photo credit: Elsie esq.
Having an open mind about other people and allowing yourself to be interested in the people around you will actually increase your own creativity in writing.
Cultivate an endless fascination for understanding how other people live, think, create, enjoy, laugh, and cry, and you will find you can open your mind to expressing more emotions and can tap into the creative world of writing far easier than before.
Authors of all styles of writing need to tap into their creativity and write from a depth and breadth of experiences. Of course, no single person can personally experience everything in the world, but actively being interested in other people’s experiences can open up worlds of excitement, emotion, and enjoyment that you may not otherwise have known.
Here are some ideas on how to cultivate a real interest in other people and move into dynamic conversations that cover more than the weather or superficial differences between you.
1 – Actively Listen
Most people do not actually listen actively, they are too busy trying to interject their own experiences into the conversation. If you want to open your mind and tap into creativity, learn to listen actively to other people.
Active listening is about focusing your whole attention on what the other person is saying. It’s about thinking about what the person is saying, considering their body language and focusing your thoughts on what is going on in front of you, not worrying about when you get to talk.
2 – Ask Questions
One of the easiest ways of getting to know people is to ask questions.
Generally, people will respond with more in-depth answers if you ask questions that show an interest in what they are saying.
A good trick is to respond with a brief statement of your own experience (so that the other person doesn’t just think they are being interviewed or interrogated), and then follow up with a leading question for more information about the subject. Try something like, “I had a similar experience two years ago and found no-one really understood what was happening. Did you find it difficult to talk to other people about it at the time?”
Whenever you attend a party or a social event try to get into more dynamic conversations than about the weather. Ask people what they do for an occupation, and be interested in the answers.
Don’t just stop at “Oh, you’re a policeman” but continue the conversation with questions about how difficult the job is, the worst arrest they have made, or what it is like to carry a gun or have the social responsibility of the police. Ask about their favorite experience as a child, best holiday, preferred pet, cultural experiences, or how they used to celebrate Christmas, New Year, or birthdays in the past (whatever the party is about!).
3 – Do not Interrupt
You want to learn more about other people, so the less you are talking yourself, the more you will learn. Whenever there is a pause in the conversation, by all means share something about yourself then, and encourage the dynamic conversation to continue. However, interrupting a person will always prevent you getting to know them well.
4 – Keep an Open Mind
One of the most important things you can do is to keep an open mind about other people. Making quick judgments about someone on how they look, or because you think they fit into a stereotype is not conducive to creatively discovering who they really are.
Keep an open mind and allow the possibility of new thoughts and experiences to seep in through your dynamic conversations with others.
Follow these four tips at your next social function, and see if you have more in depth, dynamic and fascinating conversations with people, even if you have known them for years.
Explore the unknown facets of other people and enjoy the benefits of increased creativity in your writing.
