how does creative thinking relate to problem solving

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?

• 01 Feb 2022

One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown. Business leaders can overcome this barrier by mobilizing creative team members and providing space to innovate.

There are several tools you can use to encourage creativity in the workplace. Creative problem-solving is one of them, which facilitates the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Here’s an overview of creative problem-solving and why it’s important in business.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving?

Research is necessary when solving a problem. But there are situations where a problem’s specific cause is difficult to pinpoint. This can occur when there’s not enough time to narrow down the problem’s source or there are differing opinions about its root cause.

In such cases, you can use creative problem-solving , which allows you to explore potential solutions regardless of whether a problem has been defined.

Creative problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes and encourages exploring open-ended solutions. It also focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity in the workplace . Its benefits include:

• Finding creative solutions to complex problems : User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation’s complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it.
• Adapting to change : Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt. Creative problem-solving helps overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.
• Fueling innovation and growth : In addition to solutions, creative problem-solving can spark innovative ideas that drive company growth. These ideas can lead to new product lines, services, or a modified operations structure that improves efficiency.

Creative problem-solving is traditionally based on the following key principles :

1. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a problem, while convergence narrows them down to a shortlist. It balances these two practices and turns ideas into concrete solutions.

2. Reframe Problems as Questions

By framing problems as questions, you shift from focusing on obstacles to solutions. This provides the freedom to brainstorm potential ideas.

3. Defer Judgment of Ideas

When brainstorming, it can be natural to reject or accept ideas right away. Yet, immediate judgments interfere with the idea generation process. Even ideas that seem implausible can turn into outstanding innovations upon further exploration and development.

4. Focus on "Yes, And" Instead of "No, But"

Using negative words like "no" discourages creative thinking. Instead, use positive language to build and maintain an environment that fosters the development of creative and innovative ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Whereas creative problem-solving facilitates developing innovative ideas through a less structured workflow, design thinking takes a far more organized approach.

Design thinking is a human-centered, solutions-based process that fosters the ideation and development of solutions. In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar leverages a four-phase framework to explain design thinking.

The four stages are:

• Clarify: The clarification stage allows you to empathize with the user and identify problems. Observations and insights are informed by thorough research. Findings are then reframed as problem statements or questions.
• Ideate: Ideation is the process of coming up with innovative ideas. The divergence of ideas involved with creative problem-solving is a major focus.
• Develop: In the development stage, ideas evolve into experiments and tests. Ideas converge and are explored through prototyping and open critique.
• Implement: Implementation involves continuing to test and experiment to refine the solution and encourage its adoption.

Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

While there are many useful tools in the creative problem-solving process, here are three you should know:

Creating a Problem Story

One way to innovate is by creating a story about a problem to understand how it affects users and what solutions best fit their needs. Here are the steps you need to take to use this tool properly.

1. Identify a UDP

Create a problem story to identify the undesired phenomena (UDP). For example, consider a company that produces printers that overheat. In this case, the UDP is "our printers overheat."

2. Move Forward in Time

To move forward in time, ask: “Why is this a problem?” For example, minor damage could be one result of the machines overheating. In more extreme cases, printers may catch fire. Don't be afraid to create multiple problem stories if you think of more than one UDP.

3. Move Backward in Time

To move backward in time, ask: “What caused this UDP?” If you can't identify the root problem, think about what typically causes the UDP to occur. For the overheating printers, overuse could be a cause.

Following the three-step framework above helps illustrate a clear problem story:

• The printer is overused.
• The printer overheats.
• The printer breaks down.

You can extend the problem story in either direction if you think of additional cause-and-effect relationships.

4. Break the Chains

By this point, you’ll have multiple UDP storylines. Take two that are similar and focus on breaking the chains connecting them. This can be accomplished through inversion or neutralization.

• Inversion: Inversion changes the relationship between two UDPs so the cause is the same but the effect is the opposite. For example, if the UDP is "the more X happens, the more likely Y is to happen," inversion changes the equation to "the more X happens, the less likely Y is to happen." Using the printer example, inversion would consider: "What if the more a printer is used, the less likely it’s going to overheat?" Innovation requires an open mind. Just because a solution initially seems unlikely doesn't mean it can't be pursued further or spark additional ideas.
• Neutralization: Neutralization completely eliminates the cause-and-effect relationship between X and Y. This changes the above equation to "the more or less X happens has no effect on Y." In the case of the printers, neutralization would rephrase the relationship to "the more or less a printer is used has no effect on whether it overheats."

Even if creating a problem story doesn't provide a solution, it can offer useful context to users’ problems and additional ideas to be explored. Given that divergence is one of the fundamental practices of creative problem-solving, it’s a good idea to incorporate it into each tool you use.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a tool that can be highly effective when guided by the iterative qualities of the design thinking process. It involves openly discussing and debating ideas and topics in a group setting. This facilitates idea generation and exploration as different team members consider the same concept from multiple perspectives.

Hosting brainstorming sessions can result in problems, such as groupthink or social loafing. To combat this, leverage a three-step brainstorming method involving divergence and convergence :

• Have each group member come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down to ensure the brainstorming session is productive.
• Continue the divergence of ideas by collectively sharing and exploring each idea as a group. The goal is to create a setting where new ideas are inspired by open discussion.
• Begin the convergence of ideas by narrowing them down to a few explorable options. There’s no "right number of ideas." Don't be afraid to consider exploring all of them, as long as you have the resources to do so.

Alternate Worlds

The alternate worlds tool is an empathetic approach to creative problem-solving. It encourages you to consider how someone in another world would approach your situation.

For example, if you’re concerned that the printers you produce overheat and catch fire, consider how a different industry would approach the problem. How would an automotive expert solve it? How would a firefighter?

Be creative as you consider and research alternate worlds. The purpose is not to nail down a solution right away but to continue the ideation process through diverging and exploring ideas.

Continue Developing Your Skills

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader, learning the ropes of design thinking can be an effective way to build your skills and foster creativity and innovation in any setting.

If you're ready to develop your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

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Creative Problem Solving

What is creative problem solving.

Creative problem solving (CPS) is a process that design teams use to generate ideas and solutions in their work. Designers and design teams apply an approach where they clarify a problem to understand it, ideate to generate good solutions, develop the most promising one, and implement it to create a successful solution for their brand’s users.  

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Why is Creative Problem Solving in UX Design Important?

Creative thinking and problem solving are core parts of user experience (UX) design. Note: the abbreviation “CPS” can also refer to cyber-physical systems. Creative problem solving might sound somewhat generic or broad. However, it’s an ideation approach that’s extremely useful across many industries.  

Not strictly a UX design-related approach, creative problem solving has its roots in psychology and education. Alex Osborn—who founded the Creative Education Foundation and devised brainstorming techniques—produced this approach to creative thinking in the 1940s. Along with Sid Parnes, he developed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process. It was a new, systematic approach to problem solving and creativity fostering.  

Osborn’s CPS Process.

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The main focus of the creative problem solving model is to improve creative thinking and generate novel solutions to problems. An important distinction exists between it and a UX design process such as design thinking. It’s that designers consider user needs in creative problem solving techniques, but they don’t necessarily have to make their users’ needs the primary focus. For example, a design team might trigger totally novel ideas from random stimuli—as opposed to working systematically from the initial stages of empathizing with their users. Even so, creative problem solving methods still tend to follow a process with structured stages. 

What are 4 Stages of Creative Problem Solving?

The model, adapted from Osborn’s original, typically features these steps:  

Clarify: Design teams first explore the area they want to find a solution within. They work to spot the challenge, problem or even goal they want to identify. They also start to collect data or information about it. It’s vital to understand the exact nature of the problem at this stage. So, design teams must build a clear picture of the issue they seek to tackle creatively. When they define the problem like this, they can start to question it with potential solutions.  

Ideate: Now that the team has a grasp of the problem that faces them, they can start to work to come up with potential solutions. They think divergently in brainstorming sessions and other ways to solve problems creatively, and approach the problem from as many angles as they can.  

Develop: Once the team has explored the potential solutions, they evaluate these and find the strongest and weakest qualities in each. Then, they commit to the one they decide is the best option for the problem at hand.  

Implement: Once the team has decided on the best fit for what they want to use, they discuss how to put this solution into action. They gauge its acceptability for stakeholders. Plus, they develop an accurate understanding of the activities and resources necessary to see it become a real, bankable solution.  

What Else does CPS Involve?

© Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 4.0

Two keys to the enterprise of creative problem solving are:  

Divergent Thinking

This is an ideation mode which designers leverage to widen their design space when they start to search for potential solutions. They generate as many new ideas as possible using various methods. For example, team members might use brainstorming or bad ideas to explore the vast area of possibilities. To think divergently means to go for:  

Quantity over quality: Teams generate ideas without fear of judgment (critically evaluating these ideas comes later). 

Novel ideas: Teams use disruptive and lateral thinking to break away from linear thinking and strive for truly original and extraordinary ideas.  

Choice creation: The freedom to explore the design space helps teams maximize their options, not only regarding potential solutions but also about how they understand the problem itself.  

Author and Human-Computer Interactivity Expert, Professor Alan Dix explains some techniques that are helpful for divergent thinking:  

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Convergent Thinking

This is the complementary half of the equation. In this ideation mode, designers analyze, filter, evaluate, clarify and modify the ideas they generated during divergent thinking. They use analytical, vertical and linear thinking to isolate novel and useful ideas, understand the design space possibilities and get nearer to potential solutions that will work best. The purpose with convergent thinking is to carefully and creatively:  

Look past logical norms (which people use in everyday critical thinking). 

Examine how an idea stands in relation to the problem.  

Understand the real dimensions of that problem.    

Professor Alan Dix explains convergent thinking in this video:  

What are the Benefits of Creative Problem Solving?

Design teams especially can benefit from this creative approach to problem solving because it:  

Empowers teams to arrive at a fine-grained definition of the problem they need to ideate over in a given situation.  

Gives a structured, learnable way to conduct problem-solving activities and direct them towards the most fruitful outcomes.  

Involves numerous techniques such as brainstorming and SCAMPER, so teams have more chances to explore the problem space more thoroughly.  

Can lead to large numbers of possible solutions thanks to a dedicated balance of divergent and convergent thinking.  

Values and nurtures designers and teams to create innovative design solutions in an accepting, respectful atmosphere.  

Is a collaborative approach that enables multiple participants to contribute—which makes for a positive environment with buy-in from those who participate.  

Enables teams to work out the most optimal solution available and examine all angles carefully before they put it into action.  

Is applicable in various contexts—such as business, arts and education—as well as in many areas of life in general.  

It’s especially crucial to see the value of creative problem solving in how it promotes out-of-the-box thinking as one of the valuable ingredients for teams to leverage.   

Watch as Professor Alan Dix explains how to think outside the box:  

How to Conduct Creative Problem Solving Best?

It’s important to point out that designers should consider—and stick to—some best practices when it comes to applying creative problem solving techniques. They should also adhere to some “house rules,” which the facilitator should define in no uncertain terms at the start of each session. So, designers and design teams should:  

Define the chief goal of the problem-solving activity: Everyone involved should be on the same page regarding their objective and what they want to achieve, why it’s essential to do it and how it aligns with the values of the brand. For example, SWOT analysis can help with this. Clarity is vital in this early stage.  Before team members can hope to work on ideating for potential solutions, they must recognize and clearly identify what the problem to tackle is.  

Have access to accurate information: A design team must be up to date with the realities that their brand faces, realities that their users and customers face, as well as what’s going on in the industry and facts about their competitors. A team must work to determine what the desired outcome is, as well as what the stakeholders’ needs and wants are. Another factor to consider in detail is what the benefits and risks of addressing a scenario or problem are—including the pros and cons that stakeholders and users would face if team members direct their attention on a particular area or problem.   

Suspend judgment: This is particularly important for two main reasons. For one, participants can challenge assumptions that might be blocking healthy ideation when they suggest ideas or elements of ideas that would otherwise seem of little value through a “traditional” lens. Second, if everyone’s free to suggest ideas without constraints, it promotes a calmer environment of acceptance—and so team members will be more likely to ideate better. Judgment will come later, in convergent thinking when the team works to tighten the net around the most effective solution. So, everyone should keep to positive language and encourage improvisational tactics—such as “yes…and”—so ideas can develop well.  

Balance divergent and convergent thinking: It’s important to know the difference between the two styles of thinking and when to practice them. This is why in a session like brainstorming, a facilitator must take control of proceedings and ensure the team engages in distinct divergent and convergent thinking sessions.  

Approach problems as questions: For example, “How Might We” questions can prompt team members to generate a great deal of ideas. That’s because they’re open-ended—as opposed to questions with “yes” or “no” answers. When a team frames a problem so freely, it permits them to explore far into the problem space so they can find the edges of the real matter at hand.  

UX Strategist and Consultant, William Hudson explains “How Might We” questions in this video:  

Use a variety of ideation methods: For example, in the divergent stage, teams can apply methods such as random metaphors or bad ideas to venture into a vast expanse of uncharted territory. With random metaphors, a team prompts innovation by drawing creative associations. With bad ideas, the point is to come up with ideas that are weird, wild and outrageous, as team members can then determine if valuable points exist in the idea—or a “bad” idea might even expose flaws in conventional ways of seeing problems and situations.  

Professor Alan Dix explains important points about bad ideas:  

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What Special Considerations Should Designers Have for CPS?

Creative problem solving isn’t the only process design teams consider when thinking of potential risks. Teams that involve themselves in ideation sessions can run into problems, especially if they aren’t aware of them. Here are the main areas to watch:  

Bias is natural and human. Unfortunately, it can get in the way of user research and prevent a team from being truly creative and innovative. What’s more, it can utterly hinder the iterative process that should drive creative ideas to the best destinations. Bias takes many forms. It can rear its head without a design team member even realizing it. So, it’s vital to remember this and check it. One team member may examine an angle of the problem at hand and unconsciously view it through a lens. Then, they might voice a suggestion without realizing how they might have framed it for team members to hear. Another risk is that other team members might, for example, apply confirmation bias and overlook important points about potential solutions because they’re not in line with what they’re looking for.  

Professor Alan Dix explains bias and fixation as obstacles in creative problem solving examples, and how to overcome them:  

Conventionalism

Even in the most hopeful ideation sessions, there’s the risk that some team members may slide back to conventional ways to address a problem. They might climb back inside “the box” and not even realize it. That’s why it’s important to mindfully explore new idea territories around the situation under scrutiny and not merely toy with the notion while clinging to a default “traditional” approach, just because it’s the way the brand or others have “always done things.”   

Dominant Personalities and Rank Pulling

As with any group discussion, it’s vital for the facilitator to ensure that everyone has the chance to contribute. Team members with “louder” personalities can dominate the discussions and keep quieter members from offering their thoughts. Plus, without a level playing field, it can be hard for more junior members to join in without feeling a sense of talking out of place or even a fear of reprisal for disagreeing with senior members.  

Another point is that ideation sessions naturally involve asking many questions, which can bring on two issues. First, some individuals may over-defend their ideas as they’re protective of them. Second, team members may feel self-conscious as they might think if they ask many questions that it makes them appear frivolous or unintelligent. So, it’s vital for facilitators to ensure that all team members can speak up and ask away, both in divergent thinking sessions when they can offer ideas and convergent thinking sessions when they analyze others’ ideas.  

Premature Commitment

Another potential risk to any creativity exercise is that once a team senses a solution is the “best” one, everyone can start to shut off and overlook the chance that an alternative may still arise. This could be a symptom of ideation fatigue or a false consensus that a proposed solution is infallible. So, it’s vital that team members keep open minds and try to catch potential issues with the best-looking solution as early as possible. The key is an understanding of the need for iteration—something that’s integral to the design thinking process, for example.   

Overall, creative problem solving can help give a design team the altitude—and attitude—they need to explore the problem and solution spaces thoroughly. Team members can leverage a range of techniques to trawl through the hordes of possibilities that exist for virtually any design scenario. As with any method or tool, though, it takes mindful application and awareness of potential hazards to wield it properly. The most effective creative problem-solving sessions will be ones that keep “creative,” “problem” and “solving” in sharp focus until what emerges for the target audience proves to be more than the sum of these parts.  

Learn More About Creative Problem Solving

Take our course, Creativity: Methods to Design Better Products and Services . 

Watch our Master Class Harness Your Creativity To Design Better Products with Alan Dix, Professor, Author and Creativity Expert. 

Read our piece, 10 Simple Ideas to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing . 

Go to Exploring the Art of Innovation: Design Thinking vs. Creative Problem Solving by Marcino Waas for further details. 

Consult Creative Problem Solving by Harrison Stamell for more insights.  

Read The Osborn Parnes Creative Problem-Solving Process by Leigh Espy for additional information.  

See History of the creative problem-solving process by Jo North for more on the history of Creative Problem Solving. 

Questions about Creative Problem Solving

To start with, work to understand the user’s needs and pain points. Do your user research—interviews, surveys and observations are helpful, for instance. Analyze this data so you can spot patterns and insights. Define the problem clearly—and it needs to be extremely clear for the solution to be able to address it—and make sure it lines up with the users’ goals and your project’s objectives. 

You and your design team might hold a brainstorming session. It could be a variation such as brainwalking—where you move about the room ideating—or brainwriting, where you write down ideas. Alternatively, you could try generating weird and wonderful notions in a bad ideas ideation session. 

There’s a wealth of techniques you can use. In any case, engage stakeholders in brainstorming sessions to bring different perspectives on board the team’s trains of thought. What’s more, you can use tools like a Problem Statement Template to articulate the problem concisely. 

Take our course, Creativity: Methods to Design Better Products and Services . 

Watch as Author and Human-Computer Interaction Expert, Professor Alan Dix explains important points about bad ideas:  

Some things you might try are:  1. Change your environment: A new setting can stimulate fresh ideas. So, take a walk, visit a different room, or work outside. 

2. Try to break the problem down into smaller parts: Focus on just one piece at a time—that should make the task far less overwhelming. Use techniques like mind mapping so you can start to visualize connections and come up with ideas. 

3. Step away from work and indulge in activities that relax your mind: Is it listening to music for you? Or how about drawing? Or exercising? Whatever it is, if you break out of your routine and get into a relaxation groove, it can spark new thoughts and perspectives. 

4. Collaborate with others: Discuss the problem with colleagues, stakeholders, or—as long as you don’t divulge sensitive information or company secrets—friends. It can help you to get different viewpoints, and sometimes those new angles and fresh perspectives can help unlock a solution. 

5. Set aside dedicated time for creative thinking: Take time to get intense with creativity; prevent distractions and just immerse yourself in the problem as fully as you can with your team. Use techniques like brainstorming or the "Six Thinking Hats" to travel around the problem space and explore a wealth of angles. 

Remember, a persistent spirit and an open mind are key; so, keep experimenting with different approaches until you get that breakthrough. 

Watch as Professor Alan Dix explains important aspects of creativity and how to handle creative blocks: 

Read our piece, 10 Simple Ideas to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing . 

Watch as Professor Alan Dix explains the Six Thinking Hats ideation technique. 

Creative thinking is about coming up with new and innovative ideas by looking at problems from different angles—and imagining solutions that are truly fresh and unique. It takes an emphasis on divergent thinking to get “out there” and be original in the problem space. You can use techniques like brainstorming, mind mapping and free association to explore hordes of possibilities, many of which might be “hiding” in obscure corners of your—or someone on your team’s—imagination. 

Critical thinking is at the other end of the scale. It’s the convergent half of the divergent-convergent thinking approach. In that approach, once the ideation team have hauled in a good catch of ideas, it’s time for team members to analyze and evaluate these ideas to see how valid and effective each is. Everyone strives to consider the evidence, draw logical connections and eliminate any biases that could be creeping in to cloud judgments. Accuracy, sifting and refining are watchwords here. 

Watch as Professor Alan Dix explains divergent and convergent thinking: 

The tools you can use are in no short supply, and they’re readily available and inexpensive, too. Here are a few examples: 

Tools like mind maps are great ways to help you visualize ideas and make connections between them and elements within them. Try sketching out your thoughts and see how they relate to each other—you might discover unexpected gems, or germs of an idea that can splinter into something better, with more thought and development. 

The SCAMPER technique is another one you can try. It can help you catapult your mind into a new idea space as you Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse aspects of the problem you’re considering. 

The “5 Whys” technique is a good one to drill down to root causes with. Once you’ve spotted a problem, you can start working your way back to see what’s behind it. Then you do the same to work back to the cause of the cause. Keep going; usually five times will be enough to see what started the other problems as the root cause. 

Watch as the Father of UX Design, Don Norman explains the 5 Whys technique: 

Read all about SCAMPER in our topic definition of it. 

It’s natural for some things to get in the way of being creative in the face of a problem. It can be challenging enough to ideate creatively on your own, but it’s especially the case in group settings. Here are some common obstacles: 

1. Fear of failure or appearing “silly”: when people worry about making mistakes or sounding silly, they avoid taking risks and exploring new ideas. This fear stifles creativity. That’s why ideation sessions like bad ideas are so valuable—it turns this fear on its head. 

2. Rigid thinking: This can also raise itself as a high and thick barrier. If someone in an ideation session clings to established ways to approach problems (and potential solutions), it can hamper their ability to see different perspectives, let alone agree with them. They might even comment critically to dampen what might just be the brightest way forward. It takes an open mind and an awareness of one’s own bias to overcome this. 

3. Time pressure and resource scarcity: When a team has tight deadlines to work to, they may rush to the first workable solution and ignore a wide range of possibilities where the true best solution might be hiding. That’s why stakeholders and managers should give everyone enough time—as well as any needed tools, materials and support—to ideate and experiment. The best solution is in everybody’s interest, after all.  

It takes a few ingredients to get the environment just right for creative problem solving:  

Get in the mood for creativity: This could be a relaxing activity before you start your session, or a warm-up activity in the room. Then, later, encourage short breaks—they can rejuvenate the mind and help bring on fresh insights.  

Get the physical environment just right for creating problem solving: You and your team will want a comfortable and flexible workspace—preferably away from your workstations. Make sure the room is one where people can collaborate easily and also where they can work quietly. A meeting room is good as it will typically have room for whiteboards and comfortable space for group discussion. Note: you’ll also need sticky notes and other art supplies like markers. 

Make the atmosphere conducive for creative problem solving: Someone will need to play facilitator so everyone has some ground rules to work with. Encourage everyone to share ideas, that all ideas are valuable, and that egos and seniority have no place in the room. Of course, this may take some enforcement and repetition—especially as "louder" team members may try to dominate proceedings, anyway, and others may be self-conscious about sounding "ridiculous." 

Make sure you’ve got a diverse team: Diversity means different perspectives, which means richer and more innovative solutions can turn up. So, try to include individuals with different backgrounds, skills and viewpoints—sometimes, non-technical mindsets can spot ideas and points in a technical realm, which experienced programmers might miss, for instance. 

Watch our Master Class Harness Your Creativity To Design Better Products with Alan Dix, Professor, Author and Creativity Expert. 

Ideating alone? Watch as Professor Alan Dix gives valuable tips about how to nurture creativity: 

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Research plays a crucial role in any kind of creative problem solving, and in creative problem solving itself it’s about collecting information about the problem—and, by association, the users themselves. You and your team members need to have a well-defined grasp of what you’re facing before you can start reaching out into the wide expanses of the idea space.  

Research helps you lay down a foundation of knowledge and avoid reinventing the wheel. Also, if you study existing solutions and industry trends, you’ll be able to understand what has worked before and what hasn't.  

What’s more, research is what will validate the ideas that come out of your ideation efforts. From testing concepts and prototypes with real users, you’ll get precious input about your creative solutions so you can fine-tune them to be innovative and practical—and give users what they want in a way that’s fresh and successful. 

Watch as UX Strategist and Consultant, William Hudson explains important points about user research: 

First, it’s crucial for a facilitator to make sure the divergent stage of the creative problem solving is over and your team is on to the convergent stage. Only then should any analysis happen.  

If others are being critical of your creative solutions, listen carefully and stay open-minded. Look on it as a chance to improve, and don’t take it personally. Indeed, the session facilitator should moderate to make sure everyone understands the nature of constructive criticism.  

If something’s unclear, be sure to ask the team member to be more specific, so you can understand their points clearly. 

Then, reflect on what you’ve heard. Is it valid? Something you can improve or explain? For example, in a bad ideas session, there may be an aspect of your idea that you can develop among the “bad” parts surrounding it. 

So, if you can, clarify any misunderstandings and explain your thought process. Just stay positive and calm and explain things to your critic and other team member. The insights you’ve picked up may strengthen your solution and help to refine it. 

Last—but not least—make sure you hear multiple perspectives. When you hear from different team members, chances are you’ll get a balanced view. It can also help you spot common themes and actionable improvements you might make. 

Watch as Todd Zaki Warfel, Author, Speaker and Leadership Coach, explains how to present design ideas to clients, a valuable skill in light of discussing feedback from stakeholders. 

Lateral thinking is a technique where you approach problems from new and unexpected angles. It encourages you to put aside conventional step-by-step logic and get “out there” to explore creative and unorthodox solutions. Author, physician and commentator Edward de Bono developed lateral thinking as a way to help break free from traditional patterns of thought. 

In creative problem solving, you can use lateral thinking to come up with truly innovative ideas—ones that standard logical processes might overlook. It’s about bypassing these so you can challenge assumptions and explore alternatives that point you and your team to breakthrough solutions. 

You can use techniques like brainstorming to apply lateral thinking and access ideas that are truly “outside the box” and what your team, your brand and your target audience really need to work on. 

Professor Alan Dix explains lateral thinking in this video: 

1. Baer, J. (2012). Domain Specificity and The Limits of Creativity Theory . The Journal of Creative Behavior, 46(1), 16–29.   John Baer's influential paper challenged the notion of a domain-general theory of creativity and argued for the importance of considering domain-specific factors in creative problem solving. This work has been highly influential in shaping the understanding of creativity as a domain-specific phenomenon and has implications for the assessment and development of creativity in various domains. 

2. Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The Standard Definition of Creativity . Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92–96.   Mark A. Runco and Gerard J. Jaeger's paper proposed a standard definition of creativity, which has been widely adopted in the field. They defined creativity as the production of original and effective ideas, products, or solutions that are appropriate to the task at hand. This definition has been influential in providing a common framework for creativity research and assessment. 

1. Fogler, H. S., LeBlanc, S. E., & Rizzo, B. (2014). Strategies for Creative Problem Solving (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall. 

This book focuses on developing creative problem-solving strategies, particularly in engineering and technical contexts. It introduces various heuristic problem-solving techniques, optimization methods, and design thinking principles. The authors provide a systematic framework for approaching ill-defined problems, generating and implementing solutions, and evaluating the outcomes. With its practical exercises and real-world examples, this book has been influential in equipping professionals and students with the skills to tackle complex challenges creatively. 

2. De Bono, E. (1985). Six Thinking Hats . Little, Brown and Company.   

Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats introduces a powerful technique for parallel thinking and decision-making. The book outlines six different "hats" or perspectives that individuals can adopt to approach a problem or situation from various angles. This structured approach encourages creative problem-solving by separating different modes of thinking, such as emotional, logical, and creative perspectives. De Bono's work has been highly influential in promoting lateral thinking and providing a practical framework for group problem solving. 

3. Osborn, A. F. (1963). Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem-Solving (3rd ed.). Charles Scribner's Sons.  

Alex F. Osborn's Applied Imagination is a pioneering work that introduced the concept of brainstorming and other creative problem-solving techniques. Osborn emphasized how important it is to defer judgment and generate a large quantity of ideas before evaluating them. This book laid the groundwork for many subsequent developments in the field of creative problem-solving, and it’s been influential in promoting the use of structured ideation processes in various domains. 

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What is the first stage in the creative problem-solving process?

• Implementation
• Idea Generation
• Problem Identification

Which technique is commonly used during the idea generation stage of creative problem-solving?

• Brainstorming
• Prototyping

What is the main purpose of the evaluation stage in creative problem-solving?

• To generate as many ideas as possible
• To implement the solution
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of ideas

In the creative problem-solving process, what often follows after implementing a solution?

• Testing and Refinement

Which stage in the creative problem-solving process focuses on generating multiple possible solutions?

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Literature on Creative Problem Solving

Here’s the entire UX literature on Creative Problem Solving by the Interaction Design Foundation, collated in one place:

Learn more about Creative Problem Solving

Take a deep dive into Creative Problem Solving with our course Creativity: Methods to Design Better Products and Services .

The overall goal of this course is to help you design better products, services and experiences by helping you and your team develop innovative and useful solutions. You’ll learn a human-focused, creative design process.

We’re going to show you what creativity is as well as a wealth of ideation methods ―both for generating new ideas and for developing your ideas further. You’ll learn skills and step-by-step methods you can use throughout the entire creative process. We’ll supply you with lots of templates and guides so by the end of the course you’ll have lots of hands-on methods you can use for your and your team’s ideation sessions. You’re also going to learn how to plan and time-manage a creative process effectively.

Most of us need to be creative in our work regardless of if we design user interfaces, write content for a website, work out appropriate workflows for an organization or program new algorithms for system backend. However, we all get those times when the creative step, which we so desperately need, simply does not come. That can seem scary—but trust us when we say that anyone can learn how to be creative­ on demand . This course will teach you ways to break the impasse of the empty page. We'll teach you methods which will help you find novel and useful solutions to a particular problem, be it in interaction design, graphics, code or something completely different. It’s not a magic creativity machine, but when you learn to put yourself in this creative mental state, new and exciting things will happen.

In the “Build Your Portfolio: Ideation Project” , you’ll find a series of practical exercises which together form a complete ideation project so you can get your hands dirty right away. If you want to complete these optional exercises, you will get hands-on experience with the methods you learn and in the process you’ll create a case study for your portfolio which you can show your future employer or freelance customers.

Your instructor is Alan Dix . He’s a creativity expert, professor and co-author of the most popular and impactful textbook in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Alan has worked with creativity for the last 30+ years, and he’ll teach you his favorite techniques as well as show you how to make room for creativity in your everyday work and life.

You earn a verifiable and industry-trusted Course Certificate once you’ve completed the course. You can highlight it on your resume , your LinkedIn profile or your website .

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How to improve your creative skills for effective problem-solving

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What’s creative thinking?

Creative thinking versus critical thinking

Creative thinking skills

How to develop creative thinking skills

4 creative thinking examples to include on your resume

Sharpen your creativity

Creative thinking is the key to unlocking innovation and problem-solving excellence. 

In the whirlwind of everyday professional challenges, we’ve all encountered moments when fresh ideas feel elusive. If you’ve found yourself struggling to inspire your team or spinning out during a brainstorming session , it may be a sign you need to develop your creative skills. Plus, creative problem solving looks excellent on a resume .

As a leader or team member, your ability to think outside the box can ignite a spark of ingenuity that propels your team to new heights. Fan the flames of growth and learn how to improve your creative thinking (and highlight your new skills in your next job application).

What’s creative thinking? 

Creative thinking is the dynamic process of transforming your ideas into actions. The skillset equips you to think differently and approach challenges from innovative angles.

At its core, creative thinking empowers you to break free from the constraints of the status quo and dream up fresh, original ideas. It breathes life into your decisions, encouraging you to embrace your imaginative instincts. 

By daring to challenge traditional approaches, your creativity opens doors to uncharted innovations and groundbreaking solutions.

Creative thinking versus critical thinking 

Although creative and critical thinking are both used in problem-solving , the two skills are marked by key differences. 

Creative thinking is the catalyst for generating innovative ideas and crafting novel approaches to the challenges around them. With an open mind and a wild imagination, creative thinkers produce and explore unconventional solutions to the problems that stand in their way.

Critical thinking analyzes available information with an unbiased and rational approach. It involves questioning perceptions, ensuring that decisions are devoid of bias and reasoning remains grounded in sound judgment. 

Creative thinking skills 

When you look at creative thinking as a set of particular abilities, it becomes easier to develop and perfect. These creative skill examples can help you thrive inside and outside of the workplace:

1. Open-mindedness

When you’re open-minded, you can readily adapt to new information and look for fresh problem-solving approaches. You’re receptive to the opinions and ideas of others because you view them as constructive rather than criticizing . This openness also encourages you to freely share your creative ideas without fearing judgement.

2. Curiosity

You might find that you tap into creative potential the most when you’re challenging convention and posing new ways of thinking. Analyzing processes and asking yourself how you can improve them is an exciting way to make more efficient systems.

Whether you’re new to a job or have worked at the company for years, you may wonder why procedures are what they are — lean into this curiosity to develop new and better ways to work. 

3. Ability to brainstorm

There are numerous ways to solve a problem, and brainstorming helps to get them onto paper so you can weigh their pros and cons. This way of lateral thinking encourages you to view solutions as multifaceted rather than a single, straightforward answer.

4. Experimentation

Creative people experiment with various ways of solving a problem before deciding on the best way to take action. Emulate this mindset in your projects and tasks. For instance, if you work in web design, you might try several page layouts before deciding on a final visual identity for your client.

5. Networking

Speaking with people from different professional backgrounds is an excellent way to stimulate creative thinking and develop new perspectives. When you network with professionals with diverse skill sets and experiences, they might influence you to look at the world differently or suggest an innovative way to tackle a problem.

6. Observation

It’s important to know when to take the backseat and listen in. Observing how others tackle complex issues might inspire you to make changes within your team. Always keep an eye out for opportunities to learn from more experienced peers and innovative colleagues.

7. Organization

Although some individuals claim to thrive in clutter, keeping your work organized creates an environment where you can work freely without distraction. This involves keeping your workspace tidy, creating clear to-do lists, and using visual maps to express your plans and processes.

8. Communication

Proper communication empowers you to share valuable insight and ideas with your teammates. You need strong verbal and written skills to pitch and describe your thoughts and actively listen to others’ feedback and advice.

9. Analysis

Before you can dream up a creative approach to an obstacle, you must fully understand the problem at hand. Without proper analysis, your solution may contain flaws, or you could miss important details of your problem. Practice sifting through every detail of the issue and pinpointing the causes. 

10. Problem-solving

No matter your industry, problem-solving is always a valuable skill. Consider how to tackle a problem without asking the advice of others to see what creative solutions arise. This way, you can see what inventive ideas you can come up with before external opinions influence you.

Although some of your coworkers may seem to have a natural talent for creativity and creative thinking, it’s a skill anyone can develop and improve. Here are seven ways to advance your innovative problem-solving:

Reading is an effective way to exercise your mind, increase your vocabulary, and expose yourself to new ways of thinking. Whether your book is on a problem you’re facing at work or a new and exciting subject, reading is an excellent opportunity to learn. That’s right: simply cracking open a book can help you grow . 

Keep a notepad nearby and write down thoughts and ideas as they arise. Writing helps you to process information, and you can revisit your musing whenever you need to get your creative juices flowing. If you’ve never tried journaling before, it’s an excellent way to process your thoughts and feelings in a safe and private space. 

3. Exercise

Exercising improves your sleep and ability to cope with stress, making it easier to stay alert and contribute fresh ideas at work. 

4. Listen to music

Music can affect your mood and place you in the mindset to solve problems. If you’re struggling with creative writing or creating a visual piece of work, listening to music could push you toward expressing yourself more meaningfully. 

5. Ask for feedback

Collaboration and teamwork are key when developing creative solutions in the workplace. You can ask teammates or superiors for feedback on your ideas to gain insight into potential flaws in your reasoning and streamline your solutions.

6. Find a mentor or coach

Having an experienced person to bounce ideas off is a catalyst for creativity. A mentor or coach who’s dealt with similar obstacles can provide insight into what worked and what didn’t, saving you valuable brainstorming time. 

7. Change your approach

If you’ve been approaching your tasks the same way, adjusting your processes may bring a fresh perspective and stimulate change. Ask yourself why you tackle work from a similar angle each time and consider more creative ways to conduct your day-to-day operations.

4 creative thinking examples to include on your resume 

Employers want to add creative people to their teams because solving problems takes a lot of ingenuity. Use these four examples and bullet points for inspiration when listing creative thinking skills on your resume.

On a graphic designer’s resume:

• Collaborated on rebranding [company’s] visual identity and social media content strategy
• Developed unique and innovative branding material for [company A] , [company B] , and [company C]

On a copywriter’s resume:

• Revised [company’s] website and blog content to be more engaging, exciting, and SEO-focused
• Contributed original and innovative articles on [topic] to [publication A] and [publication B]

On a public relations specialist’s resume:

• Increased [company’s] brand awareness by planning [event] to launch [product]
• Collaborated with [brand] on [product’s] creative marketing strategy to reach a wider audience

On a teacher’s resume:

• Developed a novel approach to teaching [subject or class] to students with various learning styles and needs
• Introduced [extracurricular] , the first of its kind in [the school board] , to engage students in [activity]

Sharpen your creativity 

Critical and creative thinking broaden your perspective and allow you to devise unique solutions to everyday problems. You can develop your creative skills by changing your environment, learning from others, and adjusting your approach to work. 

Regardless of how you choose to spark creativity at work, don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and confidently contribute your ideas. You never know — you might just come up with the next big company innovation.

Cultivate your creativity

Foster creativity and continuous learning with guidance from our certified Coaches.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

How to develop critical thinking skills

6 ways to leverage ai for hyper-personalized corporate learning, how observational learning affects growth and development, self directed learning is the key to new skills and knowledge, why asynchronous learning is the key to successful upskilling, the power of professional learning communities, can dreams help you solve problems 6 ways to try, experimentation brings innovation: create an experimental workplace, 8 creative solutions to your most challenging problems, similar articles, 10 problem-solving strategies to turn challenges on their head, thinking outside the box: 8 ways to become a creative problem solver, what is creative thinking and how can i improve, what are professional skills, and which should you add to your resume, why creativity isn't just for creatives and how to find it anywhere, the pomodoro technique: how a break can improve productivity and well-being, how to improve adaptability skills, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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Harnessing Creativity in Problem-Solving: Innovations for Overcoming Challenges

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In today's fast-paced and dynamic world, problem-solving has become an indispensable skill. Whether you are a business leader, a student, an entrepreneur, or simply someone navigating the complexities of daily life, the ability to overcome challenges is paramount. One key to effective problem-solving is harnessing creativity.

In this article, we'll explore the concept of harnessing creativity in problem-solving and discuss innovative approaches to tackle various challenges successfully.

Understanding the Link Between Harnessing Creativity and Problem-Solving

Creativity and problem-solving are often perceived as separate domains. However, they are intricately intertwined. Creativity is the fuel that powers innovative problem-solving. When you introduce creativity into the problem-solving process, you open the door to fresh perspectives and unconventional solutions. Here's how it works:

1. Divergent Thinking

Harnessing creativity encourages divergent thinking, which is the ability to consider multiple perspectives and generate a wide range of ideas. This process is particularly valuable when tackling complex problems. Divergent thinking allows you to explore different avenues, identifying potential solutions that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

2. Out-of-the-Box Solutions

Creative problem-solving involves thinking beyond conventional boundaries. It prompts individuals to look for out-of-the-box solutions that challenge the status quo. This approach can lead to groundbreaking innovations that address problems in new and unexpected ways.

3. Resilience in Problem-Solving

Creativity fosters resilience in problem-solving. When you approach challenges with a creative mindset, you are better equipped to adapt to unexpected obstacles and setbacks. You are more likely to experiment with different approaches and persist until you find a workable solution.

Innovative Approaches to Problem-Solving through Creativity

Now that we understand the importance of creativity in problem-solving , let's explore innovative approaches that can help you harness your creative potential to overcome challenges.

1. Design Thinking

Design thinking is a problem-solving framework that places empathy at its core. It involves empathizing with the end user or the person facing the problem. By deeply understanding their needs, you can design solutions that truly address the issue. This approach encourages creative thinking, as it often requires brainstorming and prototyping to arrive at user-centric solutions.

2. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual technique that allows you to organize thoughts and ideas in a nonlinear fashion. It's an excellent tool for problem-solving as it helps you see connections between different elements of a problem. This visual approach often leads to creative insights and novel solutions.

3. Brainstorming and Collaboration

Collaborative brainstorming sessions can be a hotbed of creativity. When you bring diverse minds together to tackle a problem, you benefit from different perspectives and experiences. Encourage open, non-judgmental idea sharing in a brainstorming session to stimulate creative problem-solving.

4. Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering involves breaking down a problem or a solution to its fundamental components. By dissecting an issue, you can better understand its intricacies and explore alternative ways to approach it. This analytical approach can trigger creative problem-solving by revealing hidden opportunities.

5. Storytelling and Scenario Planning

Using storytelling and scenario planning, you can create narratives that explore different outcomes and solutions. This approach encourages creative thinking by visualizing potential scenarios and their consequences. It allows you to anticipate challenges and devise strategies to overcome them.

6. Visual Thinking

Visual thinking is a method that involves using drawings, diagrams, and other visual aids to represent problems and solutions. Visualizing a problem often reveals patterns and relationships that are not apparent through words alone. This technique can unlock new, creative insights.

Case Studies in Creative Problem-Solving

To illustrate the power of creativity in problem-solving, let's delve into a few real-world case studies where innovative approaches led to remarkable solutions:

1. Airbnb: Empathy-Driven Design Thinking

Airbnb, the world's leading online marketplace for lodging and travel experiences, faced a unique problem. They needed to build trust between hosts and guests who were essentially strangers. To address this challenge, they implemented an empathy-driven design thinking approach. They focused on understanding the concerns and needs of both hosts and guests, leading to the creation of a secure platform with user-centric features.

2. SpaceX: Reverse Engineering for Rocket Reusability

SpaceX, Elon Musk's aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company, sought to reduce the cost of space exploration by making rockets reusable. Instead of following conventional engineering approaches, SpaceX employed reverse engineering by disassembling and analyzing the process of rocket launches. This led to the groundbreaking development of the Falcon 9 rocket, which has revolutionized space travel.

3. Tesla: Visual Thinking in Electric Car Design

Tesla, an electric vehicle and clean energy company, used visual thinking as a core part of its design process. By visualizing the electric car as a clean, efficient, and powerful machine, Tesla's team reimagined the possibilities of electric transportation. This approach led to the creation of high-performance electric vehicles that are changing the automotive industry.

Challenges in Harnessing Creativity for Problem-Solving

While harnessing creativity for problem-solving is essential, it comes with its set of challenges. Some of these challenges include:

1. Fear of Failure

Creativity often involves taking risks and embracing the possibility of failure. Many individuals and organizations are risk-averse, which can stifle creative problem-solving. Overcoming the fear of failure is crucial to unlock creative potential.

2. Lack of Resources

Creativity often requires time, resources, and a supportive environment. In organizations, tight budgets and stringent schedules can limit the space for creative problem-solving. Overcoming these constraints may require resource allocation and a cultural shift towards valuing creativity.

3. Resistance to Change

People and organizations can be resistant to change, especially when it comes to unconventional problem-solving approaches. Overcoming this resistance may require effective communication, leadership, and a commitment to demonstrating the value of creative solutions.

Conclusion: Harnessing Creativity for Effective Problem-Solving

In a world marked by constant change and complexity, effective problem-solving is a skill that can set individuals and organizations apart. Harnessing creativity in problem-solving is not just an option; it's a necessity. By embracing innovative approaches like design thinking, mind mapping, brainstorming, and visual thinking, you can unlock your creative potential to overcome challenges.

Real-world examples from companies like Airbnb, SpaceX, and Tesla demonstrate the power of creative problem-solving in achieving remarkable outcomes. However, it's crucial to acknowledge the challenges that come with creativity, such as the fear of failure, resource constraints, and resistance to change. Addressing these challenges head-on is essential for realizing the full potential of creative problem-solving.

In conclusion, by fostering a culture of creativity and incorporating innovative problem-solving methods, individuals and organizations can rise to the occasion and conquer the most complex challenges that come their way. Creativity isn't a luxury; it's a strategic advantage that can drive success in an ever-evolving world.

So, the next time you face a problem, remember to tap into your creative reservoir. You might just discover the innovative solution that changes everything.

About the Author

Awais Ahmed is a passionate writer and expert in the field of personal development, communication, and professional skills. With a background in psychology and a keen interest in human behavior, he is dedicated to helping individuals unleash their full potential and achieve personal and career success.

Continue to: Collaborative Innovation Social Problem-Solving

See also: Simple Ways to Teach Your Child Problem Solving Skills 5 Innovative Companies We Can Take Leadership Lessons From Critical Problem-Solving Skills for a Successful E-Commerce Venture

Creative Problem-Solving Approach: Skills, Framework, 3 Real-life Examples

What is creative problem-solving, creative problem-solving framework, 3 real-life examples of creative problem solving:, skills to develop for creative problem-solving.

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• Identifying the Real Problem : Imagine you wake up to a cold shower. The obvious problem? No hot water! But before you start dismantling the showerhead, take a step back. Is it a faulty heating element, a low thermostat setting, or a bigger issue with the building’s plumbing? This initial step is crucial. Ask yourself questions like “What are the symptoms?” and “When did this problem start?”. In our shower scenario, identifying the root cause (a faulty heating element) saves you time and unnecessary tinkering.
• Generating Wild Ideas : Now, it’s time to unleash your creativity! Remember that brainstorming session in school where every idea, no matter how wacky, was welcome? That’s the spirit! Back to our chilly shower situation, ideas might include: boiling water on the stove for a makeshift bath (not ideal!), calling the landlord for repairs (the most likely solution!), or – if you’re feeling adventurous – installing a solar water heater (hey, it could work!).
• Evaluating Ideas: Okay, so you have a list of ideas, from the practical to the downright peculiar. Here comes the filter. Evaluate each idea based on realistic criteria. For the shower scenario, fixing the heating element is likely the most feasible and impactful solution. While a solar water heater might be innovative, the cost and practicality might not make it the best choice at this moment.
• From Idea to Action Plan: We’ve identified the best course of action (fixing the heating element). Now, it’s time to develop a concrete solution. This might involve calling a plumber, gathering the necessary tools, or researching DIY repair tutorials (if you’re handy!). The key is to create a clear plan that addresses the problem directly.
• Putting Your Solution to the Test : The plan is in place, it’s time to implement! In our case, this means calling the plumber and getting that heating element fixed. Once the repair is done, take a celebratory hot shower! But remember, even the best plans can have hiccups. If the hot water issue persists, you might need to re-evaluate your initial diagnosis or call the plumber back for further troubleshooting.
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• Netflix:  The company revolutionized how we watch TV shows and movies. However, when the company started, it faced a big challenge – getting people to watch their content when they were not a well-known brand. Instead of relying on traditional advertising, Netflix used creative problem-solving to develop a unique solution. They created an algorithm recommending TV shows and movies based on a user’s viewing history, leading to a highly personalized viewing experience. This recommendation engine became a critical factor in the company’s success, helping them attract and retain customers.
• NASA:  NASA had to devise an instant solution to save the Apollo 13 mission and their team. Their spacecraft was damaged, and they needed a solution to bring their astronauts safely back to Earth. The team fitted a square CO2 filter into a round hole using available materials on the spacecraft; the team used creative problem-solving to develop this approach. This innovative solution allowed the astronauts to return safely to Earth and set this incident as a classic creative solving example.
• IKEA:  IKEA makes stylish and affordable furniture and is a well-versed company. However, they faced significant challenges entering the Japanese market. Japanese apartments are comparatively smaller than the rest of the world, so the regular product range was irrelevant to Japanese customers. So, IKEA used creative problem-solving to develop a solution appealing to the Japanese market. They launched a variety of products specially created for smaller spaces that are easy to assemble and disassemble—they also introduced a range of futons designed to look like beds, appealing to Japanese customers who prefer sleeping on the floor. This innovative and creative approach helped IKEA successfully enter the Japanese market.

• Flexibility:  Being able to adapt to changing circumstances and consider multiple perspectives.
• Open-mindedness:  Being open to new ideas and willing to challenge assumptions.
• Curiosity:  Seek more information by questioning and better understanding the problem.
• Persistence:  If a solution does not work, apply another solution, but continue until the problem is solved.
• Divergent thinking:  Generating multiple ideas and exploring different possibilities.
• Convergent thinking:  Evaluating and selecting the best ideas based on specific criteria.
• Visualization:  Using mental imagery to explore solutions and ideas.
• Collaboration:  Working with others to combine different perspectives and knowledge.
• Risk-taking:  Being willing to take calculated risks and try new approaches.
• Innovation:  Combining ideas and approaches in novel ways to create new solutions.

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Creative Thinking Definition

Creative thinking examples, why is creative thinking important, how to include creative thinking skills in a job application, how to build creativity, what is creative thinking definition and examples.

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Table of Contents

Creative thinking is the ability to come up with unique, original solutions. Also known as creative problem-solving, creative thinking is a valuable and marketable soft skill in a wide variety of careers. Here’s what you need to know about creative thinking at work and how to use it to land a job. 

Creative thinking is all about developing innovative solutions to problems. Creative thinkers brainstorm not only a large number of ideas but also a variety and range of them. In the workplace, creative thinking is highly valuable because employers look to hire innovative employees who can help them solve the company’s problems.

So, what does creative thinking in the workplace look like? First, a creative person brainstorms their ideas, then they’ll experiment with them. They look at ideas from multiple perspectives and examine how their solutions fit into the scope of what they’re working on. Creative thinkers aren’t afraid to take risks and try new ideas. In fact, this ability to develop, test, and implement original solutions makes them a valuable asset to just about any workplace. 

Creative thinking in the workplace might look like:

• Holding an interactive brainstorm to gather initial thoughts on a project
• Evaluating a current process and offering suggestions on how to improve it
• Researching other ways to market a product and leading experiments on new marketing channels
• Developing an innovative way to reach out to prospective clients
• Identifying a unique opportunity to promote the company brand and developing a strategy to do so
• Discovering a new way to measure a product initiative’s success and using learnings to iterate on the next version

Finding patterns in a company’s revenue growth and using data trends to strategize a new sales plan  

Creative thinking includes the process of innovative problem-solving — from analyzing the facts to brainstorming to working with others. Creative thinking examples include analytical skills, innovation, and collaboration.

Analytical Skills

Analytical skills are problem-solving skills that help you sort through facts, data, and information to develop rational solutions. These skills aid you in the first part of the creative thinking process as you brainstorm and start to generate ideas. 

Analytical skills include:

• Data analysis
• Forecasting
• Interpreting
• Communication

Innovation is the ability to come up with something new; however, you don’t need to develop the first flying car to be an innovative thinker. “Something new” at work might mean a method you haven’t tried before or experimenting with an unfamiliar process. Innovators in the workplace aren’t afraid to step away from tradition and explore something original, even if it might fail. 

Innovation skills include:

• Risk-taking
• Brainstorming
• Critical thinking

Collaboration

Creative thinking doesn’t have to happen alone; you might have your most creative ideas when bouncing your work off others. Collaboration skills ensure you consider multiple perspectives and ways of thinking when you develop and refine ideas.

Collaboration skills include:

• Written and verbal communication
• Active listening
• Inclusivity

A soft skill like creative thinking will always be valuable to employers, whether you’re looking for a marketing job or trying to land a career in finance . Employers need employees who can develop and experiment with new ideas to help them solve complex problems. 

“Many employers seek candidates that are analytical and outside-the-box thinkers which are iterations of creative thinking skills,” says Alejandra Garcia, manager, alumni college and career success at Code2College and Forage content development partner. “Thus, creative thinking, creative problem solving, innovative thinking, and analytical skills are all valuable in the current workplace — these skills are especially important in our ever-changing workplaces with new emerging technologies.”

The data supports this idea, too. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs report , creative thinking is the second most important skill for workers in 2023, preceded only by analytical skills. Other top skills include soft skills like resilience, flexibility and agility, motivation and self-awareness, and curiosity and lifelong learning .

“The ability to navigate new challenges quickly can benefit any workplace!” Laura Fontenot, resume writing expert, ACRW, and CPRW, says. “The current world of work is fast-paced, technically driven, and constantly changing. Being intuitive, creative, driven, and a problem solver are key.”

If creative thinking is one of the top soft skills employers look for, how do you show you have it in a job application? The key is to prove these skills through examples of how you’ve used them rather than just naming them.

On a Resume

While creative thinking is a skill employers might look for, you don’t necessarily need to write “creative thinking” on your resume to show you have this skill. Instead, it’s better to demonstrate how you’ve used creative thinking skills to drive results.

“Think of your best mental strengths,” says Fontenot. “Are you a great problem solver? Do you understand how to phrase things differently? Can you learn a new skill quickly? Those questions can help you find great words for the resume . Consider adding things like problem-solving, intuition, collaboration, fast learner, organized, or communication.”

Log in to view and download a customizable resume template with examples of how to include creative thinking skills:

On Your Professional Profiles

You can show these skills outside of your resume in creative ways — including on your LinkedIn profile and website (if you have one!).

“Early professionals can make creative thinking a part of their professional brand by explicitly adding creative thinking or creative problem solving to their list of skills on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles — this will help with ATS optimizations,” Garcia advises. 

Yet beyond just listing this skill, Garcia adds that you can provide real proof of your creativity online, too.

“Consider adding projects or an online portfolio website link to your resume and LinkedIn where you can showcase projects you’ve worked on that demonstrate their problem-solving skills.”

In the Interview

In the interview , make sure you can describe your workflow and process for these projects or any other situation when you’ve used creative thinking. Elaborate how you brainstormed ideas, what range of ideas you had, how you tested and experimented, and how you decided on a final solution. 

It’s best to use the STAR method to structure your answers. This will ensure you clearly explain the situation and the results you brought by using your creative thinking skills.

>>MORE: Prepare to speak about your soft skills by practicing answers to commonly asked behavioral interview questions .

1. Put Yourself in a Box

Creative thinking is about “thinking outside the box,” but putting limitations on your problem-solving can help you think more freely and innovatively. For example, if someone tells you to make dinner, you may struggle to come up with a meal you don’t always cook. Yet if they ask you to make a hot dinner with three specific ingredients and two spices, you’ll more likely come up with something original. 

Putting yourself inside a box can help expand your thinking, whether that’s by telling yourself you need to include three charts in your presentation or giving yourself a strict word count for an article.

2. Switch up Your Routine

Routine can be a great productivity booster, but it also can get in the way of your creativity. So, switch up your routine for one project, day, or even an hour. This can be something as small as where you’re physically sitting when you do your work or something as big as your process for approaching projects. Challenging yourself to do something different will help you find creative ways to adapt to your new environment.

3. Challenge What’s Currently Working

Think about how you might expand or improve upon a current process. What would you do if you had more resources, whether that’s time, money, or another expert? What would you do if you had fewer resources? If this project was taking place at a different time of year? If the target audience was different? Imagining these different potential scenarios will force you to problem-solve and adjust for various (very possible!) circumstances. 

4. Find Inspiration

Creative thinking doesn’t happen in a bubble. It’s vital to ask for others’ opinions and ideas. Creative thinkers consider multiple perspectives and are curious about how others think. Ask your colleague about their work processes, whether it’s how they research for a client deliverable or how they approach meeting an external buyer. 

5. Ask for Feedback

The best way to improve a skill is to get feedback from others on how you’re using it — and you don’t need to set up a formal feedback session to do so. Instead, ask questions when you’re working with others about your work. Keep these questions open-ended and lead with curiosity instead of looking for a specific answer. What did they think of how you led the brainstorm? What would they have done differently? What strikes them about the final product? Keep an open mind and remember not to take the feedback personally. It’s an opportunity to grow, and growing those skills might just help you land your next job!

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What is creative problem-solving?

Table of Contents

An introduction to creative problem-solving.

Creative problem-solving is an essential skill that goes beyond basic brainstorming . It entails a holistic approach to challenges, melding logical processes with imaginative techniques to conceive innovative solutions. As our world becomes increasingly complex and interconnected, the ability to think creatively and solve problems with fresh perspectives becomes invaluable for individuals, businesses, and communities alike.

Importance of divergent and convergent thinking

At the heart of creative problem-solving lies the balance between divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking encourages free-flowing, unrestricted ideation, leading to a plethora of potential solutions. Convergent thinking, on the other hand, is about narrowing down those options to find the most viable solution. This dual approach ensures both breadth and depth in the problem-solving process.

Emphasis on collaboration and diverse perspectives

No single perspective has a monopoly on insight. Collaborating with individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and areas of expertise offers a richer tapestry of ideas. Embracing diverse perspectives not only broadens the pool of solutions but also ensures more holistic and well-rounded outcomes.

Nurturing a risk-taking and experimental mindset

The fear of failure can be the most significant barrier to any undertaking. It's essential to foster an environment where risk-taking and experimentation are celebrated. This involves viewing failures not as setbacks but as invaluable learning experiences that pave the way for eventual success.

The role of intuition and lateral thinking

Sometimes, the path to a solution is not linear. Lateral thinking and intuition allow for making connections between seemingly unrelated elements. These 'eureka' moments often lead to breakthrough solutions that conventional methods might overlook.

Stages of the creative problem-solving process

The creative problem-solving process is typically broken down into several stages. Each stage plays a crucial role in understanding, addressing, and resolving challenges in innovative ways.

Clarifying: Understanding the real problem or challenge

Before diving into solutions, one must first understand the problem at its core. This involves asking probing questions, gathering data, and viewing the challenge from various angles. A clear comprehension of the problem ensures that effort and resources are channeled correctly.

Ideating: Generating diverse and multiple solutions

Once the problem is clarified, the focus shifts to generating as many solutions as possible. This stage champions quantity over quality, as the aim is to explore the breadth of possibilities without immediately passing judgment.

Developing: Refining and honing promising solutions

With a list of potential solutions in hand, it's time to refine and develop the most promising ones. This involves evaluating each idea's feasibility, potential impact, and any associated risks, then enhancing or combining solutions to maximize effectiveness.

Implementing: Acting on the best solutions

Once a solution has been honed, it's time to put it into action. This involves planning, allocating resources, and monitoring the results to ensure the solution is effectively addressing the problem.

Techniques for creative problem-solving

Solving complex problems in a fresh way can be a daunting task to start on. Here are a few techniques that can help kickstart the process:

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a widely-used technique that involves generating as many ideas as possible within a set timeframe. Variants like brainwriting (where ideas are written down rather than spoken) and reverse brainstorming (thinking of ways to cause the problem) can offer fresh perspectives and ensure broader participation.

Mind mapping

Mind mapping is a visual tool that helps structure information, making connections between disparate pieces of data. It is particularly useful in organizing thoughts, visualizing relationships, and ensuring a comprehensive approach to a problem.

SCAMPER technique

SCAMPER stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse. This technique prompts individuals to look at existing products, services, or processes in new ways, leading to innovative solutions.

Benefits of creative problem-solving

Creative problem-solving offers numerous benefits, both at the individual and organizational levels. Some of the most prominent advantages include:

Finding novel solutions to old problems

Traditional problems that have resisted conventional solutions often succumb to creative approaches. By looking at challenges from fresh angles and blending different techniques, we can unlock novel solutions previously deemed impossible.

Enhanced adaptability in changing environments

In our rapidly evolving world, the ability to adapt is critical. Creative problem-solving equips individuals and organizations with the agility to pivot and adapt to changing circumstances, ensuring resilience and longevity.

Building collaborative and innovative teams

Teams that embrace creative problem-solving tend to be more collaborative and innovative. They value diversity of thought, are open to experimentation, and are more likely to challenge the status quo, leading to groundbreaking results.

Fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement

Creative problem-solving is not just about finding solutions; it's also about continuous learning and improvement. By encouraging an environment of curiosity and exploration, organizations can ensure that they are always at the cutting edge, ready to tackle future challenges head-on.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving and How to Master It with These 8 Strategies

• Post author: Kirstie Pursey
• Post published: May 17, 2018
• Reading time: 5 mins read
• Post category: Brain Power / Self-Improvement / Success Skills

Often when we have a problem, we try to solve it in the same way we did before. However, some issues cannot be solved with existing ideas and solutions. In this case, we need to turn to our creative side for problem-solving strategies.

Creative problem-solving is a way of moving beyond predictable and obvious solutions to problems . When we have a creative approach to problem-solving, we expand our thinking out from what we already know about a problem, and from solutions that we have used in the past, to generate innovative and effective solutions.

Here are 8 creative problem-solving strategies you could try to bring creativity and fresh ideas to bear on any problem you might have.

1. counterfactual thinking.

Counterfactual thinking involves considering what would have happened if the events in the past had happened slightly differently. In essence, it is asking ‘what if’ questions about the past.

So for example, you might ask ‘ What would have happened if I had moved to San Francisco instead of New York ?’ This helps you to break free of current constraints and consider the paths not taken.

2. Creativity of Constraints

We often think that constraints inhibit creativity because they reduce the number of possible solutions. However, constraints can actually generate new creative ideas as we have to be more creative to overcome the limitations. For example, creating a meal for less than $5 dollars reduces the potential ingredients you can use but may encourage you to use basic ingredients in more innovative ways.

The painter Pablo Picasso used constraints in his Blue Period between 1901 and 1904 when he painted almost entirely in shades of blue and green. Within these constraints, he found new ways to represent the world in paint.

3. Brainstorming

Most of us need no introduction to brainstorming. The key element of this strategy is to remove inhibitions that normally cause people to edit their creative ideas and dismiss them before they have really had a chance to examine them. When brainstorming, the most essential feature is that no idea is too ridiculous for consideration.

4. Questioning Assumptions

We all have assumptions about just about everything. We make assumptions about what is and isn’t possible and what things can and can’t be. This strategy asks you to think about all the assumptions made about a product or idea and then to question whether these are really true. This can spark truly innovative ideas.

5. Thought Experiment

A thought experiment is when you consider in the imagination a hypothesis that cannot easily be tested. For example, Einstein’s thought experiment ‘what would happen if you chased a beam of light as it moved through space’ led to the development of his special theory of relativity.

It is not necessary for the experiment to be impossible to perform – it is just that the experiment takes place only in the mind.

6. Forced Connections

Using forced connections can create new ideas. You simply bring two objects together to create an entirely new product or concept. Examples include the sofa-bed and the Apple watch which both combined two existing products to create something new. Genres in fiction often use this approach of combining two genres to create a new one such as in historical romance or comic fantasy.

To practice this technique, simply place some random objects or a list of random objects in a bag and pull out two, then try to make connections between them and see how they could be combined to create a new idea.

Using this technique allows your imagination to run riot. Think of the most outlandish and unattainable and impractical solutions. This is the opposite of the constraints strategy, but it can also work surprisingly well.

Once you have come up with a few ‘ wishes ,’ you can try to create a solution by scaling back these ideas into something more attainable.

8. Creative Intuition

Often creative thinking happens when we least expect it and doesn’t feel like ‘thinking’ at all. This is the flash of insight that comes when we stop thinking about a problem and are doing something else that doesn’t require much conscious attention, such as taking a shower or driving.

The most famous example is Archimedes’ ‘Eureka’ moment when in a sudden flash of inspiration he worked out how to work out if the King’s crown was made entirely of gold. When he found his solution he famously cried “Eureka” from Greek heurēka meaning ‘ I have found it ‘.

So next time you are stuck on a problem, take a break and a bath.

Closing thoughts

In our modern ever-changing world, often old-style solutions simply don’t work. Practising using creative problem-solving strategies can keep you ahead in a fast-changing environment.

We’d love to hear if you rely on your creative thinking and what problem-solving strategies you use. Please share them with us in the comments below.

References :

• wikipedia.org

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The simple fact is that many people try doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. Doesn’t work that way. All of these 8 ideas are well thought out and should be considered when confronted with a problem. It seems that when you solve one problem, two more come along. Life is, in some ways, a problem we all have to solve. Some resolutions work better than other. Looking for new solutions to old problems is what makes us human.

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Creative problem-solving: navigating challenges.

Have you ever faced a challenge that seemed impossible to overcome? Whether it’s a personal dilemma or a professional roadblock, we all encounter obstacles that require us to think outside the box and find innovative solutions. This is where creative problem-solving comes into play. In this article, we will explore the art of navigating challenges through the power of creativity. Join us on this journey and unlock your creative potential as we delve into different strategies and techniques to overcome obstacles and find unique solutions.

Understanding Creative Problem-Solving

Creative problem-solving is a powerful skill that enables individuals to approach challenges in non-traditional ways. It involves thinking creatively and critically, exploring multiple perspectives, and generating innovative ideas. By embracing a creative mindset, individuals can find solutions that may not have been initially apparent.

Creative problem-solving is not limited to specific industries or professions. In fact, it is a valuable skill in various fields, including business, technology, arts, and everyday life. Whether you are an entrepreneur seeking to launch a new product, a student facing a difficult assignment, or a parent trying to resolve a family conflict, creative problem-solving can be applied to navigate these challenges effectively.

The Power of Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is at the core of creative problem-solving. It involves approaching challenges with an open mind, embracing curiosity, and exploring possibilities beyond the obvious. Creative thinking allows us to break free from conventional thought patterns and discover new perspectives and solutions.

When we tap into our creative thinking abilities, we can approach challenges from different angles. It encourages us to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and consider alternative solutions. By engaging our creative minds, we can overcome mental blocks and find unique pathways to success.

The Importance of Embracing Challenges

While challenges may seem daunting, they are essential for personal and professional growth. Embracing challenges allows us to step out of our comfort zones, push our boundaries, and discover new capabilities. It is through overcoming challenges that we develop resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.

When we view challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement, we shift our mindset from one of fear and avoidance to one of curiosity and excitement. Each obstacle becomes a chance to learn, innovate, and become better versions of ourselves. By embracing challenges, we can unlock our creative potential and navigate through them with confidence.

Strategies for Creative Problem-Solving

Now that we understand the importance of creative problem-solving, let’s explore some strategies and techniques to enhance our problem-solving abilities. While there are numerous approaches to creative problem-solving, we will focus on the following four key strategies:

1. Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Divergent thinking involves generating a wide range of ideas and possibilities. It encourages free-flowing, out-of-the-box thinking without limitations. Convergent thinking, on the other hand, involves narrowing down and evaluating the ideas generated during the divergent thinking phase. It helps us identify the most feasible and effective solutions.

To apply this strategy, start by brainstorming as many ideas as possible without judgment or evaluation. Allow your mind to wander and explore various possibilities. Once you have a list of ideas, evaluate each one based on their feasibility, effectiveness, and alignment with your goals. This process of alternating between divergent and convergent thinking will help you uncover creative solutions to your challenges.

2. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual technique that allows you to organize and connect ideas in a non-linear manner. It involves creating a central idea or problem statement and branching out into subtopics or potential solutions. By visually representing the connections between different ideas, mind maps help stimulate creative thinking and generate new insights.

To create a mind map, start by writing down your central problem statement or idea in the center of a blank page. Then, draw branches radiating from the center and jot down relevant subtopics or potential solutions on each branch. You can further expand each subtopic with additional branches and ideas. This visual representation of your thoughts will help you explore different perspectives and uncover innovative solutions.

3. Role-Playing and Perspective Shifting

Role-playing and perspective shifting involves stepping into someone else’s shoes and viewing the challenge from their perspective. By adopting different roles or considering the problem from various viewpoints, we can gain new insights and uncover alternative solutions.

To apply this strategy, imagine yourself as a different person who is directly affected by the challenge. How would they approach the problem? What solutions would they propose? By temporarily shifting your perspective, you can gain fresh insights and discover unique approaches to your challenge.

4. Prototyping and Experimentation

Prototyping and experimentation involve creating tangible representations of your ideas and testing them in a real or simulated environment. It allows you to quickly identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement in your solutions. By embracing a mindset of continuous iteration and improvement, you can refine your ideas and find the most effective solution.

To implement this strategy, create a prototype or a small-scale version of your solution. Test it in a controlled environment, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments. Repeat this process until you achieve a refined solution that addresses the challenge effectively. Through prototyping and experimentation, you can navigate through uncertainties and discover innovative solutions.

The Benefits of Creative Problem-Solving

Creative problem-solving offers numerous benefits that extend beyond finding solutions to immediate challenges. Let’s explore some of the key advantages of embracing a creative mindset:

• Enhanced Critical Thinking Skills: Creative problem-solving enhances critical thinking skills by encouraging individuals to analyze problems, evaluate different perspectives, and make informed decisions.
• Increased Innovation and Adaptability: By embracing creativity, individuals can discover innovative solutions and adapt to changing circumstances more effectively.
• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Creative problem-solving promotes collaboration and teamwork by encouraging individuals to share ideas and perspectives, leading to collective intelligence and better solutions.
• Improved Decision-Making: Creative thinking allows individuals to consider a wide range of factors, evaluate alternatives, and make informed decisions that lead to better outcomes.
• Personal Growth and Self-Discovery: Through creative problem-solving, individuals can challenge their own limitations, discover new strengths, and develop a growth mindset.

In this journey of creative problem-solving, we have explored the power of embracing challenges and adopting a creative mindset. By thinking creatively, exploring different perspectives, and using various strategies, we can navigate through challenges and find innovative solutions. Remember, creative problem-solving is a skill that can be developed and honed with practice. So, embrace the challenges that come your way, unleash your creative potential, and navigate through them with confidence. Your ability to find unique solutions will not only benefit you but also inspire others to approach challenges with a creative mindset. Let your creativity be the compass that guides you to success.

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• > Rethinking Creativity
• > Insight in Problem-Solving and Creative Thinking

Book contents

• Rethinking Creativity
• Copyright page
• Part I Introduction
• Part II Analytic Thinking in Creativity
• Part III The Question of Extraordinary Thought Processes in Creativity
• 6 How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Talent, and Creativity
• 7 Insight in Problem-Solving and Creative Thinking
• 8 The Question of Unconscious Processes in Creative Thinking
• 9 Genius and Madness
• Part IV The Psychometrics of Creativity
• Part V The Neuroscience of Creativity

7 - Insight in Problem-Solving and Creative Thinking

from Part III - The Question of Extraordinary Thought Processes in Creativity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2020

This chapter examines the phenomenon of insight in problem-solving, a challenge to the analytic-thinking view concerning creativity. “Insight” refers to the idea that creative ideas come about suddenly, as the result of far-ranging creative leaps, in which thinking breaks away from what we know and moves far into the unknown. Leaps of insight are sometimes called Aha! or Eureka! experiences. If creative thinking is based on leaps of insight, then analytic thinking is irrelevant to creativity. We first examine several additional examples of creative advances that have been analyzed as being brought about by leaps of insight. The chapter then reviews the history of research and theory concerning insight, which was introduced more than 100 years ago into psychology by the Gestalt psychologists. In the early 1980s, there was an upsurge of research and theorizing concerning insight that has continued to today. That research has brought deeper understanding into the processes underlying insight. The chapter concludes with an analysis of insight in terms of analytic thinking.

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• Insight in Problem-Solving and Creative Thinking
• Robert W. Weisberg , Temple University, Philadelphia
• Book: Rethinking Creativity
• Online publication: 01 October 2020
• Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108785259.007

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A Cognitive Trick for Solving Problems Creatively

• Theodore Scaltsas

Mental biases can actually help.

Many experts argue that creative thinking requires people to challenge their preconceptions and assumptions about the way the world works. One common claim, for example, is that the mental shortcuts we all rely on to solve problems get in the way of creative thinking. How can you innovate if your thinking is anchored in past experience?

• TS Theodore Scaltsas is a Chaired Professor in Classical Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

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What Is Creative Problem Solving?

As the world becomes increasingly complex, so do the challenges we must overcome. Because these challenges often require outside-the-box thinking, the ability to develop innovative solutions is critical.

It’s for this reason that creative problem solving (CPS) — the process of devising innovative solutions by exploring unconventional approaches — is so important and represents an integral part of our I Can Invent ® Mindset , a collection of nine skills and traits that unlock creative potential.

Read below to learn more about both the history of CPS and how it helps produce more innovative solutions!

Understanding Creative Problem Solving

At the foundation of CPS are two core beliefs : everyone is creative, and creative skills can be learned and improved.

These precepts led Alex Osborn and Sidney Parnes, who met while working for the BBDO advertising agency, to conceive of CPS as a structured way to generate ideas following a brainstorming session.

Following the 1953 publication of his book “Applied Imagination,” Osborn founded the Creative Education Foundation , an organization that both promotes CPS, and studies its best practices and global relevance.

Today, there exist many variations of CPS that have evolved from Osborn and Parnes’ original work and research. At its core, however, the definition provided by the Creative Education Foundation is foundational and provides a straightforward way for people to understand the concept:

“CPS is a proven method for approaching a problem or a challenge in an imaginative and innovative way. It helps you redefine the problems and opportunities you face, come up with new, innovative responses and solutions, and then take action.”

Combining Convergent and Divergent Thinking

All variations of CPS include a combination of convergent and divergent thinking. The former embraces logic to analyze the best solution from an existing list of answers, whereas the latter involves solving a problem using methods that deviate from commonly used or existing strategies.

The two work in tandem. For example, if you want to build a vehicle that runs on clean energy, it might be tempting to dive into divergent thinking to come up with an imaginative solution. However, without using convergent thinking to first understand the problem, a great deal of time could be wasted trying solutions that have no chance of working. Powering a vehicle using cotton candy or mustard will do nothing beyond making a mess. Instead, using convergent thinking to first identify a promising area to explore (biodiesel, hydrogen, electricity, etc.) will prevent a lot of frustration and loss of time.

While this is of course an extreme example, it shows the importance of combining both convergent and divergent methods of thinking to solve complicated problems.

Providing Hands-On CPS Opportunities

National Inventors Hall of Fame ® education programs give students unique opportunities to practice CPS, challenging them to engage in hands-on exploration and invention to develop their own solutions to real-world problems.

By creating their own invention prototypes, students not only build confidence in STEM subjects but also work together to overcome obstacles that lack straightforward solutions. In this way, they are able to learn the value of including diverse perspectives while collaborating to develop more creative solutions.

Through this process, students learn to think critically, experiment with new ideas and persevere in the face of adversity, honing essential skills for innovation and entrepreneurship. In this way, our approach to invention education not only enriches students' educational experiences but also equips them with the tools and mindset to become creative problem solvers in their daily lives and in any career field they might pursue.

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Interested in learning more about the latest trends in STEM education? We invite you check out our free STEM Resources for Educators, including industry white papers, activities and inspiring stories from educators nationwide!

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The science behind creativity

Psychologists and neuroscientists are exploring where creativity comes from and how to increase your own

Vol. 53 No. 3 Print version: page 40

• Neuropsychology
• Creativity and Innovation

Paul Seli, PhD, is falling asleep. As he nods off, a sleep-tracking glove called Dormio, developed by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, detects his nascent sleep state and jars him awake. Pulled back from the brink, he jots down the artistic ideas that came to him during those semilucid moments.

Seli is an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and also an artist. He uses Dormio to tap into the world of hypnagogia, the transitional state that exists at the boundary between wakefulness and sleep. In a mini-experiment, he created a series of paintings inspired by ideas plucked from his hypnagogic state and another series from ideas that came to him during waking hours. Then he asked friends to rate how creative the paintings were, without telling them which were which. They judged the hypnagogic paintings as significantly more creative. “In dream states, we seem to be able to link things together that we normally wouldn’t connect,” Seli said. “It’s like there’s an artist in my brain that I get to know through hypnagogia.”

The experiment is one of many novel—and, yes, creative—ways that psychologists are studying the science of creativity. At an individual level, creativity can lead to personal fulfillment and positive academic and professional outcomes, and even be therapeutic. People take pleasure in creative thoughts, research suggests—even if they don’t think of themselves as especially creative. Beyond those individual benefits, creativity is an endeavor with implications for society, said Jonathan Schooler, PhD, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “Creativity is at the core of innovation. We rely on innovation for advancing humanity, as well as for pleasure and entertainment,” he said. “Creativity underlies so much of what humans value.”

In 1950, J. P. Guilford, PhD, then president of APA, laid out his vision for the psychological study of creativity ( American Psychologist , Vol. 5, No. 9, 1950). For half a century, researchers added to the scientific understanding of creativity incrementally, said John Kounios, PhD, an experimental psychologist who studies creativity and insight at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Much of that research focused on the personality traits linked to creativity and the cognitive aspects of the creative process.

But in the 21st century, the field has blossomed thanks to new advances in neuroimaging. “It’s become a tsunami of people studying creativity,” Kounios said. Psychologists and neuroscientists are uncovering new details about what it means to be creative and how to nurture that skill. “Creativity is of incredible real-world value,” Kounios said. “The ultimate goal is to figure out how to enhance it in a systematic way.”

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Creativity in the brain.

What, exactly, is creativity? The standard definition used by researchers characterizes creative ideas as those that are original and effective, as described by psychologist Mark A. Runco, PhD, director of creativity research and programming at Southern Oregon University ( Creativity Research Journal , Vol. 24, No. 1, 2012). But effectiveness, also called utility, is a slippery concept. Is a poem useful? What makes a sculpture effective? “Most researchers use some form of this definition, but most of us are also dissatisfied with it,” Kounios said.

Runco is working on an updated definition and has considered at least a dozen suggestions from colleagues for new components to consider. One frequently suggested feature is authenticity. “Creativity involves an honest expression,” he said.

Meanwhile, scientists are also struggling with the best way to measure the concept. As a marker of creativity, researchers often measure divergent thinking—the ability to generate a lot of possible solutions to a problem or question. The standard test of divergent thinking came from Guilford himself. Known as the alternate-uses test, the task asks participants to come up with novel uses for a common object such as a brick. But measures of divergent thinking haven’t been found to correlate well with real-world creativity. Does coming up with new uses for a brick imply a person will be good at abstract art or composing music or devising new methods for studying the brain? “It strikes me as using way too broad a brush,” Seli said. “I don’t think we measure creativity in the standard way that people think about creativity. As researchers, we need to be very clear about what we mean.”

One way to do that may be to move away from defining creativity based on a person’s creative output and focus instead on what’s going on in the brain, said Adam Green, PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist at Georgetown University and founder of the Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity . “The standard definition, that creativity is novel and useful, is a description of a product,” he noted. “By looking inward, we can see the process in action and start to identify the characteristics of creative thought. Neuroimaging is helping to shift the focus from creative product to creative process.”

That process seems to involve the coupling of disparate brain regions. Specifically, creativity often involves coordination between the cognitive control network, which is involved in executive functions such as planning and problem-solving, and the default mode network, which is most active during mind-wandering or daydreaming (Beaty, R. E., et al., Cerebral Cortex , Vol. 31, No. 10, 2021). The cooperation of those networks may be a unique feature of creativity, Green said. “These two systems are usually antagonistic. They rarely work together, but creativity seems to be one instance where they do.”

Green has also found evidence that an area called the frontopolar cortex, in the brain’s frontal lobes, is associated with creative thinking. And stimulating the area seems to boost creative abilities. He and his colleagues used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to stimulate the frontopolar cortex of participants as they tried to come up with novel analogies. Stimulating the area led participants to make analogies that were more semantically distant from one another—in other words, more creative ( Cerebral Cortex , Vol. 27, No. 4, 2017).

Green’s work suggests that targeting specific areas in the brain, either with neuromodulation or cognitive interventions, could enhance creativity. Yet no one is suggesting that a single brain region, or even a single neural network, is responsible for creative thought. “Creativity is not one system but many different mechanisms that, under ideal circumstances, work together in a seamless way,” Kounios said.

In search of the eureka moment

Creativity looks different from person to person. And even within one brain, there are different routes to a creative spark, Kounios explained. One involves what cognitive scientists call “System 1” (also called “Type 1”) processes: quick, unconscious thoughts—aha moments—that burst into consciousness. A second route involves “System 2” processes: thinking that is slow, deliberate, and conscious. “Creativity can use one or the other or a combination of the two,” he said. “You might use Type 1 thinking to generate ideas and Type 2 to critique and refine them.”

Which pathway a person uses might depend, in part, on their expertise. Kounios and his colleagues used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine what was happening in jazz musicians’ brains as they improvised on the piano. Then skilled jazz instructors rated those improvisations for creativity, and the researchers compared each musician’s most creative compositions. They found that for highly experienced musicians, the mechanisms used to generate creative ideas were largely automatic and unconscious, and they came from the left posterior part of the brain. Less-experienced pianists drew on more analytical, deliberative brain processes in the right frontal region to devise creative melodies, as Kounios and colleagues described in a special issue of NeuroImage on the neuroscience of creativity (Vol. 213, 2020). “It seems there are at least two pathways to get from where you are to a creative idea,” he said.

Coming up with an idea is only one part of the creative process. A painter needs to translate their vision to canvas. An inventor has to tinker with their concept to make a prototype that actually works. Still, the aha moment is an undeniably important component of the creative process. And science is beginning to illuminate those “lightbulb moments.”

Kounios examined the relationship between creative insight and the brain’s reward system by asking participants to solve anagrams in the lab. In people who were highly sensitive to rewards, a creative insight led to a burst of brain activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, the area of the brain that responds to basic pleasures like delicious food or addictive drugs ( NeuroImage , Vol. 214, 2020). That neural reward may explain, from an evolutionary standpoint, why humans seem driven to create, he said. “We seem wired to take pleasure in creative thoughts. There are neural rewards for thinking in a creative fashion, and that may be adaptive for our species.”

The rush you get from an aha moment might also signal that you’re onto something good, Schooler said. He and his colleagues studied these flashes of insight among creative writers and physicists. They surveyed the participants daily for two weeks, asking them to note their creative ideas and when they occurred. Participants reported that about a fifth of the most important ideas of the day happened when they were mind-wandering and not working on a task at hand ( Psychological Science , Vol. 30, No. 3, 2019). “These solutions were more likely to be associated with an aha moment and often overcoming an impasse of some sort,” Schooler said.

Six months later, the participants revisited those ideas and rated them for creative importance. This time, they rated their previous ideas as creative, but less important than they’d initially thought. That suggests that the spark of a eureka moment may not be a reliable clue that an idea has legs. “It seems like the aha experience may be a visceral marker of an important idea. But the aha experience can also inflate the meaningfulness of an idea that doesn’t have merit,” Schooler said. “We have to be careful of false ahas.”

Boosting your creativity

Much of the research in this realm has focused on creativity as a trait. Indeed, some people are naturally more creative than others. Creative individuals are more likely than others to possess the personality trait of openness. “Across different age groups, the best predictor of creativity is openness to new experiences,” said Anna Abraham, PhD, the E. Paul Torrance Professor and director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at the University of Georgia. “Creative people have the kind of curiosity that draws them toward learning new things and experiencing the world in new ways,” she said.

We can’t all be Thomas Edison or Maya Angelou. But creativity is also a state, and anyone can push themselves to be more creative. “Creativity is human capacity, and there’s always room for growth,” Runco said. A tolerant environment is often a necessary ingredient, he added. “Tolerant societies allow individuals to express themselves and explore new things. And as a parent or a teacher, you can model that creativity is valued and be open-minded when your child gives an answer you didn’t expect.”

One way to let your own creativity flow may be by tapping into your untethered mind. Seli is attempting to do so through his studies on hypnagogia. After pilot testing the idea on himself, he’s now working on a study that uses the sleep-tracking glove to explore creativity in a group of Duke undergrads. “In dream states, there seems to be connectivity between disparate ideas. You tend to link things together you normally wouldn’t, and this should lead to novel outcomes,” he said. “Neurally speaking, the idea is to increase connectivity between different areas of the brain.”

You don’t have to be asleep to forge those creative connections. Mind-wandering can also let the ideas flow. “Letting yourself daydream with a purpose, on a regular basis, might allow brain networks that don’t usually cooperate to literally form stronger connections,” Green said.

However, not all types of daydreams will get you there. Schooler found that people who engage in more personally meaningful daydreams (such as fantasizing about a future vacation or career change) report greater artistic achievement and more daily inspiration. People who are prone to fantastical daydreaming (such as inventing alternate realities or imaginary worlds) produced higher-quality creative writing in the lab and reported more daily creative behavior. But daydreams devoted to planning or problem-solving were not associated with creative behaviors ( Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts , Vol. 15, No. 4, 2021).

It’s not just what you think about when you daydream, but where you are when you do it. Some research suggests spending time in nature can enhance creativity. That may be because of the natural world’s ability to restore attention, or perhaps it’s due to the tendency to let your mind wander when you’re in the great outdoors (Williams, K. J. H., et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology , Vol. 59, 2018). “A lot of creative figures go on walks in big, expansive environments. In a large space, your perceptual attention expands and your scope of thought also expands,” Kounios said. “That’s why working in a cubicle is bad for creativity. But working near a window can help.”

Wherever you choose to do it, fostering creativity requires time and effort. “People want the booster shot for creativity. But creativity isn’t something that comes magically. It’s a skill, and as with any new skill, the more you practice, the better you get,” Abraham said. In a not-yet-published study, she found three factors predicted peak originality in teenagers: openness to experience, intelligence, and, importantly, time spent engaged in creative hobbies. That is, taking the time to work on creative pursuits makes a difference. And the same is true for adults, she said. “Carve out time for yourself, figure out the conditions that are conducive to your creativity, and recognize that you need to keep pushing yourself. You won’t get to where you want to go if you don’t try.”

Those efforts can benefit your own sense of creative fulfillment and perhaps lead to rewards on an even grander scale. “I think everyday creativity is the most important kind,” Runco said. “If we can support the creativity of each and every individual, we’ll change the world.”

How to become more creative

1. Put in the work: People often think of creativity as a bolt of inspiration, like a lightbulb clicking on. But being creative in a particular domain—whether in the arts, in your work, or in your day-to-day life—is a skill. Carve out time to learn and practice.

2. Let your mind wander: Experts recommend “daydreaming with purpose.” Make opportunities to let your daydreams flow, while gently nudging them toward the creative challenge at hand. Some research suggests meditation may help people develop the habit of purposeful daydreaming.

3. Practice remote associations: Brainstorm ideas, jotting down whatever thoughts or notions come to you, no matter how wild. You can always edit later.

4. Go outside: Spending time in nature and wide-open spaces can expand your attention, enhance beneficial mind-wandering, and boost creativity.

5. Revisit your creative ideas: Aha moments can give you a high—but that rush might make you overestimate the merit of a creative idea. Don’t be afraid to revisit ideas to critique and tweak them later.

Further reading

Creativity: An introduction Kaufman, J. C., and Sternberg, R. J. (Eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2021

The eureka factor: Aha moments, creative insight, and the brain Kounios, J., & Beeman, M., Random House, 2015

Creativity anxiety: Evidence for anxiety that is specific to creative thinking, from STEM to the arts Daker, R. J., et al., Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , 2020

Predictors of creativity in young people: Using frequentist and Bayesian approaches in estimating the importance of individual and contextual factors Asquith, S. L., et al., Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts , 2020

Recommended Reading

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Module 5: Thinking and Analysis

Solving problems creatively, learning outcomes.

• Describe the role of creative thinking skills in problem-solving

Problem-Solving with Creative Thinking

Creative problem-solving is a type of problem-solving. It involves searching for new and novel solutions to problems. Unlike critical thinking, which scrutinizes assumptions and uses reasoning, creative thinking is about generating alternative ideas—practices and solutions that are unique and effective. It’s about facing sometimes muddy and unclear problems and seeing how things can be done differently—how new solutions can be imagined. [1]

You have to remain open-minded, focus on your organizational skills, and learn to communicate your ideas well when you are using creative thinking to solve problems. If an employee at a café you own suggests serving breakfast in addition to the already-served lunch and dinner, keeping an open mind means thinking through the benefits of this new plan (e.g., potential new customers and increased profits) instead of merely focusing on the possible drawbacks (e.g., possible scheduling problems, added start-up costs, loss of lunch business). Implementing this plan would mean a new structure for buying, workers’ schedules and pay, and advertising, so you would have to organize all these component areas. And finally, you would need to communicate your ideas on how to make this new plan work not only to the staff who will work the new shift, but also to the public who frequent your café and the others you want to encourage to try your new hours.

We need creative solutions throughout the workplace—whether board room, emergency room, or classroom. It was no fluke that the 2001 revised Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy, originally developed in 1948, placed a new word at the apex— creating . That  creating is the highest level of thinking skills.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is an important learning theory used by psychologists, cognitive scientists, and educators to demonstrate levels of thinking. Many assessments and lessons you’ve seen during your schooling have likely been arranged with Bloom’s in mind. Researchers recently revised it to place creativity—invention—as the highest level

“Because we’ve always done it that way” is not a valid reason to not try a new approach. It may very well be that the old process is a very good way to do things, but it also may just be that the old, comfortable routine is not as effective and efficient as a new process could be.

The good news is that we can always improve upon our problem-solving and creative-thinking skills—even if we don’t consider ourselves to be artists or creative. The following information may surprise and encourage you!

• Creative thinking (a companion to critical thinking) is an invaluable skill for college students. It’s important because it helps you look at problems and situations from a fresh perspective. Creative thinking is a way to develop novel or unorthodox solutions that do not depend wholly on past or current solutions. It’s a way of employing strategies to clear your mind so that your thoughts and ideas can transcend what appear to be the limitations of a problem. Creative thinking is a way of moving beyond barriers. [2]
• As a creative thinker, you are curious, optimistic, and imaginative. You see problems as interesting opportunities, and you challenge assumptions and suspend judgment. You don’t give up easily. You work hard. [3]

Is this you? Even if you don’t yet see yourself as a competent creative thinker or problem-solver, you can learn solid skills and techniques to help you become one.

Creative Problem-Solving: Fiction and Facts

As you continue to develop your creative thinking skills, be alert to perceptions about creative thinking that could slow down progress. Remember that creative thinking and problem-solving are ways to transcend the limitations of a problem and see past barriers. It’s a way to think outside the box.

creative problem-solving: a practice that seeks new and novel solutions to problems, often by using imagination rather than linear reason

• "Critical and Creative Thinking, MA." University of Massachusetts Boston . 2016. Web. 16 Feb 2016. ↵
• Mumaw, Stefan. "Born This Way: Is Creativity Innate or Learned?" Peachpit. Pearson, 27 Dec 2012. Web. 16 Feb 2016. ↵
• Harris, Robert. "Introduction to Creative Thinking." Virtual Salt. 2 Apr 2012. Web. 16 Feb 2016. ↵
• Ibid. ↵
• College Success. Authored by : Linda Bruce. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• College Success. Authored by : Amy Baldwin. Provided by : OpenStax. Located at : https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/7-2-creative-thinking . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Text adaptation. Authored by : Claire. Provided by : Ivy Tech. Located at : http://ivytech.edu/ . License : CC BY: Attribution

Creative Problem Solving for the 21st Century: The Go-To Guide

Kevin Abdulrahman

Motivaitonal Keynote Speaker Public Speaking Coach to CEOS, World Leaders & Presidents

What Exactly Is Creativity?

Why does it matter? What is unique or necessary about creative problem solving today?

Creativity is often equated with artistic ability–music, painting, drawing, design, dance–and by the time we reach adulthood, many of us believe we are “not that creative.”

In reality, though, creativity is a process that can be used for absolutely any field or endeavor: business, education, finance, science, and even in your daily personal life.

In order to navigate the globalized Digital Information Age in all its speed and uncertainty, we need to adopt not only a new view of creativity, but also new problem solving approaches that are leading-edge and innovative rather than based on historical wisdom.

These approaches rely more heavily on tapping the resources of your nonconscious mind and developing your intuition–the latent faculties that we have not been taught how to use by our educational systems and by mainstream societies.

In this Go-To Guide on Creative Problem Solving for the 21st Century, you will learn how the historical conception of creativity has limited the ways in which we go about solving problems today, as well as new, broader definitions of creativity and intelligence that are more appropriate for 21st-century problem solving.

You will also learn the steps of the creative process, how to access your creative genius through your multiple intelligences, altered states and several creative problem-solving techniques for small and large scale problems.

How to Bust Out of the Industrial Model and Release Your Creative Genius

How to Engage the Creative Process: An Introduction

How to Utilize Your Multiple Intelligences

How to Access Altered States and Flow for Creative Breakthroughs

How to Use the Natural Brilliance Model for Paradoxical Problems

How to Use the Wind Tunnel and Other Techniques

How the Natural World Makes You Massively Creative

The Creative Process Revisited: How to Avoid Self-Sabotage

HOW TO BUST OUT OF THE INDUSTRIAL MODEL AND RELEASE YOUR CREATIVE GENIUS

What is creativity, and how did our historical social models influence our view of it? In this chapter you’ll learn how our typical understanding and practical application of creativity was developed within the Industrial Model, and why this is no longer effective for 21st-century creative problem solving.

The Industrial Model

Though we are firmly in the Information or Digital Age, much of our educational models–both in schools and in the broader ways our societies create citizens–remain in the Industrial Paradigm. The Industrial Model developed with the Industrial Revolution, and emphasized efficiency and conformity, not creativity. This model is how we ended up with the 9-5 workday schedule.

Aside from the way societies structured the workday, our school systems focused heavily on math, science and language which were then measured in aptitude tests. School curriculum today is still largely divided into specialist segments, especially in high schools, and also divided by age and standardized testing.

This structure is beneficial for those whose strength is conventional academic work, but not for many who will need to apply their intelligence and creativity in vastly diverse fields and occupations. In fact today, we see more and more the declining value of college degrees.

How we define intelligence largely came from the Enlightenment influences of logic and critical reasoning, which were viewed as superior to feeling and emotion. These values shaped mass education to meet the demands of the Industrial Revolution, which required quick selection and assessment. This is when IQ tests that could measure “real intelligence” emerged.

In 1916, Lewis Terman of Stanford University published the revised Stanford-Binet test, which is the basis for the modern IQ test, and was actually part of the eugenics movement to weed out entire sectors of the population.

Holistic Education

Luckily today, many alternative holistic educational models are slowly emerging around the globe, and many colleges and universities no longer put as much weight on aptitude or entrance exams because they only present a small sliver of human intelligence and creative potential.

And although these new educational models are emerging, the old Industrial mindset remains deep-seated in our collective psyche: the way to get things done is to be efficient, logical and analytical by looking at what history has taught us and then applying that wisdom to present-day situations. This approach is largely left-brain hemisphere oriented.

The primary problem with this approach is that our present day circumstances are vastly different than anything we’ve seen before.

In Future Shock published in the 1970s, Alvin Toffler discussed the massive social and technological changes that would take place in our world. Now that we are fully immersed in these changes, we recognize that no other period in human history matches the scale, speed or global complexity of the changes and challenges we have now.

We can’t know what the future will be like, and, therefore, looking to the past or our history is not the best approach if we want to create something new and revolutionary.

A New View of Intelligence and Creativity

In response to this limited Industrial view of intelligence, many theorists developed alternative and much more comprehensive views of intelligence and creativity. Howard Gardner, for instance, developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences, which we will cover in chapter three of this guide.

Robert Cooper, author of The Other 90% , found that intelligence doesn’t only happen in our brains; it’s in our hearts and guts. Many researchers are now finding that the neurological networks of our enteric nervous system in our intestinal tract and heart are far more sensitive and intelligent than our physical brains. Our hearts and guts sense feeling and emotion before our brains can register it.

Sadly though, many people do not think they are creative, believing that creativity is relegated to the arts and design. They think creativity and intelligence are two unrelated things. With these emerging perspectives such as Gardner’s and Cooper’s, however, the split between creativity and intelligence is slowly healing.

According to Sir Ken Robinson, TED speaker on education and creativity, and an international consultant on education in the arts, creativity is “the process of having original ideas that have value.” Creativity is applied imagination. It can be applied to music, dance, theater, math, science, business, relationships or any area of existence.

Creativity in Collaboration

In his book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything , Robinson explains that creativity also takes place within domains and fields. A domain is the kind of activity or discipline. Examples include acting, music, business, ballet, physics, poetry, teaching, comedy and many more. A field refers to others engaged with it, such as other actors or teachers or scientists.

Robinson also highlights the importance of creative teams, which need to be diverse. In Organizing Genius: The Secrets of Creative Collaboration , Warren Bennis and Pat Ward Biederman discuss Great Groups, or collections of people with similar interests who create something greater than any could create individually. There is an alchemy of synergy within these groups. Healthy peer pressure, plus a commitment to excellence drive the creative outcomes of the group. Each individual’s strengths complement the others’.

Robinson also emphasizes the importance of mentors in creativity, as they serve four crucial roles: Recognition, Encouragement, Facilitating and Stretching, or pushing you past your perceived limits.

In the current age, this creative collaboration is essential because creativity, and especially creative problem solving, requires courage. Change can be disconcerting.

Consider those throughout history whose passions were inconsistent with the culture of their time, and may have even required them to break away from their native cultures.

Take Zaha Hadid, for example. Hadid, the first woman ever to win the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, grew up in Baghdad in the 1950s. Baghdad then was more secular and open to Western thought, but still there were no female architect role models there. Hadid moved to London and then America, and was able to develop a revolutionary, risky conceptual style.

Creativity sometimes requires changing environments (whether physically or just in the people you surround yourself with) in order to overcome limitations and maintain your vision in the face of resistance. Each person on the planet possesses a distinct intelligence and creativity, and it is more valuable than ever at this time in history.

HOW TO ENGAGE THE CREATIVE PROCESS: AN INTRODUCTION

Now that you have a clearer view of where models of intelligence and creativity came from, you can choose to adopt a new perspective on your own abilities and potential. In this chapter you’ll learn about the creative process and why the shift out of the left-brain dominant Industrial Model is crucial to creative problem solving in the twenty-first century.

The Creative Process Defined

What is the creative process? This amorphous, dynamic, somewhat unpredictable process has been defined, structured and broken down into various steps by many individuals in an attempt to explain it.

Psychologist and educational philosopher John Dewey likened it to using a wine press in his book Art as Experience . It requires a certain amount of input, resistance, frustration, tension and then a releasing of a flow. It also requires a certain amount of courage to bring it forth.

Novelist Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love f ame defines creative living as a life driven more strongly by curiosity than fear. In her book Big Magic, Gilbert also reminds us to “keep in mind that for most of history people just made things, and they didn’t make such a big freaking deal of it.”

Gilbert’s point is quite valid; creativity and its process is inherent to not only humans, but to the universe itself as it continually brings new life in and out of being.

Ancient Greeks referred to the highest degree of human happiness as eudaimonia , which essentially means “well-daemoned”, or taken care of by an external divine creative force. You may have a sense of this when you’ve found yourself in a flow state, where you can sense it’s not all about you or your doing.

Poetic sentiments aside, however, being creative, creating a new idea, business, or outcome requires focus and courage because true genius often breaks barriers and causes paradigm shifts. In other words, it makes some people really uncomfortable .

So though creating is our human birth right, our ego fear can stop us from bringing it to life.

Yet still, there are steps, intentions and preparations that can be made in order to build a fertile foundation from which creative ideas can emerge. Depending on who you ask, the steps vary, but there are some similarities.

Steps of the Creative Process

Step 1: preparation.

This is an opportunity to define the problem you are trying to solve–whether artistic or more “pragmatic” such as business, science, technology, or any other field, and then doing some research. This step may involve gathering information so that your mind can then begin to get to work on the problem. The research you gather may lead to you redefining the problem more clearly.

Step 2: Incubation

This is the time to let it marinate in your mind. You need to step away from the problem and allow your inner mind to make connections. Your mind will bring together the ideas from your preparation and other information from your life experiences.

Step 3: Illumination

That ah-ha! This is a moment of inspiration, or what some would call revelation when your conscious mind receives the new idea or solution to what you put into your nonconscious mind computer.

Step 4: Evaluation

Here, the answer(s) need to be evaluated before implementing them in the real world. This means consider what other problems the solutions could create. You don’t want to stop at the first answer your mind gives you.

When generating creative solutions, don’t accept the first, second or even third solution generated. Dr. Paul Scheele, a pioneer in Accelerative Learning and Creativity, and co-founder of Learning Strategies Corporation, suggests that you keep going until you come up with at least 11 novel possibilities.

The first three solutions or ideas will make the most sense, but that is because they are coming from “the view of the problem that also makes the most sense.” Scheele emphasizes that “our ideas come from the mental model or problem-solving approach that led us to the unintended consequence we are now trying to resolve.”

Step 5: Implementation

Once you reach your desired solution, it needs to be put into practice to see how it works. It helps to have a view of creativity as being evolutionary rather than an end. Once something is implemented, it will inevitably lead to problems, which means you will always be in the pursuit of improving and pivoting from what you have implemented.

The creative process is largely unpredictable, and you can’t entirely plan for a spontaneous experience. In the following chapters you will learn how to tap into your multiple intelligences and access greater resources through altered states so you can do just that.

HOW TO USE YOUR MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

Intelligence is dynamic, and sometimes new ideas come in fully formed without much work. Usually, though, it is a process that begins with an inkling or an inspiration, but involves evaluation as we noted in the last chapter. It also involves a medium or mixed media of some sort.

Sir Ken Robinson notes that creative thinking involves much more than the frontal lobes and left brain hemisphere. Sometimes our body is the medium through music or dance. In this chapter you’ll learn about the Theory of Multiple Intelligences and how to apply this to your own creative problem solving process.

Multiple Intelligences

Based on over thirty years of research and practice, Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences became widely popular after his book Frames of Mind : The Theory of Multiple Intelligences was first published in 1983. Gardner, the Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education, developed the theory in response to the typical view of intelligence as being equated to logical/analytical and linguistic thinking, or that people only have an intellectual capacity.

Gardner explains that you can have multiple capacities, and how we use these capacities is unique to each individual. In light of creative problem solving, this theory also helps elucidate how you naturally receive and process information. It is helpful to be aware of these different “intelligences” so you can tune into spontaneous perceptions you receive. These intelligences tap into emotions and other subtle senses.

While the original theory included eight intelligences, over the years, Gardner has proposed some additional intelligences such as existential intelligence. Here we have listed these nine intelligences.

As you’ll see, the first two intelligences listed are the typical aspects of “intelligence” that were valued in the Industrial Model. Note that these are not either/or intelligences. We all possess every single one, but we typically have some that we are more adept at or naturally engage on a regular basis, no matter what we are doing.

Here are brief summaries of the Intelligences:

People strong in this intelligence are great with words and language. This means you can be great at remembering written and spoken words, you may be a good speller, and you enjoy reading or writing, explaining things or giving speeches.

Logical-Mathematical

These individuals are great with numbers, mathematics, recognizing patterns, abstract and scientific ideas, and like to solve problems.

This intelligence can incorporate a passion, skill and/or understanding of rhythm and musical tones. It means you can think in patterns, rhythms and sounds. It does not mean that you have to be a musician or singer, but perhaps that you greatly appreciate music because you have an embodied understanding of the components that make up music.

Bodily-Kinesthetic

People with this intelligence are adept at moving their bodies, using their hands, have good physical coordination and typically learn and remember things through doing or action. You do not have to be a dancer or athlete. If you cook, are an actor, create art or build an engine with your hands, you are using bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.

Interpersonal

This intelligence is the mark of those who are good with people. If you are a good listener, you are able to empathize with others, and can assess the needs and drives of people around you, you are using interpersonal intelligence.

Intrapersonal

Much like interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal describes the ability to be attuned to emotions, drives and motives, but this time within oneself. Strong intrapersonal intelligence involves the ability to observe and reflect on one’s thoughts and emotions. Simply, this intelligence involves the ability to be very self-aware.

Visual-Spatial

This intelligence is used by anyone who uses maps, pictures, videos, charts or blueprints. Architects and taxi drivers both use visual-spatial intelligence in different ways.

Anyone who has an affinity for the outdoors or understanding the natural world possesses this intelligence. If you are good at categorizing and organizing things based on types, interested in biology or other natural sciences or enjoy camping, you are exercising your naturalist intelligence.

Existential

This intelligence is not one of the original eight, but Gardner suggested it could include the ability to think about big questions such as spirituality, one’s place in the universe or the meaning of life.

Using Your Intelligences for Creative Breakthroughs

Again, these intelligences do not put you into a box as having a “type.” You use many of these intelligences in many different kinds of tasks. If you know you are a visual learner, however, you know that you likely tend to exercise your visual-spatial intelligence.

These intelligences also relate to the creative process and the ways in which your nonconscious mind may feed you new insights or flashes of inspiration.

For instance, music may trigger your creativity if you tend toward musical intelligence, or you may receive inspiration as images in your mind’s eye if you are more visual-spatial. Your bodily-kinesthetic intelligence could deliver to you a bodily-sense of knowing or gut feeling about an idea. Pay attention to what your intelligences are, how you tend to use them in different ways and how your nonconscious mind could subtly deliver you new information.

As you’ve learned about the creative process in the last chapter of this guide, creativity is dynamic and sometimes elusive. It involves a certain degree of spontaneity and illumination on its own terms. You can’t plan for a spontaneous experience, but you can want or intend it, expect it, get out of the way and let it happen.

In the following chapter, you’ll learn about the neuroscience of altered states which allow you to access greater perspective and resources. In other words, you’ll learn how to attune yourself to receive creative problem solving inspiration from a higher order of thinking.

ALTERED STATES AND FLOW

In the previous chapter you explored some views of creativity as it unfolds in work, human behavior and the natural world. In this chapter we’ll delve into the neuroscience of creative breakthroughs, and a skill you will need to navigate the speed of the 21st century and beyond: how to move in and out of altered states.

An Overview of Non-Ordinary States

In 2013, the RedBull Hacking Creativity Projec t–the largest meta-analysis of creativity research ever conducted–reviewed more than 30,000 research papers, hundreds of subject matter experts, breakdancers, poets, rock stars and more, only to find that creativity is essential to problem solving, and that in general, we have little training for it.

Creative problem solving requires the ability to find solutions by holding conflicting perspectives and using friction to synthesize a new idea. As Dr. Paul Scheele notes, it requires giving up a singular point of view, and either/or logic. And as it turns out, the best way to access this new, expanded point of view is through non-ordinary states of consciousness. 

Non-ordinary states of consciousness encompass a wide variety of experiences that typically fall into two categories: the peak or mystical variety, and those that are slightly more “ordinary” and can be cultivated through practice. The line between the two, however, is not well defined.

For instance, non-ordinary peak experiences such as Near Death Experiences (NDEs), Out of Body Experiences, mystical or religious revelations, illuminations, or experiences on psychedelics are not everyday occurrences, and many of us will not experience an NDE or Out of Body experience. Then there are the slightly more ordinary , non-ordinary states, which are usually known as flow states, meditative states, or those accessed through mindbody practices such as yoga, or the awe of being in nature.

The second category we can move in and out of with ease and some training. Cultivating the skill of being able to move in and out of these states at will is a necessary skill for accessing creative breakthroughs. This skill can be cultivated by recognizing when you’re in your regular waking beta brainwave state versus alpha, theta or another.

A Primer on Brainwave States

According to Jamie Wheal and Steven Kotler of the Flow Genome Project, “we’ve been trying to train for a skill set, but what we really need is to train for the skill of accessing altered states.” 

In order to access greater creativity, it helps to understand the brainwave states associated with different levels of resources within you. When you can become attuned to what these states feel like, and how to enter them at will, you can harness massive amounts of information that are normally unavailable to you in your regular waking state.

The ways of the Western world are often based on more productivity, more output, more hustle–the legacy of the Industrial Model. Yet these ways of being severely limit human potential and expression.

In a moment, you’ll see a chart that is based on the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza in his book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself . The left side of the chart displays the brainwave frequency, the developmental stage in life where this is the dominant state, and brief notes about what this state means. The right side of the chart demonstrates the resources available within these states when we access them as adults.

Developmental Stages of Mind

As we develop from infancy into adulthood, we move through stages in which we experience a dominant brainwave state . For instance, infants (age zero to two) spend most of their time in a delta state, which is why they’re asleep much of the time. Human adults mostly experience delta waves only during sleep. In this state there is little mental editing, critical thinking, or judgment taking place.

As children grow, they enter into a theta state where they are essentially in a trance. This is how small children learn so quickly, and are also so imaginative. For adults, this is a place of intuition and even where deep healing takes place. If you have ever been under hypnosis, this is likely where you were. Your nonconscious mind is highly impressionable in this state.

Alpha states are well known thanks to the mindfulness movement. In school age children, the analytical mind begins to develop, yet they retain an awareness of both their inner and outer worlds. For adults, we may recognize alpha as a place of relaxed alertness in meditation or while gazing at a relaxing natural scene.

Beta states begin to become dominant in children from age eight to twelve and into adulthood. This is our regular waking state as adults where we engage in logical thinking, problem solving and being mostly focused on the environment in front of us. Beta is necessary for successful functioning as an adult.

When we move into the mid to higher ranges of beta frequencies, however, we are likely very stressed, anxious or have experienced some kind of traumatic event. In these ranges, it means your mindbody system is chaotic, where you begin releasing survival chemicals, and may be over-concentrating on a subject–which means you can’t open yourself to other possibilities. Essentially your stressed system has produced tunnel vision in you.

Then there are gamma states or the highest frequency waves we can measure so far, which have been demonstrated in Buddhist monks during meditation. This is the state of peak experiences.

Altered States and Creativity Boosts

As you saw in the chart above, research on Tibetan Buddhist monks in the 1990s revealed a preponderance of gamma brainwaves. We now know that these brainwave patterns arise during “binding” when novel ideas come together for the first time and create new neural pathways.

In order to have this kind of experience, your prefrontal cortex, or the seat of your executive functioning, needs to come offline. In Stealing Fire, Wheal and Kotler highlight that researchers at the University of Sydney used transcranial magnetic stimulation to do this, and created 20 to 40-minute flow states.

Psychedelic testing has also revealed as much as a 200 percent creativity boost in some individuals. The authors of the study note the real world solutions that emerged during an experiment included “design of a linear electron accelerator beam-steering device, a mathematical theorem regarding NOR-gate circuits, a new design for a vibratory microtome, a space probe designed to measure solar properties, and a new conceptual model of a photon.”

Whether it be mindfulness training, psychedelics or technological stimulation, researchers have seen a 200 percent boost in creativity, 490 percent boost in learning, and a 500 percent boost in productivity. ( Stealing Fire p . 50)

So in case you were wondering, do short-term peak experiences help us to solve real-world problems? YES.

If you are to harness altered states to increase your creativity and productivity, how else do you recognize them when they occur? The Flow Genome Project’s phenomenological description of these states as S.T.E.R.–Selflessness, Timelessness, Effortlessness and Richness–may be helpful.

Selflessness

This experience means you feel at first less , as if something is missing in you. You experience your nagging inner voice, but then the neurotic prefrontal cortex goes offline. Transient hypofrontality kicks in and your inner critic goes quiet.

Developmental psychologist Robert Kegan describes this as a subject-object shift. In his book In Over Our Head s : The Mental Demands of Modern Life , Kegan explains this shift:

“You start. . . constructing a world that is much more friendly to contradiction, to oppositeness, to being able to hold onto multiple systems of thinking. . . This means that the self is more about movement through different forms of consciousness than about defining and identifying with any one form.” In other words, you step outside of yourself and it gives you perspective.

Timelessness

Transient hypofrontality also shuts off your ability to calculate time. Here, you can’t separate past from future, and the only thing that matters is now. This is presence or mindful awareness. Your amygdala, the seat of your fight or flight response calms down here too.

In a study in Psychological Science , Jennifer Aaker and Melanie Rudd found “an experience of timelessness is so powerful it shapes behavior. In a series of experiments, subjects who tasted even a brief moment of timelessness ‘felt they had more time available, were less impatient, more willing to volunteer to help others, more strongly preferred experiences over mental products, and experienced a greater boost in life satisfaction.’”

Can you imagine then, what a brief taste of timelessness can do for your ability to solve complex problems? When you can drop that urgency for a moment to feel into the feeling of an abundance of time and resources ? The past and future fade away. You no longer try to predict what the near future will look like based on historical evidence. See chapter five of this guide where Dr. Paul Scheele’s Natural Brilliance model will delve into a process for generating creative solutions.

Effortlessness

Effortlessness can propel you past the limits of your normal motivation. When you experience flow while undertaking a task or situation, afterward you know that you did it, it felt amazing, and you want to do it again. The six powerful neurotransmitters involved in flow states can be to blame: norepinephrine, dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, anandamide, and oxytocin–all pleasurable chemicals.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi’s research into flow found that his subjects frequently called the state ‘addictive,’ and admitted to going to exceptional lengths to engage in flow states more often. Czikzenmihalyi explains in his book Flow that the experience “lifts the course of life to another level. . . alienation gives way to involvement, enjoyment replaces boredom, helplessness turns into a feeling of control. . .” The intrinsic reward of feeling flow means you no longer need reminders, to-do lists or an accountability buddy or coach to make sure you do what we need to do.

Your experience becomes vivid, detailed and revealing. Jason Silva is a futurist and host of National Geographic documentaries Brain Games and Origins . In his first YouTube video “You Are a Receiver, ” Silva explains, “It’s creative inspiration or divine madness or that kind of connection to something larger than ourselves that makes us feel like we understand the intelligence that runs throughout the universe.”

The Greeks called this richness anamnesis, or the forgetting of the forgetting. This sense of remembering is that of ecstatic experiences. When your agitated beta waves move into alpha daydreaming or relaxed alertness via the shutting down of your prefrontal cortex, and your anandamide boosts your ‘lateral thinking’, you now have the ability to make connections between seemingly disparate ideas.

Then quasi-hypnotic theta waves enhance relaxation and intuition. Your conscious processing–or what you can pick up through your daily awake beta brainwave state–can only take in about 120 bits of information at once. Listening to another person speak can take almost 60 bits.

That means if two people are talking, you’ve maxed out your attention and cannot take it all in. If you can remember that unconscious processing can handle billions of bits at once, that’s a game changer. The information we need is always there. We just can’t tap into it in our normal state.

So as you’ve seen from the detailed explanation of brainwave frequencies, flow and altered states we presented in this chapter, understanding these different states intellectually, and actually having an embodied experience of them so that you can create set points, helps you reach into the realms of creative problem solving breakthroughs by using your mind to access expanded perspectives and connect seemingly disparate ideas to create innovative solutions.

According to Dr. Win Wenger, a pioneer in Accelerative Learning, Creativity, Brain and Mind Development, your nonconscious mind processes bits of information at 10 million to one of what your conscious mind processes. This equates to you consciously perceiving about 40 bits per second.

An easy way to recognize how much you are letting in is by paying attention to your eyes. If you are hard focusing your eyes, you are in your conscious mind. If you have a softer gaze, you are allowing in information from the periphery, and you are accessing your nonconscious mind.

In this guide, we are not just looking for creative solutions; we are looking for creative solutions for the 21st century going forward . This means that we need to be cautious of the influence of the Industrial Model on our habits of looking for solutions through left-brain analysis alone. Using altered states on a regular basis is a way to move beyond the left brain.

As you will see in the next chapter on the Natural Brilliance model, Dr. Paul Scheele notes that our problems are defined within our mental and social models. So, in order to effectively create solutions, we need to shift our paradigm in the way we approach the problem.

Paradigm shifts mean that we shift our consciousness to what developmental psychologists would call a higher order of thinking, or the expansive perspective of altered states. In the following chapter, you’ll dive into Scheele’s step-by-step Natural Brilliance model.

HOW TO USE THE NATURAL BRILLIANCE MODEL FOR PARADOXICAL PROBLEMS

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few. We must have a beginner’s mind, free from possessing anything, a mind that knows everything is in flowing change. Nothing exists but momentarily in its present form…” – Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Master

As we’ve discussed in previous chapters of this guide, our modern globalized world is complex, ever-changing, and will require greater creative problem solving capabilities than perhaps any other time in our human history.

Now that you have an understanding of the neuroscience behind brainwave states, as well as the importance of utilizing altered states in creative problem solving, we’ll now introduce you to a specific, highly effective problem solving technique for addressing paradoxical problems: The Natural Brilliance model.

Flipping the Old Problem-Solving Paradigm

The Natural Brilliance model is a creative problem solving process originally created for Honeywell by Paul Scheele, PhD, a pioneer in Accelerative Learning and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Scheele notes that people typically spend 20 percent of the time and effort of defining a problem and finding a solution, and then 80 percent on the implementation of it, which often leads to more problems. Scheele suggests that we need to spend 80 percent of the time and effort on finding solutions—meaning don’t just find one or two solutions. It means finding more– up to 7, 9, 11 different solutions.

The reason for coming up with a higher number of solutions is that the ones that come first are usually the easy answers that are emerging from the level of thinking that created the problem.

This means that when we come up with solutions, we need to challenge them right away. Consider, what could go wrong? What will result from solving this aspect of a problem? When 80 percent of the effort is spent on the solution finding, only 20 percent need be spent on implementation, which will typically go far more smoothly than the 20/80 percent approach.

Creative Leadership

“Our current problems are the unintended consequences of our prevailing problem-solving approach.” – Dr. Paul Scheele

In an interview on Creativity in Business, Scheele noted that the ability to embrace paradox and be comfortable with ambiguity is crucial to creativity within organizations. The paradox refers to the fact that whatever solution you implement can create more problems, so there is no lasting solution.

We need to think of creativity as evolutionary. It involves solving, creating, implementing the solution, receiving feedback from the implementation and then further refining the approach to the problem. You will see this approach in action in the steps of the Natural Brilliance model below.

Scheele also shares that our mental models are based on social systems, which means we are wearing blinders to what those models are, so we end up creating more of the same without realizing how or why. Creative leadership, then, must include the capacity to make these models visible so that they can be changed.

About the Natural Brilliance Model

According to Scheele in his book Natural Brilliance , the Natural Brilliance model uses Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) to deconstruct rigid definitions of a static “problem” and instead move to a fluid exploration of internal representations and options.

This deconstruction makes the mental models visible so that they can be changed, and, therefore, allows for a cohesive whole that incorporates all desired benefits to remain. It removes the either/or dichotomy that our minds typically resort to–which is the paradox. It requires a shift to a higher order of consciousness. Or, like, Albert Einstein has been quoted as saying, “we cannot solve our problems on the same level of thinking that created them.”

This model can be used for complex (or paradoxical) problems that a group is working on together in business, or it can be used to address personal problems within one’s own life. No matter the problem being addressed, it helps individuals to work through stuck states: those situations where it seems you have an inability to learn or make progress in an area.

It addresses the physical, mental and emotional push and pull, or what Scheele calls Oscillation between options, or knowing what would be best to do and then failing to take action in order to change the situation. This oscillation results in stagnation, where people think change is too difficult.

For most people, you are afraid to change because you risk losing the present positives that you want to keep. On the other hand, the future also has some negatives that will inevitably arise from the change you are implementing.

Stuck States and using NLP to reframe

This series of questions can be used for any stuck state, which is whatever you seem unable to accomplish in life, and can help you to get clarity on what you do want versus what you do not want. When you find yourself in oscillation and unable to take action, ask yourself:

• What is the difference between the present state and desired outcome? In what area of life (or business or whatever the context in which you are seeking new solutions) is there oscillation? In personal life, this could be in your work, creating, self-expression, learning or intellectual abilities, physical body or wellness, social, interpersonal or community problems, or family/relationships.
• What personal identity do you maintain in relationship to this issue? How do you view yourself? What do you affirm about this issue? And what do you believe to be true for you?
• What is the predominant emotion?
• What is your unresolvable paradox? In other words, what opposing outcomes do you want at the same time?
• What are the benefits and detriments inside your stuck state?
• What fears are associated with your stuck state?

The answers to these questions will help you to understand your current frame of reference surrounding your problem so you can shift it.

Step 1: Release

The first step, Release, drains stress out of the physical systems. Relax your body and mind into an alpha state.

Releasing can be as easy as changing your posture, eye focus, breathing, and thoughts to produce a calming effect.

You are familiar with this concept if you’ve read chapter four of this guide. Tension and resistance characterize a person trying to change the present situation. Often, the person strains to avoid making the situation worse. You’re trying to force an outcome. Scheele notes that, paradoxically, almost everything people instinctively do to remedy a bad situation makes it worse. The best solution may also be counterintuitive.

Tension and stress causes us to narrowly focus our attention. Think back to our brainwave chart in chapter four. In this narrowed attention, you’re too focused on the details and miss the big picture. Scheele states that “breakthrough happens when we make the connection that our attempts to keep everything in control are antithetical to relaxing enough to be in control.”

By relaxing, you allow your sensory system to take in subtle changes within and around you. This is how you can be more open to intuitive nudges and resources from your nonconscious mind. This leads us to the next step, Notice.

Step 2: Notice

The Notice step could also be thought of as mindfulness or presence. It involves entering into increased awareness both of external sensory input and internal sensations such as intuition and impressions upon your inner mind.   You get rid of your tunnel vision of a problem.

Scheele notes that when you attend to the input in your sensory systems, you will naturally generate creative options and promising responses. The reason for this is because your inner mind makes connections and associations much faster than your conscious mind. You’re giving your mind direction and then it can get to work on deep levels.

This awareness includes using your five physical senses to pay attention to the external environment, as well as your corresponding internal senses. Internal perceptions include inner pictures, imaginings, memories, emotional feelings, remembered tactile sensations, internal dialogue, voices and other sounds, even remembered smells and tastes. Remember your multiple intelligences here.

Relaxed alertness and a broader perception of   information helps you to now choose new responses from a rich set of options. You stop the oscillation.

Step 3: Respond

This step means to take action which will then provide feedback. Until you take some kind of action and receive feedback, you cannot know what steps to take next, if your approach is on the right track, or if you need to rethink your actions or plan all together.

Any response either increases the oscillation and the inability to move, or it dampens the oscillation and increases movement toward a satisfying outcome. For instance, falling down simply provides feedback on how to walk better next time.

Once your brain recognizes that your actions (or not doing any actions) makes your situation better or worse, you have the beginnings of change and the first step in gaining control of the outcomes you want to produce.

When you feel you can cause your life to get better, you build your self-confidence and self-esteem. Measure your progress after taking action, and be kind to yourself. There is no failure; only feedback and progress.

Step 4: Witness

This step allows you to create the successful outcome you are after. Just as in Step 3 you learned to remain neutral and relaxed, it is still important to maintain a nonjudgmental stance, or what Scheele calls emotional safety and blessing. Witnessing means you are simply observing. Feedback is learning; failure or success is not the point. Scheele suggests giving your new behaviors at least 50 trials.

Again, the Natural Brilliance process is:

This process may seem very simple–because it is! The key is to remember to utilize it in tense situations, especially when there is an urgency to find a creative solution. Slowing down in times of stress seems counterintuitive, but it is exactly what you need in order to find the best solutions.

THE WIND TUNNEL AND OTHER CREATIVE TECHNIQUES

In the last chapter you learned Paul Scheele’s Natural Brilliance model for creating solutions for paradoxical problems. One of the keys to Scheele’s model is being open to many options, and not stopping at the first few ideas that you receive because those are likely too close to the level of thinking that created the problem. You need to go deeper and access more resources–just as you learned in the previous chapters on multiple intelligences and altered states.

In this chapter you’ll learn some specific techniques to increase your creative idea generation, as well as tips to exercise your mind for creative thinking on a regular basis, even if you are not currently working on a problem.

Image Streaming

The Wind Tunnel Technique was created by Win Wenger, PhD, pioneer in Accelerative Learning, Creativity, Brain and Mind Development and Political Economy, and one of the authors of The Einstein Factor.

One of Wenger’s key contributions to the field of creativity is his research on Image Streaming to reach the resources beyond your conscious mind.

According to Wenger, 80 to 90 percent of information your brain processes happens through sensory image association, while only two percent happens through word association. So this means talking about a problem in a logical, left brain manner is limited. You need to access the right brain, which communicates in images, metaphors and feelings. Image Streaming should be used to describe in sensory-textured detail as possible.

If you recall the brainwave chart earlier in this guide, when you are receiving spontaneous images in your mind, you are automatically working at a theta brainwave level, which is accessing far greater resources than your conscious mind can capture.

Within this foundational framework of Image Streaming, Wenger developed a “torrential approach” with an outpouring of perceptions from the mind: the Wind Tunnel.

The Wind Tunnel

In this brainstorming exercise, you work with a partner to capture whatever creative ideas flow from your nonconscious mind, without allowing for the judgments or analysis of your conscious mind to slow you down.

• You start with a minimum of 11 minutes, but the longer the time, the better.
• Perhaps after preparing by reading some texts on a subject, or reviewing other information about a topic or field, you would then proceed to talk without stopping. As Paul Scheele mentioned about his Natural Brilliance approach, the main problem in solving problems is getting past the conscious expectation of what the answer ought to be.
• In order to get past what you already know and access new perceptions, your partner who is recording your ideas should be focused on encouraging you to speak faster.
• The recording partner should only write down three to four of the most important or interesting ideas that you as the speaker mention and ignore the rest.
• The idea of this process is to speak first and think later, and be willing to be wrong or silly. Wenger notes that if your idea would elicit a burst of laughter from another person, it is probably a good idea in disguise.
• The recording partner will then take four minutes to share his or her notes on the most interesting things the speaker said.
• If relevant, you could then switch with your partner and allow the recorder to become the speaker about a topic he or she has just studied or reviewed.

The process may seem similar to doing free writing or any process where you let words flow without stopping to analyze them, but the addition of a partner could lead to recognizing significant ideas from you that you would not highlight as significant or useful.

The Crab Apple Process

Another creative brainstorming approach from Wenger is the Crab Apple Process.

• In this simple process, you allow your attention to be drawn to something in your surroundings. It could be as simple as a crab apple.
• Begin to describe aspects of the object of your attention, and then begin to relate aspects of the object to the topic of discussion. Remember, the more sensory, textured detail you can include, the better.
• Like the Wind Tunnel technique, the longer amount of time you go for in doing this, the better the ideas will flow.

Accessing Creativity Through Another Pathway

Prolific author Jean Houston, one of the principal founders of the Human Potential Movement, as well as founder of The Mind Research Institute often discusses her practice of accessing creativity through other paths. For instance, if Houston is working on writing and having trouble finding her flow of ideas, she will go cook and allow the ideas to come as they are ready.

You could try anything: cooking, painting, playing music, but the key is not to just use any activity. Houston notes that cooking is her other pathway because she is skilled and confident in it. So choose an activity where you are competent and confident in your abilities, and it does not demand much of you. In other words, it doesn’t feel like hard work that causes you to feel tension. This process will not only free up your nonconscious mind to offer up solutions to your creative problem, but may also allow you to access a burst of energy to create.

Draw Your Solutions

Like Wenger noted, your brain uses sensory-image association to process the incoming stream of information in your world. Like his Image Streaming techniques, using your right brain to bypass the left brain logical mind can help you generate novel solutions. This can include activities such as drawing (you don’t have to be a good artist). The point is not to really think about what you are drawing.

Just put your hand to paper and see what comes out. Think about how art therapy works, especially for children. By drawing or painting, they are able to express unconscious emotions. Similarly, you drawing can allow you to unleash some of the genius lurking in your nonconscious mind.

As Tim Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Work Week , often mentions, daily routines can set you up for success, but you also need to learn how to break them.

Consider these questions:

• Do you open yourself to novelty in your life?
• Do you take different routes home from work?
• Do you make yourself available to new people, places and ideas?
• Do you go against your habits to explore that which is different from your reality?

Simply becoming more deliberately curious and open minded about the world can help you to take in more varied, diverse sensory information, which later allow you to make novel connections between seemingly unrelated ideas–often the mark of genius.

HOW THE NATURAL WORLD MAKES YOU MASSIVELY CREATIVE

It’s well known that many famous artists, inventors and thinkers throughout history spent time in nature–especially walking–to enhance their work. Nikola Tesla, John Muir, Albert Einstein, Ludwig Van Beethoven and many more often credit their time in nature for creative breakthroughs.

In our modern world, we have plenty of emerging data to explain why nature helps us be more creative, and especially why this is so important in the Digital Age.

How Our Brains Evolved in Nature

Our brains evolved outside where we could be filled with interesting things, but not an overwhelming amount of interesting things. Our ancestors could notice passing distractions, but also had the ability to focus and remain disciplined so they could master skills, build tools, have families, and hunt. Evolution favored early humans who could stay on task and switch tasks when needed. Our prefrontal cortex evolved to allow us to do this.

Our ancestors were curious and also wanted to explore. The ones who could survive in dynamic, unfamiliar environments could respond more quickly. Just as in today’s complex, ever-changing world, those of us who can be creative enough to switch tasks and devise novel solutions will be far more likely to thrive.

In the modern world we consume 74 gigabytes of data every day, according to McGill University neuroscientist Daniel Levitin. Teens today spend vastly more waking hours on screens than outdoors, which means that the Digital Age is profoundly narrowing our horizons and our creativity.

How Nature Expands Our Creative Minds

Nature gets us into flow states, especially after a few days of being outdoors. David Strayer of the University of Utah’s Applied Cognition Lab notes that nature helps us think, solve problems and work together, primarily by lowering stress and anxiety.

Stephen and Rachel Kaplan at the University of Michigan developed Attention Restoration Theory (ART) which explains how nature scenes evoke “soft fascination” and help us rest our top-down, direct-attention faculties, helping us relax so we can think better. You rest the executive branch of your brain after a couple of days in the wilderness.

After three days of being in nature, you’re more relaxed and begin noticing details. Once the novelty effect of the first few days wears off, your attention is no longer grabbed so you move into intuition. This is where the creative inspiration starts bubbling up. From a neuroscientific perspective, this means nature effortlessly puts you in the calm-alert zone of the alpha state.

The overall take away from these experts is that when the brain rests from daily tasks, it can make room for other things.

Luckily, we also have tools such as The Nature Pyramid developed by Tim Beatley who runs the Biophilic Cities Project at the University of Virginia. Beatley has broken down more exact amounts of time spent in nature and how it affects our wellbeing and creativity.

The Nature Pyramid

The first step in expanding your creativity and wellbeing, is in scheduling daily interactions with nearby nature to help you de-stress, find focus and recover from mental fatigue. Remember our brainwave chart? Too much time in a high beta brainwave state is not good for your mind or body, and severely limits your perception of the world.

Birds, trees in your neighborhood, pets, house plants, public and private architecture, daylight, fresh air, the ability to see blue sky and naturalistic landscaping are fall under the daily nature schedule.

The second step is weekly outings to parks, waterways, and specifically places where the sounds of a city diminish. The minimum optimal time spent here is one hour per week. Think big city parks, regional or national parks that you can easily access.

The third step is monthly excursions to forests, “restful, escapist natural areas” one weekend per month. This level of nature immersion benefits our immune systems too.

The fourth level of the pyramid encompasses the “rare, but essential” doses of wilderness yearly or biyearly. These kinds of trips are intense, multi-day bursts of nature. They can often be life-changing, or paradigm-shifting, and “fill us with awe and reassurance of our place in the universe,” according to Florence Williams in her book The Nature Fix .

In fact, consider how American President Teddy Roosevelt, arguably one of the “most hyperproductive presidents of all time” according to Williams, escaped to open country for months at a time.

Awe and Creativity

Aside from the spiritual or existential benefits of this kind of wilderness trip, if you’ll recall the role of awe in altered states and the ah-ha breakthroughs it can create, you will understand why time in nature can be incredibly powerful in generating creative solutions.

An awe-inspiring experience means that we have difficulty making sense of it. These are the transcendent experiences described by philosophers, poets, and mystics. These experiences are not just transitory moments of wonder, however. Awe can change your perspective even for a long time afterward.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS REVISITED: HOW TO AVOID SELF SABOTAGE

Throughout this guide, we’ve looked at the creative process as a way to solve a discrete problem. The creative process can also be understood in a broader scope as well. Afterall, our human-directed creative process is a microcosm of the universal creative process.

A Lifespan Approach to the Creative Process

Novelist and poet Orna Ross takes a lifespan approach in describing creativity in the context of stages of psychological development that we all move in and out of. Ross’s process is particularly helpful in understanding problems of procrastination, overwhelm and self-sabotage .

These seven stages are intention, incubation, investigation, composition, clarification, correction and completion. They do not operate in a linear way. Instead they are spontaneous and free-flowing, and can sometimes feel chaotic or overwhelming.

This is not a simplistic model imposed on human behaviour but a primal, unfolding process that happens over and over again, in humans and in nature. We can see this creative unfolding reflected in the seven stages of life, and also in the seven psychological states, as follows.

STAGE 1: INTENTION (Aspiring) First Law of Creation: Birth Life Stage: Infancy: Impulse

STAGE 2: INCUBATION (Germinating) Second Law of Creation: Enchantment Life Stage: Childhood: Magic

STAGE 3: INVESTIGATION (Exploring) Third Law of Creation: Revolution Life Stage: Adolescence: Experiment

STAGE 4: COMPOSITION (Devising) Fourth Law of Creation: Involution Life Stage: Adulthood: Logic

STAGE 5: CLARIFICATION (Deepening) Fifth Law of Creation: Selfhood Life Stage: Early Midlife: Appraisal

STAGE 6: CORRECTION (Revis[ion]ing) Sixth Law of Creation: Evolution Life Stage: Late Midlife: Adaptation

STAGE 7: COMPLETION (Finishing and Letting Go) Seventh Law of Creation: Transformation Life Stage: Aging: Release

Ross compares the example of doing something that comes easy to us, such as making a  family dinner, painting a room, or writing an article, where we zip through the stages without noticing them, to doing something that stretches us: conference catering for 300, making a million dollars, writing a novel, which require a more nuanced understanding of the differing behaviours and requirements of each stage.

Ross notes that “a common reason why people fail to accomplish their heart’s desire is because they are indulging thoughts and behaviours that are inappropriate to the stage they are in.”

For instance, if you tend to edit (stage 6) your ideas and insights before they are fully formed (stage 2), you are impeding the natural process.

This perspective demonstrates that creativity is both a science and an art with clear steps that can be followed, but also requires a letting go and allowing. Creativity takes courage whether you are solving a problem at work, or creating your own life. It can be a messy endeavor, but nonetheless, this powerful process is unavoidable in all existence.

So that’s Creative Problem Solving for the 21st Century: The Go-To Guide.

Creativity is largely about bringing seemingly disparate ideas together in new ways, and applying it to a real-world situation. It doesn’t mean you have to invent something new, because the truth is nothing is ever truly new. Everything is built upon the ideas and experiences of others.

Never doubt your creativity. No one else has your unique combination of education and life experience. No one wears the same lenses as you to view the world. Remember, if your idea is silly or laughable, it’s probably a genius idea in disguise.

Now we want to turn it over to you: what did you think about this guide?

Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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