Working writers and other artists know that you have to “work” at being creative. Writer’s block isn’t an option when you are being paid to crank out scripts, novels, or articles. So you have to make creativity a habit every day.
In the competitive world of entrepreneurship, creativity isn’t just a “nice-to-have”. it’s your greatest competitive advantage. Creativity fuels innovation, helps you stand out in crowded markets, and enables you to solve problems in unconventional ways. But too many entrepreneurs treat creativity like lightning. Unpredictable and uncontrollable. The truth is, creativity is a skill. And like any skill, it can be developed and turned into a habit. As a creativity speaker and creativity workshop leader I show entrepreneurs how to use Brainstreaming ™ to generate new ideas every day.
Here are five powerful ways entrepreneurs can make creativity a daily habit, no matter how busy or structured your day may be.
Schedule Daily Idea Time
Creativity thrives in structured spontaneity. That may sound like a contradiction, but setting aside dedicated time each day to think creatively, without distractions, helps your brain build the neural pathways necessary for innovation. Just like you go to a gym to build muscles, you can also build your creativity.
How to make it a habit:
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Block 15–30 minutes each day on your calendar labeled “Creative Thinking” or “Idea Time.”
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During this time, disconnect from email and social media.
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Choose a creativity exercise, such as:
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Brainstorming 10 new ideas related to your business (even bad ones).
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Asking, “What if I had to do this differently?” for a current challenge.
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Reimagining a common product or service from scratch.
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Pro tip: Keep a running “idea journal” to capture everything. Many of the best innovations come from building on half-baked ideas over time. I carry a notebook with me everywhere so I don’t miss anything. Trust me, you will forget that great idea if you don’t write it down.
Change Your Environment Regularly
The brain gets bored easily. Working in the same space, staring at the same four walls every day, can lead to creative stagnation. On the flip side, new environments stimulate new thinking.
How to make it a habit:
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Work from a different location at least once a week, like a café, a co-working space, or even a park.
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Rearrange your office furniture or update your workspace with objects that inspire you: art, travel souvenirs, or prototypes.
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Take a walking meeting or solo stroll to let your mind wander. Walking increases divergent thinking by as much as 60%, according to Stanford research.
Pro tip: Nature is a creativity booster. Even 20 minutes in a green space can increase cognitive flexibility and creative problem-solving.
Surround Yourself With Diverse Thinkers
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. And that goes for your thinking, too. If you only talk to people in your industry or who think like you, you’ll get recycled ideas. Innovation comes from exposure to different perspectives, disciplines, and mindsets.
How to make it a habit:
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Join or create a mastermind group of entrepreneurs from varied industries.
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Attend events, meetups, or workshops that have nothing to do with your field.
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Read books and listen to podcasts outside your comfort zone — science, art, history, even fiction.
Pro tip: Have regular “curiosity conversations” — informal chats with people who fascinate you, without a set agenda. Ask how they solve problems. These conversations often lead to breakthrough thinking.
Practice Creative Constraints
Many entrepreneurs mistakenly believe that more freedom leads to more creativity. But the opposite is often true. Constraints, whether time, budget, or resources, can actually fuel innovation by forcing you to think differently.
How to make it a habit:
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Use challenges like: “How would I do this with zero budget?” or “How could I solve this problem using only three tools?”
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Set time limits for brainstorming — for example, generate 20 ideas in 10 minutes.
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Embrace “opposite thinking”: instead of asking how to get more customers, ask how to lose them. Then reverse-engineer your answers for insights.
Pro tip: Build “mini innovation labs” into your week. Dedicate a short session to exploring absurd ideas, playful experiments, or flipped assumptions. Some of the world’s best inventions started as constraints.
Turn Failure Into Fuel
One of the biggest creativity killers is fear of failure. But innovation requires risk. And risk means you won’t always succeed. Entrepreneurs who normalize failure as part of the creative process build long-term resilience and idea momentum. Inventors know that in order to get a good idea you have to come with dozens of ideas. And most of those will suck. It’s like panning for gold.
How to make it a habit:
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Create a “failure log” where you record not just what didn’t work, but what you learned from it.
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Celebrate experimentation, not just outcomes. Reward yourself or your team when you try something new — regardless of the result.
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Reframe failures as feedback. Ask: “What is this trying to teach me?” or “What did this reveal that I couldn’t see before?”
Pro tip: Think of yourself as a creative scientist and test, observe, learn, repeat.
Make creativity a habit
Making creativity a habit doesn’t mean waiting for inspiration to strike. It means setting up your life, your schedule, and your mindset to consistently invite new ideas, fresh thinking, and unexpected connections. Entrepreneurs who train themselves to think creatively every day have an edge. Not just because they have better ideas, but because they can adapt faster, solve problems more effectively, and innovate with purpose.
The world doesn’t just need more entrepreneurs. It needs more entrepreneurial inventors. People who think differently, act boldly, and turn ideas into impact.
So choose one of the five habits above and start today. Your next breakthrough might be just one idea away
Julie Austin is an inventor, keynote speaker, and author who teaches entrepreneurs how to “Think Like an Inventor to Generate Breakthrough Ideas.” As one of the few female innovators who both invents and manufactures products, Julie helps companies gain a creative competitive advantage through real-world innovation strategies. Learn more at www.creativeinnovationgroup.com.