Creative thinking is the ability to think in innovative and original ways, which includes the ability to go beyond established boundaries to find alternative and creative solutions. This article will introduce you to scientific research findings in the field of creative thinking that demonstrate how the process of generating new creative ideas works. Learn more about what creative thinking is, its main characteristics and examples. Also here you will find 10 exercises that will help you develop your ability to think creatively.
Developing
creative thinking: 10 exercises
How to develop creative thinking and creativity? What
exercises will help develop creative thinking? Although we all have
creative potential in one way or another, there is an opinion that creativity
is only available to people with an IQ of 120.
However, there is always hope
because, as we know, creative thinking can be trained and stimulated. Below
you will find 10 key exercises that will help develop creative thinking and
generate creative ideas with greater ease.
1. To activate creative
thinking “all means are good”
Highly creative people tend not to think about whether an existing
idea is good enough; they simply generate new alternatives. This
phenomenon has been called cognitive uninhibition (a
process inverse to cognitive inhibition).
They do not seek to judge or
criticize, they only give freedom to their imagination. To do this, you
need to relax the filters of ideas that may seem absurd; which is
confirmed by the research of Shelley Carson, an expert in the field of creative
thinking from Harvard University.
Brainstorming, during which many new ideas
are generated without the task of considering them critically, is a useful
technique for the development of creative thinking. Researchers at the
University of California found that this exercise blocks alternatives that have
not worked or have failed in the past.
Thus, they showed that blocking
unproductive ideas has a direct relationship with improved creative thinking. Are
you familiar with brain gymnastics techniques? There are many
exercises that can help you keep your brain in tip-top shape.
2. Learn to relax
Creative thinking works best when we are calm or relaxed. Our
brain's alpha waves, which are activated during a state of relaxation, are the
vehicle for creative thinking. Find activities that allow your brain to
stop focusing on something specific for a while and relax.
For example, when we take a
bath, our creative thinking is stimulated. Psychologist Paulette Kouffman
argues that relaxation, such as having your body completely at rest in a salt
pool, helps activate creative thinking in the process of study or work. It
is also recommended to find time for rest, meditation, relaxation; in
this state, creative inspiration is more likely to appear.
According to researchers from
the University of Central Lancashire, performing routine tasks for fifteen
minutes, such as copying phone numbers from a notebook, activates our creative
thinking.
3. Distracted attention can be
fruitful.
Creative thinking works best when we don't focus too much on
what's happening. Learn what focused attention is. Concentration
is indeed important for many tasks, but ignoring secondary stimuli is not
beneficial for activating the most creative part of our brain. Joseph
Kasof, a psychologist at the University of California, Ervine, argues that attention span,
or level of focus, is associated with creative thinking.
Dispersion (absent-mindedness)
of attention can be fruitful. Contrary to what we might expect, exposure to
many sensory stimuli stimulates creativity. For example, working in a
noisy environment can promote creative thinking.
A study conducted at the
University of British Columbia tested this thesis by generating three different
situations. The goal was to brainstorm under different noise conditions (low,
medium and high). To the surprise of scientists, it was discovered that in
cases where the noise was average (70 dB), the creative processes of the
experiment participants became more active. This is because moderately
noisy environments make people think more creatively.
Conversely, it was impossible
to maintain attention in a very noisy room. Therefore, if you work at
home, do not isolate yourself within four walls, but try to find comfortable
places with moderate noise, such as cafes or libraries.
4. Try to “return” to childhood
As actor, writer and comedian John Cleese said to John, “If you
need creative people, give them plenty of time to play.”
Innovation is necessary to develop creative thinking. As
children we are highly creative, but we gradually lose this ability as we enter
adulthood and learn to follow certain belief systems and behavior patterns.
When we are faced with
non-standard situations that require alternative solutions from us, at this
moment it is very useful to think as a child would do. Experts Patrick
Bateson and Paul Martin from the University of Cambridge argue that this
requires forgetting about the reward for a while, and remembering the feeling
when we enjoy the game itself.
There are many ways that adults
can imitate the process of play. For example, some companies give their
employees the opportunity to do something enjoyable at work. Google is a
great example of a company with this type of corporate policy. Google
employees can play soccer, swim in the pool, and even try rock climbing as a
way to switch things up and have fun during breaks from work.
5. Make a “collage” of your
thoughts
Imagine your thoughts as magazine clippings or photographs and
make a “collage” of them. Try combining your thoughts to create a new and
original idea. Take notes as needed and experiment with different
combinations. This way, you can block the process of self-criticism and
prevent your own judgment from interfering with the creative process.
According to Indian neuroscientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, the
basis of creativity is to connect concepts or thoughts that most people think
have nothing to do with each other.
In order for this strategy to
have maximum effect, it is important to rely on various sources. This will
require you to have the knowledge to integrate different areas or aspects of
your life. You have the power to make your life more fulfilling and find
new sources of inspiration: take part in various events, such as courses, concerts,
lectures, excursions, read magazines, subscribe to interesting blogs, etc. For
Professor Epstein of the University of San Diego, the relationship between
different forms of life and acquired knowledge is the basis of creative
thinking.
6. Be open to communication and
meeting new people
Creative thinking needs a lot of perspectives to be constantly
enriched. Having a wide social circle is very useful for sharing life
experiences. In addition, having a large number of people with whom you
communicate allows you to openly express your new ideas and find those who are
truly interested in them.
In this aspect, the quality of
contacts is more important than their quantity. If you interact with a lot
of people, try to avoid those who have negative and limited judgments. Interacting
with others or working in a team can produce high results when the process is
constructive. Master the art of handling challenging individuals.
Professor Epstein recommends
not only meeting new people, but also visiting places you've never been before
or exploring unusual objects, as these can all lead to new and original ideas. A
multicultural environment is very positive for learning new ways of perceiving
the surrounding reality and patterns of behavior that differ from what we are
used to.
Exploring other cultures is an
ideal way to open up your mind and get out of your comfort zone. (Watch
documentaries, travel, read about extra-terrestrial civilizations, etc.).
7. Don't be afraid to fail
Quite often, creative thinking stems from frustration when we are
unable to find an answer to a question that has been nagging us and suddenly a
brilliant idea strikes us. For this reason, you should not be afraid of
not finding the answers you are looking for in the first place. Creative
thinking requires constant practice, and if you are new to it, do not overload
yourself or try to be overly demanding.
It is quite possible that an
idea that seems very good to you today will lose its meaning tomorrow. In
such cases, do not take what is happening too seriously and do not give in to
despondency. Learn to experiment until you find the best solution.
You should also not force
yourself to be creative. This can backfire and block our creative
thinking. If you can't find what you're looking for in your mental
storage, the best thing to do is take a little break and rest. This way
you can stimulate creative thinking without additional effort.
8. Try to get enough sleep
Don't deprive your brain of the hours of sleep it needs. German
scientist Ullrich Wagner recommends sleeping at least 6 hours a day, and
preferably 8 hours for proper rest, restoration and maintaining creative
thinking in ideal shape.
Another researcher, Deidre
Barrett, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, found in experiments that
students who slept during recess performed better academically. It was
also found that those who think about a problem before going to bed are more
likely to find the optimal solution when they wake up in the morning.
Sleep makes us more receptive
because it promotes mental restructuring. Adequate rest helps us see the
situation from different points of view, find different approaches to solving
the same problem and offer the most original and effective solutions.
9. Be happy
The feeling of happiness contributes to the development of our
creative potential. The opposite effect is observed when we succumb to
sadness and bad mood. Typically, people think that artists and writers
compose, write and create their best work in melancholy situations, but this is
far from the case. How to stop being sad?
Psychologist from Claremont
University in California has discovered that happiness and creativity feed each
other. Karen Gasper, a psychologist at Pennsylvania State University, believes
that when we are happy and excited, word associations, solutions, or answers to
important questions come to mind more quickly. Conversely, when we are
sad, the development of ideas is slowed down, and we also make more mistakes.
This finding makes sense when
you consider that people suffering from depression have a very narrow focus of
attention and focus too much on their problems and negative thoughts. Therefore,
it is best to try to maintain a positive mood, which, in turn, stimulates
creative thinking.
10. Take walks and activate
creative thinking
Exercise in general stimulates our creative thinking, but
walking in particular has a very beneficial effect on this process. According
to a study conducted at Stanford University, it was found that walking provides
real positive impulses for the development of creative thinking.
To conduct this study, four
types of experimental conditions were examined. Subjects were asked to
perform walking on a treadmill, sitting while looking at a white wall, walking
outdoors, or sitting outdoors. The researchers measured participants'
lateral thinking activity, or the ability to generate new ideas. Those
participants who were on the move had higher levels of creative activity than
those who were sedentary. Regardless of where the experiment took place -
outdoors or indoors.
Marily Opezzo, co-author of the
study described above, argues that "walking won't turn you into
Michelangelo, but it can really help us in the early stages of the creative
process."
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