Creativity
Creativity takes imagination to another level
Creativity takes imagination to a whole new level and involves transforming imaginative ideas into valuable outcomes. It harnesses the power of your imagination, turning it into unique and tangible concepts. By combining multiple pieces of information, creativity fuses them together to create something fresh and distinctive.
According to Leonardo da Vinci, everything is interconnected. Making connections between seemingly unrelated elements is a fundamental skill of creative thinking. Da Vinci believed that by combining different elements, we could produce something entirely unique.
George Land, an author, speaker, consultant, and general systems scientist, has concluded that we are all naturally creative, but as we grow up, we tend to suppress our creativity. Sir Ken Robinson argues that our education system often prioritizes training us to become efficient workers rather than fostering creative thinking. However, creativity is a skill that can be cultivated and nurtured through practice.
Recent studies indicate that creativity can be rational and focused on practical problem-solving. This broader perspective opens up greater acceptance of creativity as a valuable tool for addressing challenges.
To put it into perspective, CEOs consider creativity to be the most important leadership quality. In a rapidly changing business world facing volatility, uncertainty, and complexity, leaders must find solutions to overcome barriers to growth. Resolving today's problems requires thinking beyond what we already know; we need creative solutions for an ever-evolving world. Creativity can be defined as the foundation for disruptive innovation and continuous reinvention driven by imagination, leading to unique solutions that demand bold and breakthrough thinking.
Thinking creatively involves engaging in productive thinking more frequently and reducing reliance on reproductive thinking. Productive thinking explores new ways of perceiving and approaching problems:
· How many different perspectives can I consider?
· How can I reshape my perception of the issue?
· How many alternative solutions can I generate?
Reproductive thinking, on the other hand, relies on existing knowledge or processes to solve problems:
· What have I learned from others about solving this problem?
· How have I solved this type of problem before?
Creativity is a tool that follows a five-step process, as described by Graham Wallas. While everyone has their unique creative process, these steps are generally present:
1. Orientation: Defining the problem and identifying its most important aspects.
2. Preparation: Immersing oneself in information related to the problem to enhance creative thinking.
3. Incubation: Allowing the subconscious mind to work on the problem, even when it appears to be set aside consciously.
4. Illumination: Culminating in sudden insights or a series of breakthroughs, often depicted as the "Aha!" experience.
5. Verification: Testing and critically evaluating the solution obtained during the illumination stage. If the solution proves flawed, the thinker reverts to the incubation stage.
Imagination sets the stage for thinking beyond what we already know, but it is creativity that brings our imagination into action. Without creativity, ideas would remain just ideas without a means of transforming them into solutions. Creativity allows us to reach solutions that are far more impactful than critical thinking alone can achieve. It is a tool for problem-solving in a relevant and meaningful manner, surpassing expectations and providing a competitive edge.