Creativity and problem-solving are two fascinating cognitive psychology themes. Expressing ourselves in creative and novel ways can inspire us to develop new ideas, like large-scale ones that have the potential to change the world or smaller creations that can transform the way we see and perform our daily tasks.
Learn inspirational strategies used to make decisions, foster ideas, and open our minds.
One important thing to remember is that creativity is not a passive process. Simply sitting back and waiting for inspiration to find you is a recipe for losing your motivation and becoming discouraged. Instead, focus on looking for ways to boost your own creativity. Seek out the things that inspire you and that help you focus your attention and mental energy on the task at hand.
Creativity can be a positive outlet for people in mental distress, with art therapy increasingly prescribed for victims of trauma. Research has found that writing about painful past events may even temporarily boost one’s immune system.
While motivation refers to the process of stimulating someone to act in a way that would achieve a certain goal, inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
Aspirations are dreams, hopes, or ambitions to achieve a life goal. They can be thought of as overarching life goals that can help provide a sense of purpose and direction.
Also referred to as being "in the zone," being in a flow describes a psychological mental state of a person who is immersed in an activity with energized concentration, optimal enjoyment, full involvement, and intrinsic interests, and who is usually focused, motivated, positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand.
Intrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards. In other words, the motivation to engage in a behavior arises from within because it is naturally satisfying to you.
Extrinsic motivation involves engaging in a behavior in order to earn external rewards or avoid punishment.
Hammond Claudia. The puzzling way that writing heals the body. BBC. 2017 June 2.
Oxford Dictionary. Inspiration | Meaning & Definition for UK English.
Twohig MP, Levin ME. Acceptance and commitment therapy as a treatment for anxiety and depression. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2017;40(4):751-770. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01654
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