What Is Creative Thinking?

What is creative thinking? Creative thinking is "the process we use when we come up with a new idea. It can be accidental or deliberate."

Have you ever woken up out of a deep sleep with a great solution to a problem you'd been struggling with? Or been taking a shower and all of a sudden "the answer" pops into your head? That happens to all of us. We come up with our most creative ideas by complete chance when we're not consciously thinking about them.

Creativity is a talent that we all possess. It consists of a set of skills that can be learned, developed and used. You can think creatively in any situation. Research shows that creative people believe they are creative, whilst less creative people believe they are not. In other words, your creative ability depends very much on your self-belief, and you can influence your brain to be more creative.

Creativity involves looking beyond the boundaries of our normal thinking. It is "the ability to keep an open mind and see new perspectives and to generate / develop different ideas" This ability is learnable. Creativity includes conscious efforts to see things differently, to break out of habits and out-dated beliefs to find new ways of thinking, doing and being. Creativity is a natural, normal aspect of healthy human beings. It is any act, idea, or product that changes an existing domain, or that transforms an existing domain into a new one...What counts is whether the novelty he or she produces is accepted for inclusion in the domain."

Everyone is creative!

Almost all of the research shows that anyone with normal intelligence is capable of doing some degree of creative work. Creativity depends on a number of things: experience, including knowledge and technical skills; talent; an ability to think in new ways; and the capacity to push through uncreative dry spells. Our lives can be filled with creative moments, whatever we do, as long as we're flexible and open to new possibilities--willing to push beyond routine. The everyday expression of creativity often takes the form of trying out a new approach to a familiar dilemma.

People create things and ideas every day. Often, people create worry and negative imaginations - images of things that will never happen. These worries provide a diversion to the harsh reality that exists in some companies. These worries and the stress of trying to function in a hostile environment, deplete the creativity that could be channelled into positive forms.

Everyone is capable of tapping into his or her creative spirit. We don't just mean getting better ideas; we're talking about a kind of general awareness that leads to greater enjoyment of your work and the people in your life: a spirit that can improve collaboration and communication with others. The biggest pleasure for a worker is to participate fully in their job. They need to be completely present in order to achieve satisfaction. This means workers need to have the freedom to be the best they can be.

The usual approach to work life in an organization does not allow much room for play, risk or individuality. But principles in the natural world suggest a more creative, effective approach. "Everywhere you look in life, what you see is enormous creativity, diversity and experimentation." The same methods nature uses for producing vital, thriving life forms can bring new life to individuals and organizations of all kinds. We will explain to you how to let go of your need for control, invite innovation--and be ready for surprises

Is creativity a momentary flash of inspiration? How are creative ideas generated? "Creativity is, more often than not, the result of four clearly defined steps. Before you expect any creative output, the mind has to go through the

Four-step Creativity Process."

STEP 1: Preparation

You can, and you should, prepare for creativity. All knowledge contributes to creativity. So the 'Preparation' stage refers to the process of gathering information and knowledge.

STEP 2 - Incubation

The mind needs periods of incubation to develop creative ideas. Truly creative ideas are generated when you actively engage both your conscious and subconscious mind. In this stage, take time out to slow your brainwaves down, let your subconscious mind generate more ideas.

STEP 3: Inspiration

Inspiration is the stage that ideas occur. It is the moment at which the unconscious and the subconscious minds, having finished working on the problem, present an 'Aha!' or 'I've got it!'

STEP 4: Verification

In the final stage, the process is to use our logic and practical thinking to closely examine the collected ideas, and to verify if they are workable.

Is Creativity Logical?

One common mistake people make during the creative process is they insist on being logical. Of course logic is critical in our daily lives, but there is one place it does not belong - during the creative thinking process and brainstorming activities. There is plenty of time for logic later on, but during the creative process you want as many ideas as you can get, regardless of how ridiculous they might seem at first. Many times we think a creative idea is illogical but when we ask why is it illogical, you often find it's only a few specific rules or procedures that make it so. If you dig a little deeper, you find that the rules may not apply in this particular case or that they can be modified to allow this new idea to take form. Often this can be done without dramatically changing the rules or suffering any real consequences. To be successful, always remember there is no room for logic during the creative thinking process. Save it for later!

So where do breakthrough ideas come from? What kind of work environment allows them to flourish? What can leaders do to sustain the stimulants to creativity -- and break through the barriers?

In order to be creative, a person needs to be able to view things in new ways or from a different perspective. Among other things, he needs to be able to generate new possibilities or new alternatives. And more importantly don't ever think he's not creative, every one is. If he tells himself he's not, then he won't be. State of mind plays a key role.

Keep telling yourself you are creative and you will be. Keep your head high, remain optimistic, and let yourself