Creativity and Thinking

Creativity and thinking.?

When I want to think creatively, I think like a woman.?

Because that’s the best way to do it. *?

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Obtain a different perspective, change your thinking and creativity appears. ?

Doesn’t matter how you do it, but do it you must.?

?Same old thinking, same old answer, at best you are problem-solving, at worst you are repeating mistakes and not learning. Same inputs & same process = same outputs?

?Thinking is a key part of creativity, it needs to be nurtured, cherished and protected. If you don’t actively do this constantly every day, your thinking quality levels will eventually suffer.?

?Why is it important to flex and grow your thinking power? Firstly, in a global world, thinking is super transportable, so eventually, you will need to compete against the best. Secondly, in the digital world, AI is already chomping at our thinking heels. We need to get a shift on.?

?Yabba yabba yabba…How on earth do you improve your thinking quality levels??

?Well, this is what I do to help me think generally and hopefully creatively…..and it provides me with answers in my moments of need.?

?1 – Real Attention. I listen to myself thinking, no interruptions, and apply focused effort. When thinking, interruptions are acts of violence.?

?2 – All ideas are good. When thinking gets in a flow, I don’t stop and evaluate. Be accepting of all ideas. Source material for ideas are everywhere the TV, the street, the site, the train, the water cooler. Have your eyes, ears and mind open all the time.?

?3 – Time and space. Set a gentle pace, avoid urgency and give your mind the permission to wonder and stop and absorb. Thinking can be hard, so make it as easy as possible. It is why a lot of people go for a walk.?

?4 – Praise and validate inwardly. Delight in the random ideas and see how far you can take them or what they link to. Some of the greatest ideas come from two random ideas joining together. Positive self-reinforcement gives you wings.?

?5 – Research. I like gathering information, gathering data, gathering knowledge, gathering insights. I see them as all potential triggers for creative thinking, they give me content and put me in the right mindset.??

6 – Place or setting. Having a good physical environment to think is helpful. I’ve mentioned before the wide open spaces of East Anglia or walking the dogs Find your space to think.?

?As you can tell I normally do my best thinking alone. ?

?You might not, as thinking can just as much be a team game. We all have a myriad of things that work for us and other things that actually stop us from thinking. Learn what works for you. ?

?If you wish to improve your thinking, invest in it.?

?There is no right or wrong way – the only thing you need to do is think about what works for you.?

• ?If I need to think deeply about something I withdraw from people, but others like to gather people around them and apply mass brain power.?
• I like to have an unstructured free-flowing approach, others need a structured process, a start middle and end, and a clear root map.?
• I like to know as many facts, figures, and data about something, while others rely on emotions and use their intuition.?
• I like to stay in the positive, in the ‘yes and’ zone, while others like the ‘Yes, but’ and devil’s advocate zone.?
• I like calm and silence, others like noise, bustle and high energy, music in one ear and the TV on in the background.?

?Universally, creative thinking goes up when driven by necessity. Just think of the levels of creativity in wartime. There is trouble ahead - austerity, budgeting and the uncertain future reframe these as opportunities for creative thinking and innovative solutions. The compelling need might be the nudge required to open previously closed minds or unlock new services. ?

?Almost certainly, you and your organisation will need to up your thinking game to outthink some of the challenges we will all face in the short to medium term.?

?Take some time to think how you think, it’s simple but also complex, it’s clear but also confusing. Your ability to think is your superpower, invest in it to improve it. Don’t just assume it is as good as it could be because it can always be better.?

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* New research appearing in the Journal of Applied Psychology provides some much-needed perspective on a controversial question in psychological science: is there a gender difference in creative potential and performance? The authors suggest that while men are generally perceived to be more creative than women, this is probably not the case from an empirical standpoint. Furthermore, new studies show that the stereotype that men are more creative is eroding over time and is less pronounced in countries that have more gender equality.??