Alexander Graham Bell was only 14 years old when he invented a device that removes husks from wheat by placing a nail brush and paddle onto a wheel. You may know him more famously known as the inventor of the ubiquitous telephone. Together he with other inventors such as Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Eli Whitney, Pablo Picasso and Bill Gates –are examples of creative people.
Collectively -- their minds are what the other half of the world desires and believes to be unattainable, the creative mindset.
You only have to look at your surroundings to see that creativity and examples of such is much wider than the world first defined it to be. We are all born creative persons.
Creativity, then is a given for all of us.
What would separate you from a person who doesn't have the creative mindset – is simply that you'll stay focused on solving the problem, and constantly ask questions to get new answers. The quality and the quantity of ideas you generate, is directly attributable to the amount of time you'll spend using and improving your brainstorming techniques.
CHANGE. As always everything starts in the mind, and in this case it means changing your attitude. Instead of proceeding from believing you know all, be willing to suspend judgment and view events or problems with a fresh perspective. Realize there are always unknown elements in any problem or need. See these uncertainties as opportunities to think outside of the box, which will open the way for you to consider radical solutions.
Train your right and left sides, and use the benefits both sides offer to you. The left side of the brain is logical, methodical and sequential. We also use the left side to analyze details.
We use the right side of our brains, to stay focused on the big picture, and are credited for the artistic, emotional and synthetic thinking we exercise. Think of the ideas you can generate, when you use both sides!
RELEARN TO ask: Why? Why not? Why is this so? When you consistently pose a query, you’ll find yourself spending more time thinking and reflecting you’ll remember more and in doing so examine the process. This could lead you to see a gap, or a lack which you can fill.
IMAGINE. Use your imagination. By exercising your mind, you are setting it free to think new thoughts and to make connections between what may at first seem to be entirely different ideas or matters. Your imagination is a very powerful tool in creative thinking.
“He who never walks except where he sees other men's tracks will make no discoveries.”
Optimism, a passion for the process and keen enjoyment, these are the last three qualities a creative mindset has a never-ending supply of.
Keep believing the answers are there, you just haven’t stumbled on to these. Trust it’s inside you NOT something you get from others. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t immediately generate new ideas.
PASSION. Have a burning passion for the creative process. Stay focused on what you are solving, you can rest awhile, but don’t give up. Stay with it until a solution has been found.
ENJOY the creative process. For, what’s the use in spending so much time being open to new ideas and influences if you don’t enjoy the process? Creative people understand that there is value in the ideas they come up with, but the process is a fun and beneficial ride by itself.
So -- Do you have what it takes to develop the creative mindset?
