What I learnt from my son..

As an innovation and transformation professional, I recently experienced a valuable lesson from my 7-year-old son ?? that I wanted to share with my LinkedIn network. In an effort to stimulate his creativity ??, I provided him with a drawing book ??and a set of sketch pens ???, and challenged him to create something using both. As a typical adult, I expected him to produce a typical, random drawing or sketch ??. However, I was astonished by the outcome.

My son challenged me by producing a work of art without even using the sketch pens. When I asked him why he didn't draw, he confidently replied, "You asked me to do something creative, and here it is." This experience made me realize that children are more creative than adults because of their heightened curiosity ?? and absence of fixed/familiar patterns ??. Kids tend to ask more "how?", "why?", and "what if?" etc. questions.

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up" - Pablo Picasso

As we grow older ??, we are taught what we can and cannot do. We learn to put limits on our imaginations and to avoid asking questions that we might deem "dumb." This is called functional fixedness. However, it is important to remember that creativity starts with curiosity and keen observation. We all have the potential to be creative and innovative, and the key is to question everything and avoid using fixed patterns.

"We tend not to pay attention or think about the patterns that we've already learnt. They recede into the landscape of our lives" - Dee Hock, Founder of VISA

In summary, the key takeaways from my experience are that we should be more curious, ask more questions, and avoid using fixed patterns. Always challenge yourself to think outside the box ?? and question the status quo.

"The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get the old ones OUT"

Wanna learn more about Functional Fixedness: https://nesslabs.com/functional-fixedness

I hope this post has been insightful for you. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback in the comment ?? section , and don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter for more informative content.