3. Stepping Away from the Problem

Uncovering your creative genius requires courage and tons of practice.

Creative thinking is not about generating something new from a blank slate, but rather about taking what is already present and combining those bits and pieces in a way that has not been done previously.

Most impor...

At first, you learn. During this stage you focus on

• learning specific material directly related to your task and
• learning general material by becoming fascinated with a wide range of concepts.

Nearly all great ideas follow a similar creative process. Understanding this is important because creative thinking is one of the most useful skills you can possess. Nearly every problem you face in work and in life can benefit from innovative solutions, lateral thinking, and creative ideas. Anyo...

Let your idea return to you. At some point, but only after you have stopped thinking about it, your idea will come back to you with a flash of insight and renewed energy.

Being creative isn't about being the first (or only) person to think of an idea. More often, creativity is about connecting ideas.

Shape and develop your idea based on feedback. For any idea to succeed, you must release it out into the world, submit it to criticism, and adapt it as needed.

Thoroughly work over the materials in your mind. During this stage, you examine what you have learned by looking at the facts from different angles and experimenting with fitting various ideas together.