Jumpstart your creativity

Here's an interesting list of ways to be more creative.

The first three on the list:

Read Widely and Deeply
Whatever field you're in, reading can only help. Go to the library and check out some good books -- and don't make all of them ones in your area of expertise. Why not get a novel you'd never normally read, or a book about a topic you have no knowledge on? This can jump-start your brain into working more creatively as you try to assimilate the new information based on what you already know from your own field.

Try New Activities
Another way to get your brain in gear is to try something totally new. Whether it's salsa dancing, pottery or a medieval reenactment, taking up a new hobby can help shake things up and encourage you to think laterally. For example, you might be inspired to write an article using your new interest as a metaphor for something in your main field of work.

Talk To Strangers
Children are warned about "stranger danger", but as adults, we shouldn't be too afraid of talking to new people. We naturally associate with people who are like ourselves--the same income bracket, the same dress sense, the same career or industry--and this can stifle our creativity by making us feel that "everyone's just the same". Branch out. Chat to someone you don't know in the cafeteria. Say "hi" to the person next to you in line at the coffee shop.