Creativity means lots of things to people.
Please note that creativity is not artistry although you can use art to be creative.
Everyone is creative because we all solve problems.

Simply, creativity is PROBLEM SOLVING with RELEVANCE and NOVELTY.
Relevance is the degree by which a problem is actually solved.
Novelty is the degree of uniqueness or originality a solution possesses.

Becoming more creative makes you a better problem solver. Constraints are not barriers to creativity!

In this article, I will share insights that will help you become more creative if applied. I will share with you my favourite 8 ways of generating new ideas and I will also discuss how you can generate a creative idea by utilizing the thinking tools (this involves basic things you did while in elementary classes such as subtraction, multiplication, division and addition)!

8 WAYS YOU CAN GENERATE NEW IDEAS

1. Consider reversal: What will happen if you do the opposite of what you’ve planned?

2. Apply what-if scenarios

3. Sleep on it

4. Talk to other people and see what they come up with

5. Develop silly and fun solutions

6. Examine the problem. What if the problem is a good thing?

7. Keep going after the first good solution and look for a second. How can you make the second solution better than the first?

8. Combine variables


THINKING TOOLS TO BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY

1. Subtraction technique: This involves elimination of an essential component of a product. How can you make the product function better by removing a component?

2. Division technique: This involves separation of a product or its components and then rearranging them back into a product. You may consider dividing into smaller components. Is this how cupcakes were gotten by dividing the big cake?

3. Multiplication technique: What will happen if you repeat a process? What will happen if you copy an element already existing in a product but changing it in a counterintuitive way?

4. Addition (task unification) technique: What happens if you assign additional tasks to an existing resource? What if a component can do a job of another component? How can you kill two birds with a stone?

5. Applying the attribute dependency theory: How can changing attribute A change attribute B?

To effectively utilize any of the thinking tools above, you should use the Function Follows Form Principle. You can innovate by starting with a solution and then work backward to the problem.

a. Start with an existing situation

b. Apply any of the 5 thinking tools above

c. Ask yourself 2 simple questions: Should I do it? & Can I do it? These are important questions. Of what benefit would having an idea that’s not feasible or practicable be?

d. Adaptation step: How can you modify the concept you generated to make it stronger?


Do you want to be even more creative? Teamwork is key. Your team should be diverse. Gender diversity, cultural diversity and skill diversity are necessary. Then brainstorm as a team.

People unfortunately limit brainstorming sessions. Let me share a simple tip that will help you maximize your brainstorming sessions. DON’T JUDGE EACH IDEA AS THERE COME UP! Write out all the ideas from every team member first and evaluate singly considering the pros and cons of each!

Best wishes in your quest to becoming more creative!


Do you agree with these insights?
What are the ways you generate new ideas?

mynd44

Thoughtful and insightful...
Please move this to front page

Nice perspective

Coming from someone i know too well who is very creative.

You will go far bro.

Keep pushing.

niceprof:
Coming from someone i know too well who is very creative.

You will go far bro.

Keep pushing.

Thanks for the kind words.
I'll keep pushing.

Cheers.

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