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The author Mary Lou Cook eloquently describes creativity by stating: “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” Thus, it entails risk-taking and stepping beyond the ordinary, but it also involves distinction, growth, and excelling in various aspects of life.
Key creative thinking skills include:
To think creatively, one must possess the ability to understand and organise the available information. This includes searching for, gathering, and analysing information to extract its meaning and purpose. Furthermore, creative thinkers should anticipate solutions to problems and propose innovative ideas for concepts they encounter.
The ability to tackle challenges in both personal and professional life reflects one's creative thinking. A creative thinker analyses problems, brainstorms effectively, and proposes various solutions to select the best one for optimal results.
Being considered a creative thinker means possessing the skill of innovation—the human ability to introduce novel concepts or enhance existing ones. Creative thinkers have vivid imaginations and critical thinking skills, enabling them to evaluate the feasibility of their ideas and grasp possibilities. They are also risk-takers, unafraid to test their ideas and work diligently until they are realised.
This is what His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum meant when he said, "The biggest risk is not to take any risk".
On the other hand, Openness, a crucial trait of creative thinkers, encompasses open-mindedness, a broad perspective, staying informed about current events, and a willingness to embrace and present new, innovative ideas.
Creative thinking often involves listening to diverse opinions, ideas, and perspectives, whether they align with our own or not. This can be achieved through direct communication or brainstorming sessions. Effective communication entails understanding and considering others' viewpoints to develop innovative solutions or prioritise specific ideas. In essence, a key aspect of creative thinking is to listen, build upon, or reimagine existing ideas.
Creativity is often showcased through skillful word arrangement, whether in emails, articles, letters, presentations, or team communications. This ability to convey thoughts and ideas in an inspiring and persuasive manner is particularly evident in sales and marketing professionals. Their creativity allows them to inspire customers to buy or try services or products.
To cultivate creative thinking skills, one has to consider the following steps and ideas:
There are specific techniques that can be used to develop creative thinking skills, including:
This technique is effective for problem-solving, where individuals or groups collaborate to generate and select the best creative solutions, ensuring high-quality outcomes.
For instance, partners can brainstorm solutions to excessive household expenses by noting down or recording their ideas, then choosing the most suitable one. This approach fosters creative thinking in daily life.
This technique entails examining the problem from a new angle by exploring alternative perspectives and reflecting more deeply on the issue.
For instance, instead of relying solely on conventional methods like boosting advertising to combat declining sales, the solution might involve engaging previous customers through personalised channels such as email or text messages. This approach focuses on innovatively addressing the problem within its context rather than shifting away from it.
A mind map is a visual tool designed to capture and organise ideas, highlighting their connections and relationships. It helps users gain a comprehensive perspective and promotes innovative thinking, whether working solo or with a team.
For instance, placing a new product idea along with all its related aspects—such as production, packaging, and marketing—on a mind map allows the team to analyse its success more effectively than if each aspect were examined in isolation.
Knowledge fuels creativity and nurturing creative skills demands a broad spectrum of information. Instead of concentrating exclusively on one area, it is essential to gather insights from various fields. The human brain's adaptability will ensure that this amassed knowledge is synthesised, understood, and employed innovatively.
Consider this: In today's digital age, books are just one source of information. You can also explore specialised blogs, watch informative YouTube videos, or listen to podcasts and audiobooks across diverse topics.
Some people often remain in their comfort zones, surrounded by like-minded individuals. However, cultivating creative thinking necessitates stepping beyond these boundaries. Engaging with people who hold diverse viewpoints, challenge existing ideas, or offer unfamiliar perspectives encourages critical thinking, analysis, and the development of a fresh outlook on life.
In a social circle, inspiration can be drawn from understanding someone's field of work, their colour choices, or their sales strategies. Such insights can spark new ideas and perspectives that might not have been considered previously.
Advice: Engage socially at work, attend family gatherings, and expand your network on social media, as these connections can enhance your creative thinking. Research from the Department of Sociology at Singapore Management University in 2008 shows that exposure to cultural diversity can significantly boost creativity compared to remaining within a single cultural context.
Instead of escaping constraints to find creativity, setting boundaries can enhance thinking skills and spark innovation. For example, rather than preparing a dinner from scratch, it would be a challenge to craft a meal using only three ingredients. This forces thinking creatively about how to make the most of limited resources.
Consider this approach: Challenge yourself by imposing limitations. For example, if you are preparing a presentation at work, limiting the number of slides or words can significantly boost creativity within those constraints.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum astutely highlights that routine stifles creativity, cautioning against complacency with the familiar. Routine can breed inertia, causing individuals to perform tasks mechanically and without full engagement. To foster creative thinking, it is essential to disrupt this monotony. For example, dedicating a specific day or time to explore new and unconventional approaches, whether in personal or professional settings, can be highly effective. Even minor changes, such as relocating one’s seat at work, can stimulate fresh perspectives and innovative thinking.
Engaging in cultural activities like theatre, music concerts, and art exhibitions often enhances creative thinking, as these experiences offer new perspectives on life. Thus, exploring cultural pursuits and attending live events, or even experiencing them through various media platforms, can be highly beneficial.
Just as we train our muscles to improve our physique, we can also train our minds to think more creatively. Investing just a small amount of time each day can enhance one’s creative thinking. This can be achieved by exploring online activities and exercises designed to stimulate creativity—no matter how simple they may seem—and practise them consistently.
Finally, it is worth noting that creative thinking skills are the most highly sought-after in the business sector, according to a study conducted by a group of researchers affiliated with the ResearchGate website in 2020.
[1] skillsyouneed.com, Creative Thinking Skills
[2] careerservices.upenn.edu, What Is Creative Thinking? Definition and Examples
[3] rockcontent.com, Creative thinking skills: definition and examples
[4] zety.com, What Is Creative Thinking? Skills Examples & Definition
[5] theforage.com, What Is Creative Thinking? Definition and Examples
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