BY JULIA G. KO
In cartoons, a creative idea is often represented by a bright light bulb above a person's head. This visual helps us understand the person has just thought of something unexpected, new, or original. Since there are no light bulbs going off above every creative thinker in the workplace, how can we know when creativity strikes? Creativity seems like an abstract idea. How can we talk about it without falling into vague generalities about feelings and inspiration? More importantly, can we make ourselves more creative, or do we have to wait for it to strike us, like a bolt of lightning?
The answer may be more scientific than you think. There is a science to creativity, and you can use this science to empower yourself in the professional and personal realm by being a creative thinker.
DIVERGENT THINKINGThe concept of divergent thinking first appeared in the research of J. P. Guilford between the years of 1949 and 1986. Guilford believed that creativity is a natural resource that can be encouraged and can be looked at bjectively. He named two different types of thinking: divergent and convergent. Divergent thinking happens when you look at an open-ended problem and come up with many different solutions. For example, when a person is asked to explain the uses of a tension rod, that person may come up with twenty or more different uses. The tension rod can be used to hang a shower curtain, store rolls of ribbon and tape, set up vertically to make a plant hanger, or used as an indoor drying rack. In divergent thinking, creativity branches out in many directions.
USING DIVERGENT THINKING IN THE WORKPLACEHow do you tame this undomesticated concept called divergent thinking? When combined with a growth mindset and convergent thinking, it can be an effective tool for problem-solving in the workplace.
- A growth mindset is the belief that a person is capable of improving in different areas of his or her life over time. Whereas, a fixed mindset is the belief that a person is limited in his or her capabilities.
- Convergent thinking is problem-solving by coming up with one solution through deduction and logical reasoning.
Perhaps you are trying to figure out a way to cross a river. You begin with divergent thinking and come up with many possibilities. You can fly across, swim across, build a raft and float across, or build a bridge and walk across. As you think about the different possibilities, new ideas cross your mind. However, you eventually want to narrow it down to one solution and begin to use convergent thinking. Your regulate your mind, you shift your perspective, and you begin to think logically. You don't have wings, so you can't fly across. Cross that option out. You can swim, but the river is very cold and the current is strong, so that's not a wise idea. Cross out swimming. You use the information you have available to deduce the logical solution to your problem. Many may start with convergent thinking but divergent thinking enables you to expand your solution options and it may be the solution you eventually decide upon.
EXPANDING YOUR CREATIVITYYou can make a habit of being creative and shift the way you think. When you have a growth mindset, creativity is often not a random burst of inspiration, like being struck with lightning. It is a steady drive toward a brighter, more creative mind. Rather divergent ideas bloom inside your mind, and you shift your perspective to reassemble those various pieces into a new, synthesized string of thought. This routine creativity will actually increase your productivity.
- Embrace new challenges, even problems that may not have a solution.
- Write down your ideas, or speak them out loud.
- Learn new things, even if they are outside the scope of your specialty. Learning about Greco-Roman art may not seem relevant to your engineering career, but it will help stimulate a new way of thinking, which can help many areas of your life.
- Insert yourself into exciting situations and conversations. This might mean making new, interesting friends. It could mean attending a play or going to an art show. The point is to stimulate your mind with people and ideas that interest you.
- Think about your problem before going to sleep. You are more likely to come up with a creative solution if you sleep on it.
- Encourage your own happiness. Sadness restrains and dampens creativity.
- Boost your creativity with a walk under natural sunlight.
Understanding the science behind creativity helps us keep an open mind and empowers us to think creatively and objectively. As you go about your day, don’t immediately reject the surprising, interesting thoughts. Recognize them, write them down, think about them without judgement. When you regulate and discipline your mind, to think in new directions, you are in the process of being creative. Use mental discipline to remove your emotions, and persistently pursue your creative approach. The solutions can be new, challenging and moving into uncharted territories. The world is filled with unknowns. Embrace the risks.