We humans have an incredible capacity to persevere. When we need to drive in a nail but don’t have a hammer, we easily realize that we can use a heavy, flat object—like a rock—in its place. When our table is shaky, we quickly understand that we can put a stack of tissues under one of its legs to stabilize the darn thing.

So to celebrate our creative thinking, we at Bored Panda have an ongoing series where we post pictures of fun and smart out-of-the-box solutions that make life better. Whether it’s a DIY home hack or a business product is not important, what counts is that it gets the job done.

Continue scrolling to check out our latest collection and fire up our earlier publications here and here when you’re done too!

#1 These Tables At My College Campus Use Solar Panels As Shade, Which In Turn Provide Power For The Charging Ports On The Table

Image credits: Gadevin

#2 This Picnic Table With An Extension For Wheelchair Users

Image credits: cothhum

To learn how to look at the world from a different perspective, we contacted UK-based creative Lorna Scobie.

“There is a lot that gets in the way of creative thinking,” the author of 365 Days of Creativity: Inspire Your Imagination with Art Every Day told Bored Panda. “Don’t worry, we all have those barriers and you can overcome them.”

“Start by identifying exactly what it is that stops you from being creative so that you can then find solutions. Many of us fear making mistakes or doing something wrong, but with creativity, it’s good to remember there is no such thing! Allowing yourself to embrace mistakes can lead to learning and to new discoveries—about yourself and the way you like to express yourself.”

#3 Thailand Supermarket Ditches Plastic Packaging For Banana Leaves

Image credits: Mothership.sg

#4 My Hotel Phone In Iceland Has A Special Button That Will Wake You Up If There Are Northern Lights In The Sky

Image credits: KristjanHrannar

#5 If You’re Bored At The Baltimore Airport You Can Learn CPR

Image credits: Jaws_V_The_Return

Scobie said it’s important to remember that everyone’s creative habits are different when it comes to the specifics, but we can all add more creativity into our lives. “We often naturally fall into playing it safe and sticking with a routine that we know, but breakthroughs can happen when we force ourselves out of our comfort zone.”

“A great way to fuel your creativity is to be playful and to explore. New experiences can kickstart our ideas, and even the everyday can look new in different lights, so be open to looking at your world in a little more detail. Feeling like you have the freedom to play and be expressive is very important to creativity, so perhaps set aside notebooks for drawing or journalling that are just for you, where you don’t feel any pressure to share what you create.”

#6 Home Office Busy Light – WiFi Enabled LED’s In Door Jam Linked To My Work Calendar, When I’m In A Meeting It Goes Red And The Kids Know They Can’t Come In

Yellow is for knock first, green for coming in for a chat/draw on my whiteboard

Image credits: rjcamz

#7 This Parking Lot Has Lights Showing You The Empty Spaces. Genius

Image credits: JiveMonkey

#8 This Railing On Gazebo In Naples Has Braille Describing The View For Blind People. More Of This, Please

#9 This Duck Ramp

Image credits: JawsGoneWild

It may sound obvious but we often disregard what’s right in front of us. “Because there are just so many hurdles we can put up, the best thing is to ignore all your obstacles and just go for it,” Scobie said.

“Even if you just have 5 minutes to begin your creative project, make a start. The first word or mark can be the hardest part, so just make any mark to conquer that blank page. Remind yourself that you are creative, and you can do it!”

#10 Sink Area Designed For Drying

Image credits: reddit.com

#11 My Park Installed Outdoor Workout Equipment Facing The Playground

Image credits: vidat13

#12 This Park Has A Tiny Water Fountain For Dogs

Image credits: pie_ella

#13 You Can Sit At The Ends Of This Picnic Table

Image credits: Cosmos_Cawboy

According to Scobie, tapping into our inner potential can be really beneficial to our daily life. “Being creative makes us happier, it makes us feel good! It allows us to express and process how we are feeling,” she said.

But if you don’t know where to start, “It can be useful, to think about when you might be able to fit creativity into your day and plan to give yourself more opportunities to do this for yourself – a few minutes at lunch perhaps, or as a way to wind down after work. However and whenever works best for you. There are no rules.”

#14 Seems Like A Good Time To Finally Show Off The Spice Rack I Built

Image credits: StickyMustache

#15 My Eye Doctor’s Office Uses Laminated Forms And A Wet Erase Marker To Cut Down On Paper Use

Image credits: jack-of-some

#16 This System Allows You To Know If The Package Has Been Handled Correctly

Image credits: shelchang

#17 These Benches That Turn Into Tables

Image credits: hotforhotpie

Popularized by positive psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura, there’s this thing called the flow state. It describes a feeling where, under the right conditions, you become fully immersed in whatever you are doing.

“There’s this focus that, once it becomes intense, leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: you know exactly what you want to do from one moment to the other; you get immediate feedback,” Csikszentmihalyi said in a 2004 TED Talk.

#18 Movie Theater Tells You If There’s A Scene Near The End Of The Movie

Image credits: IConsumeLead

#19 My Bracelet Came With A Paper Clip To Help Fasten The Clasp

Image credits: nomoredolls

#20 Books-A-Million Puts A Slip Of Paper Under The Stickers On Their Books To Prevent Sticker Residue Being Left On The Covers

Image credits: cynbad719

#21 Tinder’s Warning To The LGBTQ Community

Image credits: foxociety

“If we get into flow, where our mind loses track of time and our stresses disappear completely, it feels so amazing,” Scobie said.

“We all have so much stress to contend with nowadays, and I would say that creativity is an essential tool to help us relax. It doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you enjoy it. You don’t have to create a massive oil painting, but you can if you want. It’s all personal to the individual.”

#22 This Elevator With Foot Pedals For Floor Selection

Image credits: Crackmacs

#23 Traffic Light For The Jedi. In Ukraine

Image credits: imgur.com

#24 This Restaurant Figured Out That Face Masks Fit In The Napkin Dispenser

Image credits: ThexGreatxBeyondx

#25 This Shopping Cart Has A Spot For Kids To Stand On While The Parent Pushes

Image credits: zOneNzOnly

“We are all creative creatures, regardless of our profession,” Scobie said, adding that if you would try to actively notice all the times in the day when you are able to be creative, you most probably would end up pleasantly surprised.

“There may be projects that you’ve set for yourself such as sketching, journaling, or coloring, or it might be little daily decisions you make such as the flowers you choose in the shop or the way you lay your table for meals. It’s all creative, and it’s all great.”

#26 Boards Installed At The Traffic Light So You Don’t Have To Get Off Your Bike While Waiting

Image credits: kraven420

#27 New Toaster Has A Finger Pull In The Cord

Image credits: basquenv

#28 On The Walls Of Madrid’s Metro System Is The Entire Novel Of Don Quixote, So You Can Read While You Wait And Pick Up The Next Time Where You Left Off

Image credits: orangebananaaaa

#29 A Very Clever Story-Time Chair

Image credits: SeriesOfAdjectives

#30 Plantable Calendar Made From Recycled Paper

Image credits: purutiger

#31 This Arthritis Relief Cream Now Comes With An Easy Open Cap For Those With Arthritis

Image credits: Isaacb123g

#32 University Has A Vending Machine With All The Things You Need As A Student, From Sanitary Pads To A Power Bank

Image credits: DutchBrownie

#33 Genius

Image credits: chosen_at_random

#34 IKEA Made Xbox And PlayStation Sized Boxes, That You Can Place And Check If It Will Fit On The Furniture You Want To Buy

Image credits: TomaccoTastesLikeGma

#35 This Hotel I’m Staying At Has The Shower Shelf Accessible From Both Inside As Well As Outside

Image credits: achilliesFriend

#36 My Ruler Has A Raised End So It’s Easier To Pick Up

Image credits: Iamthecello

#37 These Tables Are On Railroad Tracks For Easy Moving

Image credits: noluckyno

#38 You Can Lock Up Your Skateboard By This Library

Image credits: augburto

#39 My Plastic Wrap Just Told Me To Add It To My Grocery List

Image credits: itsmer

#40 My Microwave Has A “No Beep” Setting

Image credits: blr0067

#41 My Pen Has A Built-In Periodic Table

Image credits: spile77

#42 This Restaurant Puts A Mesh Net Over Your Lemon So When You Squeeze It, No Seeds Get In Your Food

Image credits: alikat538

#43 This Pickle Jar Has A Little Handle Attached To A Basket That Makes The Pickles Easier To Retrieve

Image credits: BallSaxophonist

#44 An Egg Timer That Shows You How Hard Your Egg Is By Cooking It With The Egg

Image credits: cizzoo

#45 This Post Office Has A Helpful Size Guide If You Want To Buy A Box

Image credits: hesapmakinesi

#46 Clever Decoration Idea Found At Aquarium Barcelona

Image credits: quixotesque

#47 This Korean Snack Has Two Notches On The Bag, So You Can Open At The Second Notch For Easier Access In The Later Stages Of Snacking

Image credits: cnostaw

#48 Extra Long Scissors For Wrapping Paper

Image credits: denrae-

#49 These Straws Made Out Of Pasta So They Don’t Dissolve Like Paper

Image credits: mazi710

#50 This Mall Has A “Husband Depository” With Massage Chairs And Phone Chargers

Image credits: co1063