Creative thinking and its role - Aramesh Clinic Serenity Clinic

What is critical thinking?

and emotional regulation strategies

Creative thinking refers to the ability to consider something in a new way, from a fresh perspective, or with novel ideas and solutions. It involves using imagination to generate original ideas, making new connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, and exploring multiple possibilities.

Many people believe that creative thinking is something that emerges by chance. In fact, there are many ways to use creative problem solving every day, even if you don't think you're inherently creative.

Creating creative skills is the key to innovation. But where do you start?

What is creative thinking?

At its core, creative thinking is intentionally deriving new insights and different ideas from existing information. Often, creative thinking involves using different thinking styles and examining information from different perspectives to see new patterns. Anyone can develop a creative mind with a little practice!

Using a wide variety of brainstorming strategies can help you discover new solutions to problems in any area of ​​your life, including at work.

In fact, 61 percent of employees say they are expected to come up with creative ideas or new ways of doing things at work. But, with only 30% of employees saying they are given time to brainstorm or discuss new ideas on a daily basis, developing our creative thinking muscles is increasingly important.

Types of creative thinking

Cultivating creative thinking starts with changing your perspective. Learning new and different styles of thinking can help generate powerful ideas.

Aesthetic, divergent, lateral, convergent, and inspirational thinking are five types of innovative thinking to get the ball rolling.

Divergent and convergent thinking are the most common ways to cultivate more creative thinking.

1. Divergent thinking is like a traditional brainstorming session where you brainstorm possible solutions. You present as much as your imagination allows.
2. Convergent thinking is a more logical approach and encourages you to gather facts and discover the most common solution to a problem. These strategies are often used together to create new creative solutions. Inspirational thinking focuses on imagining the best scenarios for finding a new way to solve a problem. Lateral thinking involves letting ideas flow in a step-by-step format. Aesthetic thinking focuses on reframing a problem to see its intrinsic beauty and value, like looking at a Painting.

Why is creative thinking important?

It is easy to get stuck in the same thought patterns, especially at work. However, these thought patterns may hinder your innovation and keep you stuck in routines that do not serve you.

Creative thinking shows us that there are many solutions to any problem, and developing creative thinking skills will help you recognize innovative solutions faster. Additionally, creativity has been the most popular software skill in 2020, so enhancing your creativity skills can also set you apart in the workplace.

Along with critical thinking and focus, creative thinking is crucial to help identify patterns that may not be obvious at first glance. Creative thinking makes you a better problem solver, which has far-reaching benefits in both your work and personal life. Creative and expressive thinking helps us challenge our assumptions, discover new things about ourselves and our perspectives, stay mentally sharp, and even be more optimistic. How Creative Thinking Works

Many creative business leaders and Innovation is seen as something unpredictable, with 53% of businesses reporting that innovation happens randomly. However, with the right tools, you can tap into creative thinking whenever you want.

There are many ways to channel your creativity, and practicing creative thinking strategies can help you think outside the box more easily and often:

An example of creative thinking might be an advertising executive brainstorming creative campaigns with divergent thinking. However, this is not the only way to use creative thinking.

In STEM industries such as biomedicine, stimulating creativity by asking open-ended questions and creating imaginative scenarios helps professionals find innovative solutions to health problems. These questions encourage medical professionals to experiment and discover new ways to solve a persistent problem.

Examples of Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is valuable in many situations, not just in traditional creative industries. Whether you're solving a problem, organizing your calendar, or at an impasse with your team, creative thinking can come in handy.

Here are 5 examples of using creative thinking inside and outside the workplace:

• Mind Mapping for Brainstorming: When tackling a new project, you create a mind map to explore different aspects and ideas. Start with the central concept in the middle of the page and break it down into subtopics, then into smaller ideas. This visualization helps you see connections and create innovative solutions.
• Reverse Thinking: Instead of thinking about how to solve a problem, consider how to create it. For example, if you want to improve customer service, think about what actions lead to poor customer service. Identifying these actions can help you understand what to avoid and inspire ideas for improvement.
• Combining unrelated concepts: Take two seemingly unrelated ideas and combine them to create something new. For example, combining the concept of a cafe with a library led to the creation of a "book cafe", where people can read and enjoy coffee in a comfortable environment. For example, if you are developing a new product, imagine you are the end user and think about their needs, wants and pain points. It can help you design more user-friendly and innovative products.
• SCAMPER TECHNIQUE: Use the SCAMPER method to improve or innovate existing products or ideas. SCAMPER stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Repurpose, Delete and Reverse. By systematically applying these actions, you can generate new ideas and solutions. For example, you might think about how to modify a traditional bicycle to create a more efficient electric bicycle.

Benefits of Creative Thinking

Creative thinking doesn't just make you a better employee. It also makes you a better parent, student, and leader. By developing creative thinking skills, the benefits of creative thinking can become apparent throughout your everyday life.

Here are some major benefits of creative thinking:

Improved problem solving

We don't just solve problems at work, and we shouldn't just use our creative thinking skills at work! Developing creative thinking abilities can help you solve a wide variety of problems faster.

As your mind gets used to using different thinking techniques, you'll quickly recognize patterns you might not have before.

Stronger interpersonal connections

Creative thinking can help you articulate your ideas more clearly, leading to better conversations and relationships with friends, family, and It becomes your colleagues.

Furthermore, many creative thinking methods work best when done in a group. Developing new ideas together can strengthen bonds and help you combine ideas to create something truly innovative.

Increase Productivity

It may seem like creative thinking is a time-consuming distraction from your work, but that can be far from the truth. When we get stuck in thought patterns, we get easily frustrated when something doesn't work out. This frustration can reduce our productivity. Taking a moment to engage in a creative thinking strategy can renew your motivation, reinvigorate your enthusiasm, and help you come up with new solutions when you're stuck.

Higher Self-Awareness

Creative thinking allows you to try perspectives you might not have considered before.

As you explore new perspectives, there may be something about assumptions, Discover your views or biases that you never realized you had.

Challenging your traditional way of thinking can provide greater self-awareness and strengthen your emotional intelligence. With creative thinking, you strengthen your ability to reframe your perspective and harness a growth mindset.

How to develop creative thinking

Breaking out of your routine and trying new things is the key to cultivating creative thinking in your everyday life.

There are many ways to do this. While practicing different thinking and brainstorming strategies with your team at work will help develop these skills, they are not the only way to foster a more creative thinking process. Here are 13 suggestions to inspire you:

1. Meet new people

One powerful way to get your creativity flowing is to meet new people, especially if they are in a different art or industry than you. Sharing your interests and listening to others can inspire you to see the world differently.

1. Let yourself be bored

Exercising boredom can help you develop your creativity as well. Allowing yourself to get bored and see what piques your interest can help you let your curiosity lead the way.

1. Embrace Curiosity

Ask questions about whatever piques your interest and come up with possible answers before looking for the real answer. Challenging the status quo and seeking new information can create a beginner's mindset and lead to innovative ideas.

1. Seek diverse experiences

Participate in different activities, travel, meet new people, and explore different cultures. Exposure to a variety of experiences broadens your perspective.

1. Practice mindfulness and meditation

Regular mindfulness and meditation can help clear your mind, reduce stress, and improve your focus, creating a fertile ground for creativity.

1. Collaborate with others

Work with people from different backgrounds and backgrounds. Joint efforts often lead to cross-pollination of new ideas and perspectives.

1. 7. Keep a notebook

Keep a notebook to jot down thoughts, ideas, and observations. Regular writing can help organize your thoughts and stimulate creativity.

1. Participate in brainstorming sessions

Set aside time for brainstorming. Allow the free flow of ideas without judgment. Quantity can often lead to quality in creative thinking.

1. Change your environment

Change your workspace or relax in different settings. A new environment can provide fresh stimuli and break routine thinking patterns.

1. Read a lot

Read books, articles and articles in different genres and fields. Reading extensively exposes you to new ideas and ways of thinking.

1. Practice creative exercises

Participate in activities such as drawing, writing, playing music, or solving puzzles. Creative exercises can enhance your problem-solving and imaginative thinking skills.

1. Take risks and accept failure

Don't be afraid to take risks and fail. Failure is an important part of the creative process, providing valuable lessons and insights for future endeavors.

1. Work with a coach

Coaching can also help you strengthen your creative thinking. In fact, 71% of employers find management coaching useful for creative development. When you feel distracted or uninspired, coaching can refocus your attention and help you become curious about your experience.

Start strengthening your creative thinking skills

Thinking more creatively can take effort, but a little practice can pay off big. Strengthening your skills to recognize patterns and find solutions will change your perspective and give you a new vantage point to explore.

Creative thinking can not only improve your performance at work, but every other part of your life.

Coaching is a powerful tool to help you develop your creativity skills. Are you ready to innovate more?

Work with a dedicated coach today to develop your creative thinking skills.

Seyed Kamal Rafiei

Seyed Kamal Rafiei