The changing scenario of business climate has made creativity no longer be limited to artists and inventors. Every organization needs people at all the levels who can bring novel ideas to the table. Creative people who can find new uses for old products, new methods to close sales, new techniques for increasing productivity or in short, novel ways to do with very less.
The problem has been there is that most of the people do not believe that they have any creative ability. Our formative years of school have taught us that creativity is a gift that only lucky people are born with. Well, the good news is that creativity is not a gift, but a skill that can be learned by the school kids to the old people and the timing is only better because in the competitive world today, the creative juices are welcomed at the every level in the organizations.
“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought,” said Albert George. Sounds very much easy, right? But, when we begin to think about all the things we’ve looked at all our life, we realize how we really haven’t thought about it in a way we should have. The reason is we’ve been looking at those things the same way we always have. Then, how to stop looking at everything around us in the same manner that we always have?
Looking at the things in different ways or getting an another perspective has been a key to innovation. That has a part answer to the question. The quintessence of creativity is all about solving problems or satisfying needs give the rest of the answer. “Necessity is the mother of invention” makes it very much simple and easy.
Well, the truth is we are also likely to enter into the league of creative folks when something annoys us. It’s very much similar to the squeaky wheel that always gets the oil. Think about all the work you do, be at home or office or anywhere else. There is at least one thing we hate still we do and that’s common for everyone around the world. It’s always the one we can’t avoid. That means if you hate it, there are countless who hate it too, which makes your solution a million dollar idea.
Then the question might strike you is that how you can think more creatively? The answer is to observe already established creators and imitate their characteristics. Every creative thinker has three primary traits. The first and foremost is the belief he/she is creative. Thinking you are creative makes you ninety percent creative. And it comes with the confidence that you’ll come up with the right answer when the need arises.
The second trait of the innovators is that have fluidity in the thoughts. They are flexible with their thoughts even when they don’t have to be. Traditional ways of seeing things are abandoned from their thinking and they go with the new thoughts in the direction. In short, they aren’t afraid of taking risks and breaking the rules. You can try yourself too. Select any item on your desk and think of an alternative use of it. Difficult to choose? Let’s take an example of a paper clip. How many times you have distorted it into a new solution? Yeah, you were forgotten how creative you already are. You can select any other item, and you’ll be surprised with the things you come up with.
Now, select two objects and try to come up with an idea to make a new product. One definition of the definition of innovations is the amalgamation of two or more existing ideas into a new one. In fact, many of the R&D departments employ people to do just that which just might explain some of those strange holiday-season gift inventions.
Exposing themselves to new experiences and different viewpoints is the third and most important trait of creative thinkers. By opening their minds to new boost, they lay down new neural pathways in their brains literally by creating new electrical connections between brain cells and opening the new channels of the thoughts. It makes them ready to assist them with the problems whenever they are confronted.
Creativity is a renewable resource that we can tap into at any time and yes, it’s a process that can be taught and will be a way for survival.
