Innovation is a talent that everyone has but many people would refute that idea. If you've ever marvelled at somebody's creative ability, you too can generate that same ability but it takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential of one type or another.

Remember how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again. It's the same with new ideas. It takes practice and a lot of time before this mind function develops fully. In this article you will find suggestions on how to incorporate this potential into your life.

Ignore what other people say. Follow your own instincts. Allowing for the input of others will only disrupt your evolving ideas. If you have an original idea, don't waste time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. You will probably only receive adverse criticism. If all those geniuses had listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

You need to spend time nurturing your potential. I cannot stress this strongly enough. This will also involve time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to manage both.

Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows the imagination to run free.

Record your dreams. Some of those dreams you would never have thought of in your conscious mind. If you've had these dreams before and you probably have, this shows the untapped imagination you have within. So jot down those dreams. They may just ignite that imaginative spark in you.

Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. You are the same. People will appreciate your originality more because it is uniquely yours and no one else has thought of those ideas. That ability allows people to see how valuable an asset you are.

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a lousy photographer? Who cares if you've got the latest laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he becomes better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.

Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by people who have greater ambitions. Think the hare and the tortoise. Somebody once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. That's true. Sometimes you want something so badly that you'll allow nothing to get in your way. That is passion. Passion will keep you going.

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to and you should prepare for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you have no sheet of paper on which to scribble down a thought that could change your life. Have a pen and paper with you at all times. Don't make that same mistake again.

All these suggestions should encourage you to be alert to new possibilities. Bear in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anyone else's. Soon enough people will start to notice, enabling you to maintain a much higher profile as you increase and constantly tap your inner potential.

Michael Russell
http://self-help-guided.com/