Pursue a varied set of experiences
It comes up again and again from the best creative thinkers... Steve Jobs once said:
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things"
So, if creativity is just connecting things, make sure you have a broader set of experiences to draw on than your competition!
https://creative.salon/articles/features/future-of-planning-matt-waksman-ogilvy