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How to Enhance Your Creative Thinking
Re-conceptualize the problem
Instead of thinking of a cut-and-dry end goal to certain situations, creative people sit back and examine the problem in different ways before beginning to work.
If you find yourself stagnating by focusing on generic problems, try to re-conceptualize the problem by focusing on a more meaningful angle.
For example: Instead of thinking “What would be something cool to paint?” rather ask, “What sort of painting evokes the feeling of loneliness that we all encounter after a break-up?”
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Restrict yourself
Research suggests placing self-imposed limitations can boost creativity.
It forces your brain to come up with creative solutions to finish a project around the parameters you’ve set.
Create psychological distance
Creating “psychological” distance may be useful for breaking through a creative block.
Try to imagine your creative task as being disconnected and distant from your current position/location - this may make the problem more accessible and can encourage higher level thinking.
Daydream, and then get back to work
Daydreaming and incubation are most effective on a project you’ve already invested a lot of creative effort into.
Incorporating breaks into your work-flow can increase your chance to come up with creative solutions to problems.
Embrace something absurd
Research suggests that reading/experiencing something absurd or surreal can help boost pattern recognition and creative thinking.
Separate work from consumption
We are often in two very different states of mind when
- absorbing an activity and
- when we are trying to create something.
Turn off your “work mode” and consume more inspiration in the form of reading, watching, and observing.
Create during a powerful mood
From a new study (2007) o creativity in the workplace:
Creativity increased when both positive and negative emotions were running high…
Next time you’re in a strong emotional state, try to sit down and focus that energy on creating something.
Get moving
Exercise can actually boost creative thinking due to its ability to get the heart pumping and put people in a positive mood.
If you’re stuck in a creative rut and want to take a break, try including exercise.
Ask “What might have been?”
Looking at a situation that has already occurred and asking yourself, “What could have happened?” can boost creativity for short periods of time.
According to an analysis by Jeremy Dean:
- Analytical problems are best tackled with thinking about what could have been taken away from the situation.
- Expansive problems benefited most from thinking about what could have been added to the situation.
How to Kill Creative Thinking
- Role mismatch.
- Too much/too narrow end-goal restriction.
- Strict ration of resources, including insufficient time.
- Lack of group diversity produces less creative results.
- Discouragement. Too much criticism, endless evaluation and negative comments.
- No positive feedback. Praise and positive feedback are essential for creative people, who thrive on having their ideas impact the lives of others.
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Creative Thinking Defined
Creativity is not just reserved for artistic tasks such as writing, painting or composing music.
Creative thinking is the ability to consider something – a conflict between empl...
Top Creative Thinking Skills
- Analytical. Before thinking creatively about something, you first have to be able to understand it.
- Open-Minded. Setting aside any assumptions or biases you may have, and look at things in a completely new way.
- Problem Solving. Using your creativity to solve important issues.
- Organization. Being able to structure a plan of action with clear goals and deadlines is vital.
- Communication. Strong written and oral communication skills to communicate your solutions effectively.
Examples of Creative Thinking
- Artistic Creativity. You don't have to be an artist for your work to have an artistic element. For example: Composing a new fundraising script for volunteers or devising a lesson plan that will engage students.
- Creative Problem-Solving. For example: Coming up with new procedures to improve quality or suggesting a way to improve customer service.
- Creativity in STEM. For example: Constructing a research model to test a hypothesis or devising a computer program to automate a billing process.
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Early History
The connection between genius and possible insanity was first documented in 1891 in the Italian physicians’ book The Man Of Genius.
In 1869, this was taken up by the cousin of Charles Darwi...
Genius and Heredity
In a 1904 study by English physician Havelock Ellis, a list was made of 1030 individuals through extensive research, examining thoroughly the intellectual distinction people had by the various factors like heredity, general health, and social class.
These works established that genius minds are often hereditary.
Genetic Studies Of Genius
A body of work of Stanford psychologist Lewis M. Terman, was an in-depth multi-decade study of gifted individuals, and an attempt to improve the measurement of genius and its association with the degradation of mental stability. This also included an enhanced version of the French IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test.
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The 2 goals of effective brainstorming:
- Defer judgment (don’t get upset when people say bad ideas).
- Reach for quantity (come up with as many ideas as possible).
Obstacles to an effective brainstorming:
- Fear of judgment from people in positions of power;
- Extroverts take center stage;
- Groups hate scary ideas, even it they're great ones;
Steps of the creative process
- Preparation: individual study to focus your mind on the problem;
- Incubation: the problem enters your unconscious mind and nothing appears to be happening externally;
- Intimation: you get a “feeling” that a solution is on the way;
- Illumination: your creative idea moves to conscious awareness;
- Verification: your idea is consciously verified, expanded upon, and then executed.