Try this: Imagine you’re a 7 year old.

Children playing is filled with curiosity. They haven’t learned the stock responses of adults. Ask yourself what a kid would do in this situation.

In one psychological experiment, college volunteers were asked what they’d do if school was cancelled for the day. A second group was given the added idea to “imagine themselves as a 7-year-old”. The group asked to think like a kid had more original ideas. Those who were tested as introverted, more inhibited, and less spontaneous were especially more creatively original. Details of this research were published in the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.

To be honest, I often forget I’m an adult. It’s kind of weird that we get older and we’re the same person. Adults are really just old children. We’re not as limited as we think we are.

Has thinking like a kid helped you?

Brian E. Young is a graphic designer and artist in Baltimore, MD.