So you want to be a creative thinker? You have decided that you love the idea of being able to come up with amazing ideas at the drop of a hat. Well, then it is time to learn how to become a creative thinker.
Becoming a creative thinker is about training your mind and making a conscious effort to be more creative. Start out by letting yourself be more creative in general.
As mentioned before, skills in music and the arts can go a long way towards helping you to become a creative thinker. You may consider taking up an artistic hobby to help get your creative juices flowing.
The reason that these skills help so much with creative thinking is because they open up the creative areas of the brain. They allow a person to let go of their rational thoughts and free the brain up for more creativity. The more you can allow your brain to be creative, the more likely you will be able to draw upon that creativity at will.
You can also just sit around and brainstorm ideas. See what you can come up with. Get out a pen and paper. Just write down whatever comes to mind. Do not censor yourself. Let your thoughts flow freely. You will likely be amazed at what you end up writing when you go back and read it.
Try the thought experiments and ‘what if’ ideas given earlier. Do at least one of these daily to keep your mind sharp and your creative juices flowing. Take them seriously and be committed to doing them.
You have to put forth some effort to try and get your brain into the habit of creative thinking. It involves commitment. It involves daily work. You cannot slack at all if you truly want to develop a brain that can think creatively.
Adopting creative thinking is something anyone can do. You just have to be able to let your mind wander and stop being so in control of your ideas. Creative thinking is free flowing.
You have to practice often. Let your mind just go beyond the obvious and see what you can come up with. Try some things like free writing where you let your thoughts be control. Play games that get you thinking and that will get your brain working. Challenge yourself. Try something new.
You know what is creative, so just let yourself get into creative activities. Anything that will allow you to go beyond your normal boundaries is going to stimulate creative thinking. You have to be willing to go outside your comfort zone and start to experience things you have never experienced before.
Becoming a creative thinker is a matter of just putting your mind to it. Once you decide to be a creative thinker, nothing is holding you back but yourself.
A Lesson in Creative Thinking
Creative thinking can be a very beneficial skill in business. Take the following story about Ryan and Scott as a good example of how creative thinking can get you ahead at your job.
While reading this story try to consider yourself in this situation. Think about who you are more like and who you want to be more like.
Ryan always thought he had it in good at work. He worked for a great company where he was always praised for his hard work. Ryan held a business degree from a notable school and thought he had learned everything he needed to already.
One day there was a new employee who joined the team at work. He worked in the same department as Ryan and he held the same position in the company as Ryan. This new guy, Scott, was rumored to be some sort of genius.
Ryan wondered what was so great about Scott. He had talked with him and learned he had graduated with a business degree form some state college and that this was his first position after graduation. Ryan did not see anything special.
At the weekly meeting, the boss told the employees that there was a client who would be coming in later in the week to hold a meeting and decide if this was the company they would like to do business with. He needed a presentation prepared to present to the client by Friday. He asked that everyone brainstorm some ideas and later that afternoon they would meet again to go over them and choose the best idea.
At the afternoon meeting, there were plenty of mediocre ideas tossed around. When Ryan’s turn came, he felt pretty good. He proposed a nice idea that was a little different from the other that had been presented. His boss commented that so far it was the best he heard.
Then it came Scott’s turn to present his idea. Scott blew everyone away with his amazing idea. He had a creative approach to the presentation that would really make it something different. He had almost come up with the complete plan. There would be little work to do to make it ready for Friday’s client meeting. The boss was so proud he decided to let Scott make the presentation himself.
Ryan could not understand how Scott came up with such an idea in the short amount of time they had. After the meeting, he talked with Scott. Scott explained that he used creative thinking to help him. He told Ryan all about how creative thinking works and how it had helped him land this job in the first place.
Ryan was amazed and he decided to give creative thinking a try himself. He started reading about creative thinking techniques. He even spent some time everyday asking himself ‘what if’ questions and trying out thought experiments.
Soon Ryan and Scott became the two top employees in the office. They were using their creative thinking to climb the corporate ladder. They ended up working so great together that eventually they started their own company and within a year, it had a net worth of over a million dollars.
Creative thinking had transformed Scott’s whole life. He was living the American dream. He would probably never have gotten there without the help of a little creative thinking.
Ryan’s story is probably much like yours. Until you actually learned about creative thinking, you probably never gave the idea a second thought. You may not have even realized what a major skill it is.
It is amazing to think that creative thinking can help someone land a good job and get recognized for their work on their very first day, but it can happen. Think about Scott when you are at work. Is there someone in your office who seems to be like him? Are you like him or are you more like Ryan? Skills are what will help you advance at work, not your degree.
Book smarts can only take you so far. You have to really get your brain working in order to make a big impact on your boss. Creative thinking is the way to do that.
Put creative thinking to work for you. You could end up being the star of the office, just like Scott.
To achieve a Zen-like state, everything needs to be in alignment. Harmony is the key word. The problem is there in front of you, along with the necessary skills and talent. You know you can do it. You’re filled with self-confidence. Creative energy fills the room. Everything just clicks. It’s the perfect atmosphere for problem solving. And the more people involved in the process, the more energy there is.
When the creative energy is in full force and you know your skills are matched perfectly with the task, it’s known as the “white moment.” It’s a moment when everything fits together harmoniously. Athletes refer to it as being “in the zone.” They can’t do anything wrong. Their skills are so well matched to the challenge, they almost blend together.
In the scientific world, this is known as “the flow.” It doesn’t matter what activity you apply it to; if the skills meet the challenge, you are filled with that creative energy. The air almost crackles with that creative electricity. The ideas are flowing and everything is working in perfect harmony. What you’re doing seems unified and almost feels effortless. You feel as if you could do it in your sleep.
You can tell that it’s not right if your talents and skills are not up to the task. You will feel anxious and more fearful of failure. If by some chance, your skills far surpass the challenge at hand, you’ll become bored and restless. At this point, you’re simply not using your skills to your best advantage. You need more of a challenge.
Neurologists have determined that while you’re in “the flow,” you actually expend less energy than you do when you’re wrestling with the original problem. That’s because the necessary skills for the task at hand are at the surface and readily available to you, while those skills not necessary at the moment are relatively silent. When you’re feeling anxious or confused, there’s basically no difference in the energy exerted.
When you’re in that state of “flow,” you lose all sense of time, or self-consciousness. In the Zen philosophy, this is called no-mind. You become so absorbed in what you’re doing, you actually become lost in the project. This is when you’ve tapped into the greater creative energy to which you have access.
Children are more likely to enter that “flow” state than adults. They simply can lose themselves and forget about time. Adults are more conscious of the passage of time than children, who are more comfortable in this “timeless state.”
What’s frustrating for children is to be ripped out and jerked back into the rigid clock-driven society when they are completely absorbed in that timeless state of creativity. Too much scheduling can stifle the creativity of a child. Indeed, it can stifle the creativity of any of us. John Bradshaw said, “Children are natural Zen masters; their world is brand new each and every day.”
What we all need is more Zen no-mind time to indulge in whatever creative pursuits we fancy. We need to create a more Zen-like atmosphere at work and at home. Nothing is more energizing than being in the “zone,” the “white moment,” or the “flow.” Try to find moments when you can slip out of time and in to a more Zen-like state of no-mind. Enjoy your project. Enjoy solving that problem and putting it behind you.
Now off you go to the next creative endeavor. So many ideas, so little time!
“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.” – Basho
More than seventy-six million people in the United States are currently feeling a major change. That would be the Baby Boomers, and they are the most powerful demographic in history. This represents the largest single sustained growth of the population in the nation’s history.
It also represents the largest group of creative people all alive and kicking – making music, writing books, buying and selling, and helping others.
In a previous chapter, we discussed the fact that your brain is gathering and processing information all the time. Well, this group of people, collectively, has amassed an incredible amount of knowledge: facts, figures, images, ideas, words, and music, all in the course of fifty plus years.
As an example, we have Oprah Winfrey, who not only creatively designed her own production company, but also founded the Angel Network, making it possible for many young people to attend college and for philanthropic groups to continue their good works.
Another example of creativity from the Boomer generation would be Paul McCartney. He’s been writing music and singing since the early sixties.
Stephen King has been writing short stories and novels since the late sixties, creatively showing us all how to be scared to death.
The list of stars over fifty, yet still showing us creativity on the big screen includes Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones and Candace Bergen. Inspiring directors like Steven Spielberg continue to amaze us with such awesome display of talent and creativity.
But there is still plenty of room for all the rest of the not-so-famous-Baby Boomers to show us their creativity and their talent. With lifetime experiences to back them up, they are sure to amaze us. This generation will not be sitting on the porch or in their rocking chairs bemoaning the loss of the “good old days.” They have a lot to draw on and a lot of creativity to share with us. They sing, they dance, they paint, and they write stories and music. They consult, and they teach. They pass along a long life’s worth of experiences, images, sounds, ideas and inspiration.
The Japanese have a proverb that reads, “I will master something, and then the creativity will come.” The Boomers have mastered many great skills and have developed many great talents. They have learned to recognize inspiration when they see or hear it, and they’re responding to it. They’re also sending it along to the next generation, continuing to inspire everyone.
Ray Bradbury once said, “We are all cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” That is the trick. We have all been filled and continue to be filled with creative ideas and knowledge. We must let that creativity spill out, for our own sakes as well as for others.
Allow inspiration into your life and see what a difference it makes. Invite your Muse to stand close by and shower you with the necessary inspiration. If you put your mind to it (the left brain and the right brain), you will come up with all manners of creative ideas to deal with any aspects of your life.
No matter what difficulties arise, no matter what challenges you face, no matter what kind of roadblocks you encounter, your creativity will help you to overcome all of them. Go back to your childhood, when your teacher told all of you to put on your thinking caps. Try it on for size now, you may discover it still fits.
There’s nothing like inspiration to help you conquer your fears. It will change your life, guaranteed. Let go of the past and its disappointments; they only trip you up and hold you back.
Make use of every source to aid you in this quest for creativity. Inspiration is all around you. The basic desire is within you; the need for creativity is a part of your very DNA. You simply have to train your brain to think more creatively, allow that desire to fill you, and force that creativity to the surface. You may have to remind yourself each and every day to think creatively, give yourself the chance to come with a bit of inspiration of your own, and find ways to solve your problems. You may even discover inside yourself an artist, a writer, a musician, or an inventor struggling to get out. Let the creative spirit inside of you come out to play, and create.
If you find the need for a little more inspiration, talk with Baby Boomers about what thrills them. See if it’s something you might like to try. Then get them to teach you all about it. Read a book, take a class, and learn to play an instrument or dance. Contact your local Continuing Education Center and find out what kinds of creative activities you can engage in.
John W. Gardner tells a story of Alexander the Great visiting Diogenes. Alexander asked whether he could do anything for the famed teacher. Diogenes replied, “Only stand out of my light.” Gardner concluded that perhaps some day, we should know how to heighten creativity. Until then, one of the best things we can do for creative men and women is to stand out of their light.
Perhaps we should stand close enough to that light, to shed a little beam on us, for us to learn from those creative men and women. Then we can go out and share a little of that light to others. We can help pass the torch to the next generation.
As life progresses, you will discover certain inescapable changes occurring. These include social changes all around you and involving you, as well as personal changes in your own life.
Creativity and change are closely related, and in fact, depend on one another. When change happens in your life, it takes creativity sometimes to get through it. Creativity then causes another change in how you respond to a given situation. Both the new change and the creativity to handle it have certain risks involved and will move you in a new direction. You may experience fear and anxiety; and at the same time, there may be joy and excitement.
Sometimes, these changes can occur too rapidly in a short span of time. The loss of much tradition in one’s life and too much newness can cause a person to suffer, and can even lead to a nervous breakdown. There are certain limits to our ability to bounce back and recover from sudden changes. These things take time.
While we may experience strong motivation to certain changes and a determination to be accepting, there are also equally strong inhibitions against those same changes. Humans are contrary by nature.
Here are a few examples of the social changes that occurred between the years 1950 and 1980:
• The percentage of married women who were wage earners, with children under the age of six, went from 12% to 45%.
• In 1950, only one child in ten did not live with both parents. By 1980, it was one child in four.
• Between 1950 and 1980, the divorce rate doubled.
• The proportion of men in the labor force over the age of sixty-five fell by more than half.
You can easily see where changes of this magnitude would require some very creative solutions for all those involved, as well as their families. But change happens; it’s just a part of living. Life is just one change after another, but that’s what helps us to grow and develop as humans. It only makes it harder for you if you fight change.
There are also personal changes that require a great deal of creativity to make it through. Marriage is a change that demands a certain amount of creativity. Adjustments of all kinds are needed here, starting with where to live, money issues, family issues (hers and his), and schedules.
Having children is another huge change that must be dealt with every day by many people. The need for creativity here is equally huge. Caring for another human being requires real inspiration. Then once again, there are adjustments needed, such as providing for a family, aside from money issues, schedules, and family issues. Women especially have to be highly creative to deal with the problems these life changes bring about, since they are often in charge of most of the above-mentioned issues. Of course, single motherhood brings with it a whole new set of problems to be solved as creatively as possible for everyone involved.
The sudden loss of a spouse is another personal change that is very difficult to deal with and requires a great deal of creativity to get through. At this time, it is often necessary not only to make a change. It is equally important to re-evaluate your entire life; and in effect, re-invent yourself and your priorities. Creativity is absolutely the key to making it through this particular trauma. Re-invention of self on a daily basis is essential.
Loss of a job or a home is enough to send many people into a spiral of depression and hopelessness. Real creativity is needed here to turn the situation around to your advantage. You can choose to move elsewhere. If you lose your job, you can find another, or you can start your own business.
Change brings with it an opportunity. You can go with it, or play the victim and feel sorry for yourself.
It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention. Many great insights, discoveries, and novel inventions have come about because their creators were in desperate need. They turned to their own individual creativity for resolution.
Henri Bergson said, “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.”
Like it or not, change will happen to you. And once you realized that change is inevitable and should not be feared, you’re ahead of the game. Maybe a major life change has happened to you already, maybe not. But you can’t avoid it. In fact, it’s actually easier if you try and embrace the change, rather than rail against it. This is a place where you can use your creativity to your best advantage.
Whether it’s getting married, starting a family, losing a job, finding a new job, starting your own business, or any other change wreaking havoc in your life, creativity is the key to success. Go back to the creative problem solving we’ve discussed earlier, take a deep breath, and plunge right in. We’ve all been there, or will be eventually. It’s not what happens to you in life that’s important. It’s how you handle those events that matter; it’s how you allow your creative side to deal with the problems that count.
Adam R. Gwizdala said, “Everything in life changes you in some way. Even the smallest things. If you do not accept these changes, you do not accept yourself. For through these changes brings new and greater things to you, making you wiser, as time progresses. To avoid these changes is a loss. You only live your life once. Do not waste a minute of it avoiding things. Let them come to you, and learn from them. There is always tomorrow.” In addition, George Bernard Shaw said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
“The chief function of your body is to carry your brain around.” – Thomas Edison
There is an old joke that says if the left half of the brain is dominant in right-handed people and the right half is dominant in left-handed people, then left-handed people are the only ones in their right minds.
In the late 1960s, Roger Sperry published the theory that the left half of the brain was the analytical, verbal side and the right half of the brain was the creative, visual side. Between the two halves is the corpus callosum, the connector. Simply put, the two halves communicate with each other through this connector. It’s the corpus callosum that quite literally keeps the right hand informed of what the left hand is doing.
Each half of the brain receives information in a completely different way. The left half of the brain is the speech center, where you get the ability to form thoughts and put them into words. This is also where things are put into certain sequential or logical order.
The right half of the brain controls motor skills, intuition, and emotion. It also enables you to be able to recognize and identify images. While the left side thinks in words, the right side sees pictures.
Creative individuals such as artists, writers, or musicians often refer to this a dual nature.
It is possible however to shift from one side to another, making use of both sides. A human being will make the shift depending on the situation in which he finds himself to be in. Picture an accountant, who makes his living working with numbers: rows and rows, column after column of numbers. Obviously, his livelihood depends on his utilization of the left side of his brain to good effect. However, if he wants to go dancing in the evening with his wife, he must shift over to the right side of the brain – to the creative side – the side that makes it possible for him to know how to dance.
On the other side of the coin, is the artist, who makes his living by painting beautiful landscapes or portraits. All day long, he paints, displaying his talent in vibrant colors, lights, and shadows. In the evening, he must pay his bills and balance his checkbook. So you see the shift from the right side of his brain, wherein lies his creativity, over to the left side of his brain, wherein lies his logical and analytical thinking.
Most humans are born with one tendency or the other, with influence coming from genetic traits, type of family life, and childhood training. There are exceptions, however. And change is possible; either side can be trained and strengthened.
One of the most famous examples of this type of change is the story of Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty-sixth President of the United States. As a young boy, he suffered from asthma and was ill much of the time. In order to build up his body, his father had a gym built, where Theodore could work out and overcome the weakness in his body. Later, he became a lawyer and quite a prolific writer of history and philosophy. Here is proof that a person can shift from one side of the brain to the other, depending on their circumstances.
Whatever side of the brain you prefer, will dictate your likes and dislikes, and will determine your skills, talents, and weaknesses. It will also affect your work and personal life, determining what you do for a living and who you choose to have in your life.
You may notice that changes in your life can have a definite impact on which half of the brain you use most. Shifting lifestyles and responsibilities bring about a shift in the way you see things and react to the changes. So no matter which side you prefer, you still use both sides of your brain and will find the need to shift back and forth, depending on the demand of the moment.
Let’s break down the delineation of the two halves of the brain more completely. The left half of the brain controls the logical, analytical, sequential, rational, linear, verbal, goal-oriented side of your nature. The right half of the brain controls the intuitive, spontaneous, emotional, visual, artistic, playful, non-verbal side of your nature.
Right-brained people are easy to spot. They daydream, doodle, and maybe draw. They may decide, at the spur of the moment, to take a walk to nowhere in particular. They may be more aware of colors, scents, and aromas and more able to visualize scenarios, most notably the “what if” moments. They are more aware of their emotions, as well as the emotions of those around them. They relate to others more easily, understanding their point of view and experiences. Simply put, they’re more intuitive and spontaneous.
Left-brained people are always asking questions and wanting answers to everything. They tend to be list makers and planners. Their idea of fun may include working on crossword puzzles and/or solving math problems. They prefer writing and outlining to spontaneous outbursts of activity. They’re also more connected to time and schedules, and love to plan everything down to the last detail. They’re more analytical and like to break problems down into the component parts.
Everything you do, everything you think, everything you feel, and everything you experience are directed through your brain, and filtered through the left and/or the right side.
Every human has the same basic equipment to use and draw on for life as Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur, Leonardo DaVinci or Helen Keller. It’s not the size of the brain that’s important; it’s what you do with yours that counts. The biggest difference in our brains and those of so-called geniuses is that they are able to make the shifts back and forth more easily and are more inclined to use both sides of their brain to the best effect.
So, how do you train your brain to be more effective? There are a few exercises to help your brain perform the shifts necessary to comprehend the world around you and effectively deal with whatever circumstances you may find yourself into over the course of your life.
One such exercise is something very simple. As children, you probably played around with optical illusions. You see one picture clearly, but if you look closely, another image appears. The once popular Seeing Eye images are good examples of optical illusions. The dual images cause your brain to shift back and forth.
Another good exercise to train your brain is good old-fashioned brainstorming. Here you must define the problem, lay it out in details, and ask yourself what you really want to accomplish. Then break the problem down into its basic components. Smaller pieces are not intimidating and are easier to deal with. If it’s required, seek expert assistance when necessary. Then visualize the perfect outcome. How do you see it unfolding in your mind? Make it a pleasing outcome – the perfect solution.
Within the problem-solving exercise, you’ll find yet another set to help you not only solve problems, but to help you visualize and develop your creativity.
1. Try seeing the exact opposite of your problem. Not enough workers at the office? Try picturing masses moving around.
2. Expect the unexpected.
3. Forget everything you know about the problem and start from scratch. This clears the mind of preconceived notions and allows you to see the problem, and possibly the solution, more clearly.
4. Role-play with those people involved in the problem. See their point of view. Pretend you are them.
The last exercise we’ll discuss is called cinematics or seeing pictures in your mind’s eye. Sometimes, you’ll experience flashbacks in your memory and see things anew – things that happened in the past. It may be an emotional experience, good or bad. You’ll notice some things you remember and others you’ve forgotten. Holes in the memories are normal for most people.
At other times, you may want to fast forward to what you desire to happen – the perfect scenario. This is also known as “daydreaming.” You’ve probably had an experience where you’ve been admonished by teachers, parents, and other authority figures to stop daydreaming and get to work. In this case, it is altogether necessary to do some serious daydreaming. It’s actually good for you and your brain, and is a great creative tool.
You will discover too, that men and women react differently to the information filtered through their right brains and left brains. Women tend to react more generally, while men react more laterally. Men tend to use their left brain and react more single-mindedly to a given situation. They proceed in a logical manner, taking one task at a time. Women are more multitasking by nature. Scientists think this comes down from primitive times, when women were responsible for cooking, cleaning, washing, and keeping the children from wandering away and being eaten by wolves. Primitive men were the hunters, requiring more single-mindedness for the hunt. Women tend to be more emotional and want to talk about their feelings, while men repress those feelings and retreat to their addictions, like football and television. At the same time, men may get angry in a situation, which obviously calls for another reaction, and women become the mediators.
Whether it’s the right brain or the left brain, it needs closure. Compared to a missing piece of puzzle, your left brain will try to find the missing equation while your right brain will find the missing image needed to solve the problem.
From a BBC documentary: Another discovery was made recently after studying those with autism and dementia. Scientists believe they have found a part of the brain, that when switched off, can stimulate artistic genius. One of the scientists, an Australian, sees a time in the future when even ordinary people will be able to hit a switch and find their own genius.
If you’d like to see whether you’re controlled more by the right brain or the left brain, go to http://www.web-us.com/brain/LRBrain.html. There is a short quiz to help you determine which side of your brain is more dominant over the other.
Humor is also something that you can develop using both sides of your brain. Your right brain may automatically look for the humor in a funny situation, while your left brain will analyze each step in the process, determining exactly why it’s so amusing. Those controlled strongly by the left brain may feel compelled to tell you exactly why it isn’t amusing as well. In this instance, it might be best to let your creative side have its way and just enjoy the moment and the humor. Keep in mind that most of the great geniuses of recorded history had excellent sense of humor.
In addition to the two sides of the brain, you also possess a screening device, a filter, if you will, located at the base of your brain called a Reticular Activating System or RAS. This is made up of a group of cells that help you decide what you’re conscious of, meanwhile filtering out other kinds of unimportant information, allowing only vital input into your awareness.
If you have to acknowledge each sound, sensation, color, feeling, etc., you’d no doubt go crazy. That’s just too much sensory information flooding your consciousness, every minute of every day. Yet you can access that information if you so desire, shifting your focus so that you’re conscious of that less vital information, if you need it.
An example of this shift would be a new mother. Although she is able to sleep, she hears the slightest noise from the nursery. She accesses that extra information because it becomes necessary for her to have it.
If you keep your mind open to new ideas, your Reticular Activating System will allow necessary information to get through to your consciousness, giving you a whole world of inspiration.
It’s also been discovered that the brain is capable of enormous recall of information. Everything you’ve ever read, everything you’ve ever heard, and everything you’ve ever seen and experienced, are stored in your brain. The trouble most of us have is finding a way to access all that wonderful information.
Through meditation and sometimes hypnosis, that information can be retrieved. Meditation can strengthen the connection between the conscious and the subconscious and help the RAS to access all the stored information.
Hypnosis can often be used to take the subject back to the time they first learned some important fact or topic and reawaken that memory, bringing it to the surface, and therefore making it more accessible. You may be thinking, “Hypnosis? Isn’t that a little extreme? That’s too much like a parlor trick for me.”
Hypnosis is simply daydreaming, so your conscious mind calms down and steps out of the way. Then your subconscious can take over temporarily. But you’re still completely aware of everything that’s going on around you. Your senses are merely heightened. Your subconscious mind now has access to all the information your mind possesses and has free rein to use it all.
The good news is that you can do this yourself; no hypnotist is needed. You just need to learn to daydream to your best effect. By giving your subconscious access to your memories and information, it will also be able to tap into your creative side – to make connections and find relationships between ideas that your conscious mind might just filter out.
Exercising your mind is often helpful in accessing information. Albert Einstein, when faced with a problem, would walk away for a few minutes, and play his violin. Upon returning to the original idea, he’s often presented with a solution to the problem. Leaving the dilemma for a while, taking a walk, or listening to music, often helps immeasurably in relaxing your mind, so it can solve the problem. This is the subconscious moving forward again and aiding in problem solving.
Your brain is also capable of multitasking. Watch any stay-at-home mom, as she cooks dinner, feeds the baby, talks to her friend on the phone, breaks up a fight between the two older children, and answers the front door to deal with a salesman.
Her constantly busy senses are sending feedback to her brain, insuring that all the tasks get completed. Without her conscious effort, her lungs process oxygen, her heart pumps blood, and her temperature is maintained. She gets the dinner, finishes feeding the baby and puts him down, ends her conversation and hangs up the phone, sends the two little fighters to their opposite corners, and sends the salesman on his way.
Thanks to our subconscious, we can drive a car, play a piano, or watch television and still talk to friends at the same time.
The brain processes information every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day. It can process a half million options and possibilities in a few seconds. No wonder creativity is so easy for humans. All we have to do is learn to trust our marvelous brains and our subconscious and practice, practice, practice. That will keep the ideas flowing! Creativity is as natural and necessary to humans as breathing. Brenda Ueland said, “So you see, imagination needs noodling — long, inefficient, happy, idling, dawdling and puttering.”
What exactly is the difference between the mind of a genius and the mind of an ordinary person? Michael Michalko, in his book Cracking Creativity, says he thinks the difference is that geniuses know “how” to think, instead of “what” to think. This enables them to create completely new concepts and say to themselves that anything is possible.
That simply means that they look at problems differently. They combine ideas, images, and thoughts in a different way and are able to recognize patterns in the world around them. They know how to make connections between objects, no matter how unusual or disparate. An example of this is when Leonardo DaVinci made the connection between the tone of a bell and a flat stone hitting the water, causing waves. His connection was that sound also traveled in waves.
Another sign of genius is the ability to think in opposites. An example of this type of thought would be the Danish physicist Niel Bohr. In 1928, he announced that it was possible to imagine light as both waves and particles, not however simultaneously.
The ability to think in metaphors is considered a sign of genius. Aristotle felt that if a person has the ability to compare two separate areas of existence and somehow find a relationship there, then that person has a special gift.
A person of exceptional abilities also focuses on how to analyze the process of accidental creativity. It’s not a matter of why it failed, but what exactly did it do?
A person possessing genius is highly productive. An example of this was Thomas Edison, who held over 1,000 patents. In his book Cracking Creativity, Michael Michalko states that geniuses produce large quantities of ideas because they think fluently. Apparently, their minds are extremely busy; they think all the time. And it’s possible for the rest of us to develop these attributes as well. It’s simply a matter of training our brains to think more fluently.
According to Buckminster Fuller, “Everyone is born a genius. Society degeniuses them.” Some believe that genius just appears, out of the blue, and that the conditioned thinking of higher education can actually detract from a person’s genius. Massive amounts of knowledge doesn’t necessarily guarantee genius; it only means you have an excellent memory. And the good news is that you need not be a genius in order to be creative. And even better news is that we are capable of more than just creative thought; we are capable of more genius than we ever dreamed. Charles Baudelaire described genius as “no more than childhood recaptured at will.”
So, how do you accomplish this feat? You must retrain your brain to think like a genius. You can do that by following the above criteria. You must start to think about the world around you differently. Think in opposites, think in metaphors, and become more productive with your thoughts. And when ideas don’t exactly pan out the way you hoped they would, you must ask yourself not why it failed, but what did it accomplish, what did it prove?
Want to develop the mind of an inventor? Start looking at designs around you and ask yourself how you could make them different. Max Planck, known as the father of quantum theory, believed that it was necessary for scientists to have “a vivid intuitive imagination, for new ideas are not generated by deduction, but by artistically creative imagination.” Even Einstein said his theories were “free invention of the imagination.” Ezra Pound said, “Genius…is the capacity to see ten things where the ordinary man sees one and where the man of talent sees two or three, plus the ability to register that multiple perception in the material of his art.” Secrets of Geniuses
By Tony Alessandra
It’s time to discuss the dreaded “enemies” of your creativity. Anything that stops the natural flow of creativity is known as a block. There are many different reasons they occur and it requires some work on your part to re-establish that creative flow.
There are several thieves of your creative time. These are the blocks to your creative thoughts and ideas. But don’t be afraid; while they may seem daunting, you can learn the process of deflecting them.
Sometimes, daily life itself is the thief of your creative time. Perhaps you worry about caring for your children, or even elderly parents. If your day job is time-consuming or boring, you might dream of time to just let your imagination go where it wants. Ill health might also be your greatest worry and time stealer.
Here’s the first place to let your imagination take over and help you find that creative time you need. Creativity over your daily life is your first challenge. All you need to begin with is a few minutes to yourself. Use your journal to record the problems you face and practice coming up with some creative ways to work through them.
The hardest part is learning to focus on one challenge at a time, giving it your conscious and subconscious attention. If your life is very stressful, that just means you need the creative time more than ever. You must give to yourself, or you’ll have nothing to give others in your life. Dr. Phil McGraw said, “You can’t give from an empty cup.”
I can hear you right now saying, “When can I possibly find time to be alone and think about anything but my problems. There’s so much to do, so much to accomplish, and not nearly enough time to do them all. Where do I fit in time for myself?”
If you come home from a long day of work, and then have small children demanding your time, it’s actually a perfect time for a little creativity. Playtime with them in the form of coloring, playing with clay, and reading are ideal ways to exercise your own creativity. They are also great ways to relax. The benefits to the children are that you are helping to build their self-esteem and self-confidence. Children love doing things with their parents. Praise them lavishly to help boost their own creativity and self-worth. If you’re responsible for older people, try some board games, card games, or hobbies to connect with them and spur on your own creative forces, as well as theirs.
Then give yourself a few minutes before bed to sit quietly and think your own creative thoughts. Meditation is an excellent way to teach your mind to focus and concentrate on your own creativity. When you go back to your journal, you may be pleasantly surprised at how successfully and creatively you’ve solved any problems you’ve faced. Making meditation a part of your day could make all the difference in your mood and your health.
You’ve discovered that being busy, and yet finding creativity in your life, is very possible. But there are other obstacles you may have to face. Sometimes you may find that you have conflicting goals, or have not positively defined those goals. You might have a great deal of competition at work, and you might be confused as to how to take advantage of opportunities you feel are necessary to your career advancement.
Here’s yet another opportunity to put your creativity to the challenge. As with any problem, you must first define it precisely. You cannot progress forward without knowing exactly what it is you want. Once you’ve defined the goal, it’s time to set out the steps to attaining that goal. What do you need to get from Point A to Point B? You need a plan. Here’s where your creativity can help you again. Make your plan, deciding how to get what you want, step-by-step, complete with a time line if necessary. Then follow your plan.
Zig Ziglar said, “You can’t hit a target you cannot see and you cannot see a target you do not have.” It’s essential to have a plan in mind, a goal to achieve, a road map to what you want. In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.
Without a definite goal in mind for your life and your creativity, you may find yourself going along with someone else’s plan that’s not necessarily the right one for you. Go with your own creativity and find what’s right for you personally.
Yet another enemy of your creativity is anxiety. It’s hard to focus on brilliant ideas if you’re feeling anxious. And while anxiety is not the ideal place in which to work your creative magic, it can be used to your advantage at times. Oscar Wilde said, “The anxiety is unbearable. I only hope it lasts forever.” You can use that anxiety to spur you forward and keep you moving.
Other obstacles you may encounter are lack of self-confidence or fear of criticism. You must remind yourself that you are a highly creative person. Take steps to learn what you need to know to develop that creativity and your self-confidence. As for criticism, you must learn to let it roll off your back. There will always be critics in your life, and you must learn the art of ignoring them.
You may even be a bit self-critical concerning your own abilities. That inner critic is the worst of all of them, because that’s the one you hear all the time. This is the voice in your ear saying, “What makes you think you can come up with the creative answer to this problem? Who do you think you are anyway?” It takes some practice to learn to turn off the inner critic when you’re in the middle of creating something, but it’s important that you do.
Procrastination is one of the worst blocks to your creativity. “As soon as I get some extra time, I’ll get to that creative project.” “I’ll tackle that new project this weekend, after work.” “As soon as school is back in and the kids are out of the way, I’ll get to that special project.”
You know you’ve done exactly that; you’ve procrastinated day after day, week after week, month after month. Yet you never seem to get around to that special project. Sometimes, you can actually use one of these enemies of creativity to inspire you. The well-known “Round Tuit” is just such an innovation. It’s a yellow circular piece of rubber, stamped with “Round Tuit” on one side. At one time, it was “the thing” to give to your procrastinating friends. They’re always waiting until they got around to it; well now they had one.
That creative project, that hint of a brilliant idea, that nugget of creativity continues to sit at the edge of your mind, mocking you, calling to you. It’s so close, you can almost touch it. You can almost get your hands on it. But it stubbornly stays just out of reach. It taunts you, “Leave all that other stuff and come be creative with me!”
Procrastination is one of the hardest blocks to dispense with, because it feels like a legitimate excuse. After all, you’re so busy, you got so much to do, and so many people depend on you and demand your time. It’s so easy to keep putting it off, until you never get to it at all.
There are many types of procrastinators. There are those who wait until the last minute and tell themselves that they work better under pressure. Pressure or no pressure, they still don’t accomplish anything.
There are those who either fear failure or perhaps fear success, so they avoid the project. This group would rather be thought of as lazy than without the necessary ability to accomplish the goal.
It just feels like you’re being pushed, and no one likes being pushed to do anything. Trouble is, you just don’t feel thrilled about doing whatever the project is. So, you avoid it as long as you can, giving excuse after excuse.
Lastly, there are those who simply cannot make a decision, thinking erroneously that if they make no decision, they’re not responsible.
The last block that is so difficult to deal with is that of perfectionism. You’re never satisfied with what you accomplish – it’s never quite right, it’s not “perfect,” others may not like it, etc. Many writers experience this syndrome. They write a few pages, then start the editing process, thinking it will be easier than if they waited until the story or book was finished. The problem with that theory is that you will never get past those first few pages. You are always stuck in the editing process and you will never finish at all.
Many people get so stuck in the “perfection” rut, they eventually give up the project altogether. Their reasoning is that if they can’t get it just right, why bother finishing it? This is positively destructive to the creative process.
Since there is no such thing as perfection, then striving for it is a useless pursuit and a waste of your creative time. There are cultures and groups around the world who remind themselves of their own imperfection by deliberately including a flaw in their art. The Japanese call it a “wabi.” Amish quilt makers always include a deliberate flaw in their work, to remind themselves that men and women are not perfect.
In this case, we must return to the childlike model of creativity. Children don’t care if they get something perfect, they just love doing it. They just keep on trying, regardless of how many times they fail to achieve perfection. Remember the time when you were a child and failed to accomplish something to everyone’s satisfaction. “Just do your best,” your mother told you. “All you can do is your best.”
“There is no failure, except in no longer trying; no defeat, except from within; no insurmountable barrier, except our own inherent weakness of purpose.” – Anonymous
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