From finding fresh and innovative solutions to problems, to identifying opportunities to improve the way we do things, creative thinking finds and develops new and different ideas. It looks at problems and situations from a fresh perspective that throws up unorthodox solutions, unsettling at first. In plainer terms, how to develop creative thinking permits various combinations of practical ways to focus attention, escape current reality, and continue mental movement. Good to note with, from creativity, we get to innovation, converting ideas into tangible products, services or processes.
Following On, Here Headlines How To Develop Creative Thinking.
1. Square Up By Envisioning What You Are Not Thinking About
This is also known as absence thinking. It involves training your mind to think creatively about what it is thinking and not thinking. With this technique, you deliberately think about what is absent. The images thrown up by absence thinking may indicate an underlying idea or theme to hang new relationships and associations.
Proceeding with, here unfolds the steps to absence thinking. Divide a piece of paper in half. On the left side, write down what you are thinking about; on the right side, what you are not thinking about. Also, when you are looking at something or otherwise sensing, notice what is not there. As well, watch people and notice what they are not doing. Plus, make a list of things you normally forget, to remember them.
2. Spur Yourself On By Imitating The Models, Systems, And Elements Of Nature
In essence, we are transferring ideas from biology, to solve complex human problems. The design and production of materials, structures and systems, arise from models inspired by biological entities and processes. At the forefront of this method is the question “how would nature solve this problem?” Useful databases of nature solutions are available at asknature. org. In line with, velcro was modelled after the spiny hooks on plant seeds and fruits; the front end of the Japanese bullet train, after the beak of the kingfisher. Evidently, imitating nature helps us to steal a march for ideas of how to develop creative thinking.
3. Spring Up And Use Analogies To Develop Alternative Solutions
Oftentimes, we can draw an analogy between our problems and something else. Analogies help us to identity our problems and understand them better, and generate insights for problem solving. A comparison of two things essentially dissimilar, but shown through the analogy to have some similarity hallmarks this technique. NASA used the analogy of a yo-yo, to design a satellite tethered to the space station by a thin wire sixty miles long.
4. Spruce Up Your Fortunes By Adapting Past Solutions To Your Situation
Technical reports, professional reports, and books, revealing how others have solved problems can lead us to viable solutions to a problem. We can adapt past solutions on the basis of our own experience, even if they are not exactly suited to own situation. Of note, keying into past solutions keeps us steady on the path of how to develop creative thinking.
5. Spirit Yourself To Treasure By Making Mental Connection Between Two Objects Or Ideas
This association works through three primary laws. Contiguity meaning nearness. Similarity meaning that one object or thought will remind you of a similar object or thought. Contrast referring to dissimilarities that are nearly opposites. Weighing together, association entails thinking of something near, similar to or in contrast to the object or idea in question.
To start off with, you can say whatever comes to mind, relative to a word you just wrote down, or relative to a one or two-word definition of a problem. This triggers a train of thoughts that might lead to solutions. Another way, you can proceed along by ensuring that the associated word is related to the written word.
6. Spout Up New Ideas As You Freely-Associate On Each Attribute Of A Problem
Begin by listing the attributes of a problem. Then, freely-associate on each attribute, to generate ideas about the problem. For instance, the problem to improve a product, can start you listing the attributes of the product; size, weight, colour, composition, cost. As you freely-associate on these attributes, you can gain insights to reduce its weight, cut costs or change its composition. These insights testify that we are following on the heels of ideas behind how to develop creative thinking.
7. Soar Up By Systematically Analysing Each Attribute Or Groups Of Attributes, To Change Them In Many Ways As Possible
Attributes can be physical; colour, speed, odor, weight, size, mass; psychological, perception, motivation, appearance, symbolism, self-image, needs. This approach opens us to possible changes. From reviewing the resulting attributes, we get to choosing the best solutions.
8. Gain Over Solutions By Defining A Problem From The Customer’s perspective
Of production and marketing problems, we can mull over how what we do relates to the customer. Here, the emphasis is on product, price, promotion, distribution, target market. For this approach, use the afore-mentioned subjects as headings. Then, write the key-related issues to find solutions for, under each heading. Doing this starts us contracting ideas of how to develop creative thinking.
9. Trace Back to Their Parent Natural Resources The Components Of An Item
This helps to appreciate how the elements of a problem are related. With this understanding, we can invite in viable insights and solutions. For instance, if you are trying to develop a chair using different materials away from the common, you can break down a common chair into its various components.
To Continue with, a common chair may comprise of aluminium, leather, foam, screws. From here, trace back each of the elements to their parent natural resources, and ultimately to the Sun as the source of all energy. Here is how to put a construction on this. Leather is associated with texturing, colouring, hole-punching, cutting-out, tannery, slaughterhouse, trucking, ranch. Foam goes with stamps, mold, trucking, raw latex process, rubber plant, rubber tree. Aluminium is connected to hammer, forge, wire, spools, ore deposits. All in view, we can prospect for insights suggesting new materials or use. New thoughts may arise from looking at the words.
10. Soldier On By Randomly Selecting Problem Attributes And Combining Them To Create A Topic For A Brainstorming Session
Start by defining the problem; developing a new product or refining an old one. Close upon, list the attributes of the problem and arbitrarily choose an attribute to work on. Brainstorm or freely-associate on it. Continue until you have worked on all attributes. Taking this further, make combinations of attributes randomly and follow suit. Clearly, this equips us to gain on notions of how to develop creative thinking.
11. Check Over Magazines, Catalogues, Movies, Museums, Art Galleries, Seminars
Flipping through magazines, keeping a file of inspiring articles, using a PC article-research database, can stimulate us into good ideas. In addition, catalogues, movies, seminars, museums, art galleries, amusement parks, all spotlight relevant.
12. Slog Away By Using Your Senses On A Problem
You can use your senses to discover ideas to resolve a problem. In this regard, ask the following questions, of your problem. How does it feel? What does it smell like? How does it look? What sounds does it make? How does it taste? Obvious in, our senses play their part in cultivating ideas of how to develop creative thinking.
13. Slam Your Mind To New Ideas As You Begin A Mind Mapping Session
Start off by writing the name or the description of the object or problem in the center of a piece of paper, and then draw a circle around it. Verging on, draw lines outward from the circle as you brainstorm each major facet of the problem, generating as many ideas as possible. Draw branches from these lines as you continue to brainstorm in more detail. Eventually, study your mind map, to look for interrelationships or elements appearing more than once. Mind mapping helps to unearth all issues and sub-issues related to a problem, and paves way for solutions.
14. Sink Into Solutions By Identifying Possible Uses Of An Item
To name the possible uses of an item can show up solutions for a whole array of problems. By finding new uses of a product, we solve problems. To illustrate with, velcro is used to hold two pieces of clothes together, on blood pressure cuffs, to hold insulation in nuclear power plants, in machine gun turrets. On the same note, Bruce DeWoolfsen pictured vending machines spitting out not only cans and bottles for a few coins, but also a few coins for recyclable empty cans and bottles. Demonstrable in, how to develop creative thinking, draws in some good.
15. What Would Napoleon, Isaac Newton, General George Patton Or Mother Theresa Do
Assume you are someone famous. Then, try solving the problem from the famous person’s point of view. Your assumed identity can open you up to new perspectives on a problem.
16. Serve Up Clues By Picking A Random Page Of A Dictionary, Catalogue Or Other Reference Book And Using The Words On It.
This approach can usher in new ideas. The new ideas come as we compare the words on that page to an object or problem and/or its attributes. For good, the words start us making fruitful associations.
17. Set Yourself Up As You Stimulate With A picture
Look at a picture instead of visualising. Pick the pictures from various sources, and present them as transparencies, slides or in an album. Furthermore, pictures that show some action, that are not too abstract, are effective. Additionally, examine each picture and write down your impressions. Next, trigger new ideas from each line of your description or commentary.
18. Ship Out Stagnation By Listing All Businesses And Products Related To Yours To Help You Think Up New Products
For instance, if you own a television station, you can think of all the businesses related to yours, even remotely. Radio stations, magazines, cable TV, newspapers, will feature here. What is more, think of businesses and products connected to these; publishing, advertising, printing, satellite communication. Following up on, what new products could your company spring up in any of these businesses?
19. Shut Out Frustration By Matching Verbs And Prepositions To An Object Or Problem
This forced-relationship technique can help us to develop or name a new product. Again, they can be used to change something already existing.
20. Sign On For New Ideas By Using Relational Words To Ask Questions About The Problem
Here are the questions. What is about the this problem? After this problem comes what? What is across from this problem? Beside this problem is what? What is in this problem? These questions help us to generate ideas to analyze for solutions.
21. Shrivel Up A Problem By Practising Reversal-Dereversal
First, state the problem with an action verb. For instance, “to improve the product.” This statement would reversal-dereversal as “to worsen the product.” If the product is a mobile phone, you could make it bulkier, cut out its sound, make its speakers smaller. The opposite of of these would normally help resolve the problem. However, making the speakers smaller could pave way for a better product if the sound quality could be maintained. A new type of speaker could be considered.
22. Swim In A Sea Of Ideas
Spill out in an easy readable form materials you collected about a problem at hand. Summaries of related articles and books, experiences of others, ideas from others, competitor’s actions, spotlight here. Next, after rapidly reading through this material in one sitting, ask yourself what it all means. These patterns suggest what? What solutions arise from them? The volume of ideas that can be associated with each other, makes this technique noteworthy.
23. Shrug Off A Standstill By Sleeping On It
To generate alternatives, think rationally, persistently, for a prolonged period, about a problem, just before going to sleep. Then, put it out of your mind, and go to to sleep. Oftentimes, when you wake up, an interesting alternative or series of alternatives for solving the problem surface on your mind. Evident from, our subconscious continues to work on the problem while we are asleep. Thomas Edison credited many of his discoveries to this approach. Also, German chemist Fredrick August Kelkule made his discovery about the benzene molecule, through a dream.
24. Shoo In Solutions By Listing Alternate Words Of The Two Essential Words Or Phrases Of Your Problem Statement
This method helps us to generate many new ideas about how to solve a new. The meaning from the many alternative words stimulates us to viable options or solutions. Moreover, our problem statement usually includes a subject or object, and an action verb. For instance, if the problem statement is “lift morale,” we can explore alternative words to solve the problem. Lift: boost, elevate, raise, uplift, aspire. Morale: enthusiasm, lively, smile, open/power body language. With the array of alternatives, we can explore some ideas. Design a program to educate your people to cultivate and maintain open/power postures, proven to lift one’s energy level. Allow them the initiative to take control of certain aspects of their task, to boost their sense of control and enthusiasm.
25. Shop Around By Practising A Checklist of Questions On An Existing Product, Service Or Process
This approach can yield new points of view, leading to innovation. On this, a verbal checklist can suffice. The main questions arise from verbs like “modify,” “combine.” By applying a series of questions to a existing product or service, and pursuing the answers, we discover possible ways of improving it. Are there new ways to use it as it is? What other uses can it be adapted to if modified? Can I change the meaning, colour, motion, sound, odor, form, shape? what can I add? Are there things to subtract? Can I interchange the components, create other patterns? Is there a way to reverse the roles? Can we combine units, purposes, appeals?
26. Shine Up Results By Combining Already Existing Products, Features, Production Processes, and Functions To Develop A New Product Or Service
As a byproduct of already applied process, system, product, and service wise solutions, this combination method throws up a unique end result. To illustrate with, the wine press and punch technologies inspired Gutenberg to invent the printing press in 1439. Also, Fiat equips the roof top of its automobile factory, as a test track. Equally, bronze arose from the combination of copper and tin. What is more, certain air conditioners and heaters are developed as artworks. Combining at least two tested innovative processes lowers uncertainty and risk since the solutions have already been tried and implemented for other products, services, and in different industries
27. Shake Out Answers By Rehearsing Brainwriting
This technique entails piggybacking on others original solutions, to develop new ones. It is ideal for teams. Putting a construction on, participants sit in a circle and write down their ideas for solving a given problem. Then, they pass their papers to their neighbours, in the circle, who brainstorm the ideas, for a specific period like five minutes, and likewise pass the papers to the next person. Forward with, the purpose to build on others ideas can be accomplished with three exchanges.
28. Settle In And Do Creative Imaging
Start forward by envisioning a specific need for change. Following on, envision a better way, and formulate a vision-based plan of action. A company taking to this, it can jump to idealist solutions, and then move back in time to prepare a plan to make them happen. The plan includes solving problems arising. First, they put in their view what they want the company to resemble in the future, and a description of their ideal future competitor. Next, they visualise the ideal products of the future, products that could be created if there were no technical or financial constraints. Finally, they determine the information relevant for the company to win.
Conclusion
How to develop creative thinking sanctions practical ways to focus attention, escape the current reality, and continue mental movement. We can adapt the techniques explored to suit various needs, situations and personalities. From creativity, we get to innovation where value is created through new products, services or artworks.
