creativity: How Ordinary Items Boost Brain Power

So imagine you are asking right now—why do ordinary items evoke such effect on creativity? The answer force rests with the ability of the human brain by evaluating how it interfaces with objects in its environment.

Recent studies have also provided evidence to the effect that creativity is a result of divergent thinking whereby one is able to come up with many solutions to a particular problem. If you are given an object that you witness daily, your brain is already hardwired with how to approach the object’s use. But when you force your mind to look for different uses of that object, you are tapping on the other sections of your brain, therefore, expanding your train of thoughts.

This was done in one of the landmark techniques mapped by one group of participants, whereby an item – a brick in this case – was presented to the participants and they were asked to identify the uses they could make of it. Some participants reflected on the conventional use of the brick as a wall while other made humorous responses like using the same brick as a door stopper or painting on the same. The participants who focused on imagining creative uses recruited the default mode network, the region affiliated to imagination and day dreaming.

In my opinion, one of the advantages of the working with the objects that can be found in stores is that they don’t create the impression of the impossibility to work with them and, at the same time, they are full of potentials. It is the happy-medium of comfort and challenge that makes all the difference and brings new, original information to your mind.

Examples of Everyday Items Sparking Extraordinary Creativity

Still skeptical? Allow me to immerse you into everyday objects that have inspired people to move to the next level in their respective fields.

The Paperclip: A Symbol of Creative Transformation

On the face of it, a paperclip is simply a piece of metal which is designed to join two papers. But, in the right minister’s hands, it has evolved into a conception of the creative arts and innovation. The paperclip is also o ne of the widely used symbols during the World War II which the Norwegians used to show their unity and courage in the face of the enemy-Nazis. Pinning a piece of paperclips on their clothes, Norwegians showed their stance without speaking a word, thus turning an ordinary accessory in their everyday life into an opponent protest symbol.

In the design domain, thanks to the simplicity and obviousness of its form, which is the paperclip, numerous products have been designed such as jewelry, furniture and so on. It has become a sensationalized way to show how minimalism and functional can be used in art and in functional design.

Post-It Notes: An Accidental Innovation

The story of how Post-it Note is a perfect example of the creativity in the everyday practice. Spencer Silver, a 3M chemist, had invented a red tacky substance referred to as a ‘Low Tack adhesive’ by accident in the year 1968 but this product was not useful initially. Nevertheless, another employee at 3M, Art Fry realized that there was another use for Silver’s creation. To Fry’s surprise, this sticky note could be employed to make easy-to-remove messages on his choir hymnbook, and thus we have the Post-it Notes.

You can imagine how a small office item like this has evolved into a need to have item in the office most especially when it comes to activities such as thinking, planning, and creativity. This piece of yellow colored paper that people stick on desks and virtually every other place in workplaces around the globe can be credited as having revolutionized workplaces and still encourages people to think creatively.

The Spork: A Masterclass in Functional Creativity

It seems quite impossible to believe that a spoon and a fork put together can create a frenzy all around the globe. The spork, a simple tool, which is used to eat every day meals is a good example of ability creativity. When combining two elementary products the spork gives a wide option of eating everything ranging from soup to pasta or anything in between. Its design is very good that it was implemented in schools, fast-food chains, and even space missions, which show that simplicity is the best policy because sometimes the best solution can be derived from the combination of existing knowledge.

How You Can Tap Into Everyday Creativity: Tips and Tricks

So if you are convinced that seemingly ordinary objects can hold the ‘secrets’ to creativity, then how do you introduce this paradigm in your existence? Here are some simple strategies to help you get started:Here are some simple strategies to help you get started:

Reframe Your Perspective

Instead of much thinking about the items around us as being ordinary, we should start seeing them as what other use can this item be put to? Part of this mental exercise is to help you develop the ability to look at different perspectives where before you saw only constraints.

Create Constraints

The fact is that, in some cases, creativity rises when there are certain restrictions in front of it. Try forcing yourself, to make something, using only the objects available at the time of the task. For instance one should attempt at painting an artwork or create a solution to a particular issue without the need of purchasing any material but those used in the office or at the kitchen respectively. First of all, by having limitations set to you, you are challenged into coming up with better solutions and ways on how to get things done.

Play with Prototypes

If you are designing something such as a product, writing a story or a marketing campaign, begin with a one that is made from everyday objects and materials. Take your ideas and put them on paper, draw that concept on cardboard, use paper-clips, rubber bands or anything you have at your disposal. It involves heavy usage of the prototypes to touch-and-feel different types of concepts so as to clean the ideas as much as possible before finalizing them.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness helps make you less hasty and brings your attention to objects, people and events in a more pronounced way. The most vital aspect here is the fact that through observation, you will be able to pay more attention to the smaller things in your environment that would otherwise be ignored. This creates the awareness of the new phenomena, ideas and can lead to new perspectives and innovative solutions.

The Notebook: A Portal to Boundless Ideas

Every one has a notebook at home, either a basic notebook with spiral binding or a classy leather note-taking notebook. But this is the exquisite opportunity that everyday object bears within itself, to stimulate the creativity continuously. Drawing ideas in a piece of paper or journal can be helpful to open a door that can lead you to your sub-conscious. It is not rare that when one puts pen to paper a form of genius, a strange combination of thoughts in a new manner occurs to you.

Take, for instance, Leonardo da Vinci who came up with notebooks that contained sketches, notes, and other ideas some of which were unique for the times he lived in. His notebooks were not only storages of the final ideas but the dwelling places for ideas in progress, trials, and probes, hypotheses. These scribbles even gave way to inventions, creation of great art and even scientific discoveries.

This is where having a notebook with you at all times lets you tap into those free writing sessions which occur when you are on the go. As an extension of an Inuit’s mind, the notebook is where any idea crossed at a certain moment or witnessed in the environment transforms into something unprejudiced. In this particular case, both the practice of journaling and the tools used are considered to be the most fundamental, however, such a simple thing as journaling can help to find powerful and innovative ideas and solutions.

Everyday Magic: Unleashing the Creative Potential Around You

It has been revealed that the seemingly ordinary items of our life can make designers use their imagination to the greatest extent. Whether artist or an artful business person or just a person who wants more creativity in his or her life – the means to that end is as close as the tip of your fingers.

So the next time you get the sense that there is nothing you can do to spur creativity in yourself or your workforce—take a look at something closer the resources you already possess. The routine can be exceptional the basic can inspire creativity and the everyday can usher in a revolution of thoughts. Just turn your point of view, open up willingness to play, and you will find out that creativity is within your grasp and reachable even in your home.

Now, go grab that paperclip or coffee mug, and let the magic begin!