The creative thinking is defined as a way to see and solve problems from a different perspective, avoiding orthodox solutions and thinking outside himself. This creative process allows you to explore connections, face new challenges, and seek solutions that are unusual, original, and fresh.
It means thinking about new things or thinking in new ways, it is producing something out of nothing. Creativity in this sense often involves what is called lateral thinking , or the ability to perceive patterns that are not obvious. The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes used lateral thinking in a famous story when he realized that a non-barking dog was an important clue in a murder case.
Some people are naturally more creative than others, but creative thinking can be strengthened with practice. You can practice creative thinking by solving puzzles, becoming aware of your assumptions and letting yourself be carried away by the game, anything unstructured and relaxing, even daydreaming can help.
Creative people can come up with new ways to accomplish tasks, solve problems, and face challenges. They bring a fresh and sometimes unorthodox perspective to your work and can help departments and organizations move in more productive directions.
Index
Characteristics of a creative thinker
The characteristics of creative thinkers include:
They are communicators
Creativity and confidence are expressed in many ways through listening and communication.
This is why creative thinkers are good communicators.
Collaboration is also important for this type of thinking, and good communication is essential for job performance as part of a team.
They are open minded
An open mind is a mind that appreciates criticism, is ready for new solutions and ideas, and is not afraid to evaluate ideas.
An open-minded person is willing to learn from successes and mistakes, to grow and develop.
They are risk takers
Exploring new ideas and strategies is impossible without risk-taking, such as a willingness to face challenges and accept change.
Creative thinkers are resilient and not afraid to take risks, knowing that one has to be brave when exploring innovative and original ways of thinking and solving problems.
They know that stepping out of a comfort zone is sometimes necessary to be successful, even if it means facing the unknown.
They are well informed
To develop an understanding of things and situations, you need a backstory.
Knowledge allows creative thinkers to see the big picture, so they know a lot about the industry in which they work.
They are experts in what they do, and the concept of lifelong learning is what they base their expertise on.
They are flexible
The skills to adapt to change and think outside of habitual patterns are part of creative thinking, so being flexible is a hallmark of creative thinkers.
They accept changes; They are not afraid to change their method of work, and they are good at working with others.
Developing creative thinking
Remember the times when creativity was only for artists? And was that creativity considered a waste of time? Even though that mindset still exists in education, creativity is one of the most valuable skills in today’s complex world.
Our perception of a creative person is simply wrong. What do you associate with the word creativity? A painter, musician or artist?
But creativity is nothing more than doing old things in a different way, nothing new about that. However, if you solve problems in a different way, you are creative.
As an innovative way to approach and analyze ideas, creative problem solving became an essential skill for the 21st century. Although some people may seem more creative than others, this skill is something that is developed and improved using various techniques and practices. Being an essential skill today and one of those assets that you could take advantage of in your job search, try developing creative problem solving using the following exercises:
Creative meeting
This technique includes thinking of something and jotting down all the ideas that come to mind, regardless of how silly or unrelated they may seem at first. In this ocean of ideas, you are sure to find one that stands out, one that is tangible and innovative.
Used as an individual or group practice, brainstorming is a great way to develop creative thinking and problem solving. Encourage thinking in a different way and explore many options that might apply in that situation.
The more options you can think of, the more chances you have of finding good ideas.
What is brainstorming in creative thinking like?
Brainstorming is the often maligned practice of bringing a group of people together and generating ideas.
In general, it was agreed that the rules, at least in the initial stages, include:
- They all have something to say.
- All ideas are equally valued.
- Criticizing other people’s ideas is not allowed.
There are at least a couple of ways that brainstorming sessions can be run:
- Everyone follows an initial idea, feeding on it to generate new ones, until a final point is reached on that idea, at which point the group adopts a new idea and does the same.
- Participants are encouraged to generate more free-flowing ideas that can then be grouped and themed. It is also generally accepted that after an initial period of open brainstorming, there should be a period in which ask questions and criticism. This allows initial ideas to be explored in more detail and accepted for further investigation or discarded.
Many people also take this opportunity to group ideas by topic to facilitate exploration as many of the ideas will often be related.
So the best way to get a good idea is to come up with lots of ideas, then discard ideas that are not practical and inappropriate.
It’s important to set aside plenty of time for brainstorming, and to keep exploring even when you think you’ve come up with a good idea – the first idea is rarely the best.
Mental maps
Mind mapping is the process of connecting the dots, while brainstorming involves putting all the ideas in your mind, mind mapping is about ordering your thoughts, thinking in a logical way, using associations, recognizing patterns, and creating order. .
All that set of brainstorming ideas needs to come together in mind mapping. This exercise involves the left and right hemispheres of the brain; encourages you to think about the relationship between aspects and ideas, it also has a positive influence on the organization’s ability.
Reframing
Since rethinking focuses on analyzing the same situation or problem from a different perspective, it is a great exercise in developing creative thinking.
Reframing means changing the frame of things, so you will have to take a look at a problem or situation in a different way, in order to come up with a new and innovative approach. Explore other meanings of things, analyze context, and diffuse perspective to spot new opportunities and expect potential obstacles. Again, this exercise and way of thinking is applicable in many professions today.
Foreseeing the future
The goal of this exercise is to train the mind to anticipate the future based on today’s images.
Start with the current situation, regardless of whether you are using images or data to understand it, try to think about the future and where you want it to take you.
Through this process, you will have to build bridges from the present to the future, and this is where creativity comes in handy, as ideas to bridge the gaps are turned into solutions that will lead you to your desired future and help you achieve. goals.
Role playing game
The role play technique is a good way to change the way you are thinking and explore the situation from a different perspective.
Creative thinking encourages you to have an open mind, so when you use this method, you will try to think about the situation from someone else’s point of view. You need to rethink your thinking to see a different perspective on things, change your perspective, and find new solutions that push your limits and exceed your personal problem-solving style. Taking on a new role encourages you to come up with solutions that might not be typical, but are what you need to creatively solve problems.
The term “role play” also encompasses business constellations.
Business Constellations which is a technique that arises from family therapy , which allows a group to explore the interrelationships within it by using actors or group members to represent particular individuals, not necessarily themselves.
One person begins by placing everyone else in the room to show how they see the problem. In turn, each person in the group moves to where they see themselves fitting in best, and of course, as each person moves, it affects the others in the group, who then want to move again.
The end point is reached when everyone is comfortable with their location within the group, and this represents the ‘shape’ of the group and the dynamics within it. This is a very powerful technique that can cause emotions to skyrocket, so it should only be done with a trained professional to facilitate it.
Even those qualified to lead this type of role-play exercise, and who have done it so many times, can often be surprised by its results. There is something about pretending to be someone else and channeling someone else’s emotions that is amazingly liberating and can lead to enormously creative thinking.
Examples of creative thinking
Opportunities to think creatively in the workplace range from the obviously artistic to the highly technical and yet inspired. In general, anything that involves an “aha!” At some point it is creative. Perhaps you are already more creative than you thought.
Artistic creativity
Your work title does not need to become “artist” for it to have an artistic element. Maybe organize retail displays for maximum impact or to shape the track of an attractive hiking trail. Other jobs are sometimes specifically assigned to self-describing artists, but if yours is a smaller company, the task might fall to whoever agrees to do it.
These tasks include logo design, copywriting, creating a package for a product, or writing a phone script for a fundraising campaign.
Creative problem solving
Creative problem solving stands out as innovative. A creative problem solver will find new solutions, instead of simply identifying and implementing the most suitable standard solution, you can brainstorm new ways to reduce energy consumption, find new ways to cut costs during a budget crisis, or develop a strategy of litigation to defend a client.
Creativity in systems
Some people think that science and engineering are the exact opposite of art and creativity; those people are not scientists or engineers. Designing a more efficient assembly line robot, writing an innovative new computer program, and developing a testable hypothesis are all highly creative acts.
In fact, the history of science and technology is littered with projects that failed, not because of any errors in technique or methodology, but rather because people remained trapped in assumptions and habits of mind. Science and engineering need radical creativity to do something new.
Creative thinking and job search
Some job descriptions will simply state that creative thinking is required for the position. In that case, you should attend the interview prepared with specific examples of how you can demonstrate your creativity, just as you would any other skill.
However, many employers want creative thinkers, even if they don’t say it in those words. In these cases, think about how his creative nature has helped him in the past and how he could be an advantage in the jobs you want. In those cases, you can also showcase your creativity in your application materials, or you can decide to use other words, such as discussing your “fresh and innovative” work.
If you are looking for creative opportunities as a means of personal fulfillment, it is important that you know that you can find them in places that are sometimes surprising, any job that allows you to put your own spin on your work could be creative.
Why is creative thinking important?
The world and society are advancing at a remarkable pace, we need to equip ourselves with the ability to adapt to this trend, not hold back. We can achieve great success by meeting challenges and responding to them with a new way of thinking and self-confidence.
The ability to apply innovative thinking in both a digital and non-digital environment has become a hallmark of successful people today. If you want to build a successful career, it is important to develop creative thinking techniques as one of your skills, along with problem solving and critical thinking.
Regardless of whether you are a graphic designer or a social media manager, these skills are essential to overcome obstacles and face problems every day.
When it comes to the non-digital world, teachers are the first to benefit from this ability, because they are the ones who will affect generations to come. They have the function of transferring this skill to their students.
This ability also plays an important role in creativity in business. It enables managers, analysts, and other industry professionals to apply the creative process to the corporate sphere, start looking at things from a different perspective, and come up with solutions that separate them in the marketplace.
Hello, how are you? My name is Georgia Tarrant, and I am a clinical psychologist. In everyday life, professional obligations seem to predominate over our personal life. It's as if work takes up more and more of the time we'd love to devote to our love life, our family, or even a moment of leisure.