Now that you have researched and diagnosed your problem or opportunity, It is time to take your strategy thinking
from data to creative insights. I started by writing this blog post about using the information obtained from your research
and diagnosis and turning it into insights, concepts, and innovations.
I quickly realized that “being creative” is a terrifying idea. Most people believe creativity is for artists or
stand-up comedians. But they need to be more creative. About 80% of people think they are not creative —
even schools don’t bother to teach creative Thinking. If I didn’t explain that everyone can be creative, I wouldn’t
have any readers — 80% would think reading it is a waste of time, and 20% wouldn’t need it.
In this blog post, I want to give you a little background on creativity and show you some of the
many techniques you can use to help you reach your objectives.
Why is Everyone “Wired” to be Creative?
Creativity is a universal human trait that resides within us, just waiting to be unlocked. Our mind is wired to continuously
collect data and store that data into long-term data and short-term data. Then, set up patterns that connect
the two. When a pattern is interrupted, it can create a new perspective.
At its core, creativity is an intrinsic human quality. From the early stages of childhood, humans exhibit
creative tendencies through imaginative play, drawing, and storytelling. These early expressions of creativity
testify to its fundamental presence in our nature.
Following are some compelling reasons why we can all be creative.
Cross-Pollination of Ideas. Creative Thinking often thrives when ideas from different domains converge. Drawing
inspiration from diverse sources, disciplines, and experiences can result in fresh perspectives
and innovative solutions. Creative individuals are often adept at connecting seemingly unrelated concepts.
Yes, There Are Failures. Creative endeavors are not immune to setbacks and failures. However,
embracing failure as an integral part of the creative process can reduce the fear of making mistakes.
It encourages risk-taking and ultimately leads to breakthroughs and novel ideas.
The Power of Collaboration. Collaborative efforts and brainstorming sessions often spark creative ideas.
Interacting with others, sharing ideas, and building on collective knowledge can result in innovative
solutions that have yet to be achievable in isolation.
Conclusion Creativity is not a scarce resource reserved for a select few; it is an abundant human trait.
Anyone can embark on self-discovery, innovation, and personal growth.
Is Creativity Intuitive Thinking or Insightful Thinking
Intuitive Thinking is the ability to arrive at insights and conclusions without conscious reasoning or analysis.
It is a form of rapid cognition that operates unconsciously, often described as a “gut feeling” or “instinct.”
Intuitive Thinking relies on past experiences and knowledge that has been internalized, allowing the
individual to make quick judgments and decisions based on patterns and associations.
Intuitive Thinking often contrasts with analytical Thinking, which involves conscious reasoning and logical
information analysis. While analytical Thinking helps solve complex problems, intuitive Thinking
can be valuable when quick decisions are necessary or when information is incomplete or ambiguous.
Intuitive Thinking is often associated with creativity and innovation, as it can lead to novel ideas and approaches.
However, it can also be influenced by biases and heuristics, leading to errors in judgment.
For example, Newton’s intuitive insight about gravity led to his discovery of the laws of motion.
Insightful Thinking is a cognitive process involving sudden and deep understanding or realization
of a problem, situation, concept, or relationship. It often occurs when you connect previously unrelated information
or experiences, leading to a profound and often transformative understanding. Insight can also manifest
as an “aha” moment when a complex or puzzling issue suddenly becomes clear.
Critical characteristics of insight include:
Suddenness: Insights tend to occur abruptly and without warning. They often emerge when an individual
grapples with a problem or question for some time, and the solution appears suddenly and unexpectedly.
Connection of Ideas: Insight often involves connecting ideas or experiences that were not previously
linked. It can reveal hidden patterns, relationships, or solutions that were not immediately apparent.
Problem Solving: Insight is closely associated with problem-solving by providing that missing piece of the puzzle,
allowing individuals to overcome obstacles, find creative solutions, or make sense of complex situations.
Innovation: Many breakthroughs in science, technology, and creativity result from insight.
Innovators and inventors often use insights to develop new theories, products, or artistic expressions.
Personal Growth: Insight can also extend to self-awareness and personal growth. It can provide
a deeper understanding of one’s emotions, motivations, and behaviors, facilitating personal
development and self-improvement.
Transformation: Insight has the power to transform perspectives, beliefs, and paradigms.
It can challenge long-held assumptions and lead to a more enlightened or enlightened outlook.
Problem Resolution: Insights can be applied to resolve practical and conceptual problems.
They provide a path forward when conventional approaches have proven ineffective.
Conclusion. Insight is a valuable creative process that can lead to profound understanding, innovative
solutions, and personal growth. It often emerges due to mental processes such as pattern recognition,
associative Thinking, and the integration of diverse knowledge and experiences. Also, cultivating
an open and curious mindset can enhance one’s capacity for insight.
Strategic Thinking: From Data To Creative Insights
How To Create Insightful, Creative Ideas and Solutions
Generating insightful and creative ideas and solutions involves a complex cognitive process within the mind.
Research has provided insights into how the mind generates new or different patterns to create insights:
There are over a dozen ways to generate new ideas. Following are some of the most popular ways to create
new creative insights, ideas, concepts, and innovative solutions.
I will define five techniques here to give you some ideas of the possible techniques available.
I will cover many techniques in other blog posts within the ClickVisor program.
I want to show you how you can create insights and creative solutions to your problems and opportunities.
Associative Thinking involves connecting unrelated concepts or experiences stored in memory to form
novel associations or patterns. It’s the basis for many creative insights, enabling the mind to draw connections.
between seemingly unrelated ideas. Suppose unexpected cues or associations disrupt or trigger the association or pattern.
In that case, a memory pattern can lead to different conclusions, thoughts, or insights. The brain’s ability to make
new associations and drawing unexpected findings are fundamental to creativity and problem-solving.
Divergent Thinking: Divergent Thinking is about generating a wide range of unique ideas, solutions,
and possibilities in response to a specific question or problem. It encourages exploring multiple perspectives
and solutions to a problem, promoting creativity. It’s about generating unique ideas,
solutions, and possibilities in response to a specific question or problem. Divergent Thinking
is the opposite of Convergent thinking, which focuses on finding a single correct answer to a problem.
Incubation: Incubation is based on the idea that the subconscious mind continues to work on unresolved
issues, and by providing it with the time and space to do so, individuals can experience breakthrough insights
and generate creative solutions. During this subconscious processing, the brain works on the problem
in the background, making connections and associations. It is often used by writers, inventors, and problem solvers
who encounter mental roadblocks or seek to overcome creative challenges.
Metaphorical Thinking: Metaphors and analogies are powerful tools for creative Thinking.
It is a cognitive process that involves understanding, explaining, or conceptualizing one thing i
n terms of another, often dissimilar, by drawing parallels, comparisons, or analogies between them.
Metaphorical Thinking enables us to convey abstract or complex ideas by relating them to more familiar or concrete concepts.
Creative Techniques: This involves various creative techniques, such as mind mapping. This technique
involves mapping out a visual and graphic design for organizing, representing, and generating ideas,
information, or concepts in a structured and interconnected manner. It’s a creative and effective
tool for brainstorming, problem-solving, note-taking, planning, and learning.
Six Hats is another technique great for groups. Each of the hats represents a phase of the process
with a time limit for each phase. By adopting different perspectives through each phase (or hat),
teams can systematically explore a problem, generate innovative solutions, and make well-informed decisions.
This method encourages a more structured and balanced approach to Thinking. It promotes
collaborative problem-solving within a group or team setting.
Conclusion
In summary, creativity is a fundamental aspect of human nature that can be developed
and enhanced. It’s not restricted to a select few techniques. With the right mindset,
environment, and practice, anyone can generate innovative solutions to problems.
Encouraging and fostering creativity in oneself and others can lead to greater personal
fulfillment and contribute to innovative advancements in various fields.
The insight /Innovation module of my online ClickVisor program has more information on generating creative
ideas to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities with practical business and marketing strategies.
I like the Random Word technique (interrupting your current concept pattern with a word that disrupts
that pattern with new ideas) and the Six Hats method (for teams, which is far more effective than brainstorming).
Try a few and let me know your positive or negative thoughts. I need to keep learning as well.
