Creative Thinking – How to Do It and Why

What is Creative Thinking?

It is taking a different approach to an issue, topic, idea, etc., from everyone else. The creative mind challenges traditional thinking and sees a situation in an innovative way. This article will show you how to develop creative thinking and why.

Why develop it?

In essence you are taking what others are seeing, and thinking of it from a new point of view – one that has not been thought of before. In becoming a ‘lateral thinker’ you start seeing ways of resolving problems in new and exciting ways. It will bring you a new joy in your personal, professional or business life. It will add significantly to your emotional health and emotional wealth!

How to allow creative thoughts to enter your conscious mind

Think of the situation from a child’s viewpoint. Young children do not have the hang-ups that adults do. They do not fill their heads with regrets about the past and worries about the future. They experience true happiness and live totally in the present. So a first step is to practice thinking only of this very minute. Ultimately you will develop the ability to have a totally blank mind as that is when your most creative thoughts have the space to enter your mind.

An example of thinking creatively

Ask a group of adults to paint a country scene. They will draw fields, farm-houses, trees, country lanes, and so on. Then ask them to add some animals. They will draw cows, sheep, pigs, etc. Now ask them to draw a barn with small table on which sits a mouse. This is when the adult with the most creativity and child-like joy will draw a ‘computer mouse’ sitting next to a computer.

Return to thinking as a child

Suppose you were racking your brain for a solution to a problem. How do you look at it from another point of view? The easiest way to do this is to look at it from a child’s point of view:

* Imagine there are no barriers in your way.
* Imagine you have all the money in the world.
* Imagine no one will be affected by your decision.
* Imagine there is no one around to say it is a silly idea and will not work.

What will emerge in your thoughts is a list of all the different ways you can resolve your problem. You will be quite surprised at your creativity! If you are disabled you will find new ways of tackling old issues. Of course some of your ideas may not be practical as they impact on others too much or because they are too risky say. But once you eliminate those, you will be left with some very interesting ways of resolving your original problem.

Challenge traditional thinking

Most of the so-called geniuses of this world were not necessarily super-human. They simply saw the situation from a different point of view. They challenged traditional thinking. People firmly believed that nothing could go faster than the speed of sound. Then they were adamant that nothing could go faster than the speed of light. Now science has shown that even this is no longer correct.

It is believed by many that mankind has found all the animals it can on this Earth. Yet every year new species are found in the darkest cavern, deepest ocean, coldest spot… Practice challenging the conventional ‘thinking’ on certain topics or issues. WHY do people say x, y and z? Have they ever tried a, b and c? Be your own mentor and allow yourself to think freely.

In a nutshell

Theories and thinking on subjects are forever changing. But WHO is doing the changing? Creative minds like yours that have simply been given the freedom to think differently. Practice looking at the world in a new light. If you have been told that something is not possible ask yourself why that is. What if you did not think conventionally?

Develop the daring, the lack of fear, the freedom, etc., to think laterally. Your self development and personal growth has no limits. You will find that a creative mind does not belong to geniuses only. The possibilities inside you for creativity and innovation are truly unlimited!