Creativity, Elephants and Ideas

Have you ever wondered, "What is creativity, anyway?". If you have, you're not alone. People seem to know it when they see it, but defining it is apparently a difficult matter. There were over 60 different definitions of the term "creativity" in the research literature as of 1960, and there is currently no single definition that is universally accepted. The ancient Greeks believed it was a divine gift related to the arts that you either had or you didn't. Many people today continue to associate creativity with the arts, and if you aren't an artist - well, you're not creative.

Much like the fable about the blind men and the elephant where each man confidently (yet incorrectly) interpreted the whole animal based on one aspect alone (e.g., the trunk, the tail, a leg), creativity is a matter of perspective that requires a holistic view. Creativity may appear as different creatures to people in various professions, yet all views offer insights into the bigger picture.

In the midst of differences about creativity, one thread appears to be consistent. In a recent study, a large group of people in creative occupations such as art, graphic design, sculpting, etc. and a control group of students representing various majors were asked for their definition of creativity. The results were highly mixed, including terms such as unusual, radical, new, original and funny. Somewhat surprisingly, the only aspect that all participants agreed on was that a creative person is capable of having a lot of ideas.

Having ideas is a product of creative thinking, and creative thinking is a basic mental operation that anyone can apply if they choose. It is thinking in a state where ideas are free flowing, open to many different paths, and free from barriers - much like the cascading rivulets of a waterfall. So while there are variations across disciplines, the essence of creativity might be best captured as having the ability to generate many ideas. This simple yet unifying element returns the often elusive and mystical concept of creativity to everyone, regardless of artistic ability or profession. In addition to the innate abilities we all possess, there are many methods and techniques for improving creative thinking. Numerous studies support the notion that creative thinking can be enhanced with training. In essence, creativity is really just a matter of choice about how we direct our mental resources.

Try this:
Sometimes, just making a commitment to spend time thinking creatively can have a big impact on your thinking. Write down a challenge or problem that is important to you. Make a mental commitment to giving at least 5 minutes each day for a week to search for creative solutions, using whatever technique works for you. Examples: Write a story about your challenge. Consider "what if" situations with unusual possibilities. Try relating your challenge to random concepts. Take a thought walk and search for inspiration from nature. At the end of the week, look over your notes and consider ways you might make adjustments to increase your creativity. For example, some people find that soon after waking is a more productive time for fresh thinking, while others may prefer taking a break in the middle of a busy day. Whatever works best for you, making the effort to deliberately spend time on creative thinking and generating new ideas will help boost your ability to generate new ideas.

Ideas at the Intersection

New ideas often occur at the intersection of very different concepts, or concepts that would normally seem to be unrelated. We can wait for the connections to happen by accident, or we can deliberately make an effort to form new connections. A hindrance in this effort is the pattern-based thinking that tries to automatically shut down the search since the concepts are clearly not related (Don't be silly! Those concepts aren't related!). The key to actively searching for ideas at the intersection is to be willing to suspend this pattern-based thinking and entertain the possibility that there might be some new insights to be gained by exploring a bit, even if it seems a little silly at first. When we hold a concept in our mind, our brain automatically spreads activation to related concepts. This spreading is unconscious and effortless. When we hold two seemingly unrelated concepts in our minds, each concept sends out ripples of activation, and it is at the intersection that new ideas can form. Even if the first attempt does not yield a brilliant idea, it will help warm up idea-thinking as a temporary escape from pattern-thinking. Keep trying with additional concepts and you may be surprised at the fresh ideas you find!
Try this:
1. State your challenge. Example: I want to develop an innovative umbrella.
2. Find a random concept (use a dictionary for example, or choose a word or photograph from a magazine). Example: my random word is "turtle".
3. Hold the challenge and random concept in your mind and allow your thoughts to wander. Our brains love to find connections! You can also jot down thoughts about each concept if that helps. Example: umbrella (rain, open and close, colorful, kids, lightweight, golf, etc.) turtle (slow, determined, pretty shell patterns, ridges, distinct shape, open and close, close when threatened, land turtles and water turtles, etc.)
4. Write down some ideas that occur at the "intersection" of your thoughts without judging them. In idea-thinking, all thoughts are possible stepping stones to a new idea and should be viewed as having potential value. Each idea is a possible ripple that can connect with another ripple to form a great idea. Killing an idea while in idea-thinking mode sends you straight back to the proverbial box. Example: 1) Umbrella shaped like a turtle shell, 2) Fabric pattern modeled after turtle colors and patterns, 3) Fanciful design with turtle head and legs that the user (kids?) can open and close for the fun of it, 4) Umbrella for land use and on water such as on boats.
5. While still in idea-thinking mode, try it again with your same challenge and another random concept.

In some ways, this can seem like looking for a needle in a haystack, but once you see the power of the technique it will change the way you think. Even if the first random concept doesn't immediately yield a great idea, the real benefit is being able to enter the idea-thinking mode that opens your thinking to new possibilities. Much like shooting stars that occur without notice during the brightness of the day, we often have the beginnings of new ideas that get overwhelmed by the rigid rules of pattern-thinking. By deliberately allowing our minds to consider seemingly unrelated concepts, we open the possibility of fresh thinking and new ideas.