Chapter 2: Thinking CreativelyAfter reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following: Show
Inspiration or PerspirationA century ago, Thomas Edison thought deeply about what drives invention or, as we call it today, innovation. One of his famous sayings, “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,” stresses that innovation involves more than just great ideas. Edison knew from his own experience that the systematic hard work of trial-and-error experimentation paid off. His inventions, like the lightbulb and the phonograph, emerged through thousands of attempts as he refined the process step by step ([1]). Thomas Edison knew breakthroughs do not come from “lightbulb” moments (pun intended). His quote captures this concept perfectly. “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration” (Thomas Edison)Personal CreativityNot everyone considers themselves creative, but most of us do have the ability to be creative. We use our creative minds more often than we think. Whenever you solve a problem, try something new, or give advice to a friend, you are probably using creative thought. Just like doing physical exercise to work out your body, sometimes you need to do mental exercises in order to work out your mind. Watch the video below to learn about the following eight creative thinking tips you can put into practice to help boost your creativity.
Watch the “8 Creative Thinking Exercises to Boost Your Creativity” YouTube Video below to see if there is an exercise to boost your creative thinking.[2] Transcript for “8 Creative Thinking Exercises to Boost Your Creativity” Video [PDF–New Tab]. Closed captioning is available on YouTube. There is a misconception that creativity is this thing that happens in the shower, a strike of lightning that you get out of nowhere, but the reality is creativity is not a moment in time, it’s a process and it takes time to develop. If you were to generate a list of possible solutions to any given problem you may notice that the first few on the list will be similar to ideas other people may also come up with, but as you get to the bottom of the list you may find your ideas become more unique. This is because we solve problems every day in our lives and we are good at it. If I asked you how you will get to work today since your car is being repaired at the service center, you might say, “I’ll get a ride with a friend,” or “I’ll take the bus,” or “My mechanic loaned me a vehicle.” If I then asked you to think of some other ways you might get to work, I’m sure your ideas will become more novel as you provide additional possibilities. These novel ideas may not always be feasible, but while you are brainstorming new ideas, don’t judge them for feasibility, just get the ideas first (quantity), then later evaluate each idea on how well it resolves the problem or takes advantage of the opportunity. Commands for Being Creative
Doing daily creative warm-up exercises may help you become a more flexible thinker in your job and help you approach work challenges with less fear and a more playful attitude.
SCAMPER Technique for BrainstormingCreative thinking and problem-solving are essential parts of the design process to turn ideas into innovation and break the barriers against creativity. One of the successful methods used in creative thinking is the SCAMPER technique. While there are different creative thinking and problem-solving techniques such as reversed brainstorming, Hurson’s thinking model, the Six Hats of critical thinking, and Lego Serious Play, SCAMPER is considered one of the easiest and most direct methods. The is based very simply on the idea that what is new is actually a modification of existing old things around us.[3] What does the SCAMPER acronym stand for?
Click on the information icon beside each of the letters below to learn more about SCAMPER. Transcript for “SCAMPER” H5P [PDF–New Tab]. Benefits of Doing Creativity ExercisesCreativity exercises offer many benefits for individuals, groups, or companies who use them, including the following:[5]
Team CreativityTeam creativity is based on having open debates, and a free flow of ideas. For that to happen, trust must exist among team members. Where trust is lacking–so will creativity. Below are some ideas on how to enhance creativity and collaboration in teams, as well as some threats to team creativity. When teams are working creatively during an ideation session there is a common pattern that occurs. At first, many ideas are shared that are not very unique, then ideas wane, then a spark of inspiration hits the team which drives momentum again but this time with unique ideas which may provide companies with new paths to increasing revenue, market share, and more. This pattern is known as the shape of ideation and you will read more about this below. Enhancing Creativity and Collaboration in Teams
Threats to Team CreativitySocial Loafing: This is the tendency for group members to slack off. These members may think their ideas are dispensable or may see other members working hard, and believe they do not need to contribute.[12] Conformity: Members may conform due to the desire to be liked. If they believe their teammates will be critical of their suggestions, they will be more likely to agree rather than disagree.[13] Production Blocking: This can occur when members cannot express their ideas because others are expressing their own. When working alone, individuals can work without interruption of thought, whereas when working in a group, members may forget their ideas or may not get time to speak.[14] Performance Matching: When working in a team for an excessive amount of time, members will start to develop the same tendencies. Members that achieve higher ideals than the group may “lower their standards”, whereas members that work at a slower pace may “raise the bar”. Overall, the team will plateau and may find it more difficult to generate unique ideas over time.[15] Team Ideation Session: Graphing the ProcessWhat happens in our thinking process when we are given a problem to solve in a specific amount of time? As described by Stefan Mumaw in the LinkedIn Learning, Creativity Boot Camp course, if we graphed this ideation process for a group trying to solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity, we would see a graph that at first has many ideas, but after a short period of time the group feels they have exhausted all the good ideas, and the ideas stall. What happens next, someone offers a different, silly, or absurd idea, then more ideas come from that idea and the tide has turned. The best ideas often come after this turn in the graph. This is known as the because it consistently reveals itself this way.[16] Shape of IdeationA common problem experienced during creative collaboration is interpreting what team members mean when they explain abstract concepts. This is a fun, and quite enlightening, game of interpretation that addresses this issue. You may even find yourself using it as a party game outside of work! You’ll need strips of paper with phrases or actions written out on them, something like “singing in the rain” or “Mother Earth.” Everyone starts with their own phrase and, to the best of their ability, draws it out on the first page of their notebook. After 30 seconds, everyone passes their notebook to the person on their left. That person then has 30 seconds to interpret the drawing and write down what they think it is on the next page in the notebook. The next person draws what the last person wrote. The notebook gets passed again and again until it makes it back to the original owner. Once each notebook is back where it started, the owner of the notebook shows each page to the group to see how the original phrase got interpreted down the line. This exercise really demonstrates how meaning can get misconstrued and the importance of explaining things with other people’s sensibilities taken into account.[17] Barriers to CreativityBelow is a list of some of the things that can be barriers to personal, team, and organizational creativity.[18]
Importance of Creativity and Innovation to BusinessCreativity fuels innovation. Creativity is a thought process, while innovation is an action. For a business to survive it needs both. Some of the top reasons businesses nurture creativity and innovation include:
References(Note: This list of sources used is NOT in APA citation style instead the auto-footnote and media citation features of Pressbooks were utilized to cite references throughout the chapter and generate a list at the end of the chapter.) How do you develop creative thinking?5 Ways to Improve Your Creative Thinking. Create your own “Three Ifs” Many good innovators take an existing object and ask clever questions to twist the very concept of it and make it new. ... . Practice dreaming. ... . Make time for cohesive creative thinking. ... . Learn to pitch your ideas (in an elevator) ... . Bounce ideas off others.. What is the creative technique in which you arrive at creative ideas by jotting them down yourself rather than working in a group?Brainwriting is similar to brainstorming: it can be used to generate new ideas, encourage creative problem-solving, and develop innovative solutions. But, instead of getting people to discuss ideas out loud, brainwriting gets people to write them down and share them anonymously.
How do you develop critical and creative thinking skills?You can help your child develop critical and creative thinking by: encouraging them to explore, be curious, come up with questions and investigate how things work. asking them to think of different ways to solve problems. providing choices of activities that involve planning and decision making.
Which strategy can be used for developing creative thinking Mcq?Use divergent and out of the box thinking in different situations. Try new things and risk failure in executing innovative ideas.
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