Why do we do some of the silly things that we do? Draw shadows by shading and crosshatching. If I find that even my weekly visit to a new work location doesn’t do the trick, I know that I need to head out for a trail run to recharge my creative juices. Thanks! Check out this creative thinking techniques bucket list. They prefer to save their creative thinking for when it is really necessary. Drawing is the skill to use lines and shapes to create a pleasing composition which shows depth, contrast, light and shadow and gives the impression of dimension, using different degrees of detail. Continue to: It is the ability to think creatively or “outside the box.” Lateral thinking involves breaking away from traditional modes of thinking and discarding established patterns and preconceived notions. Psychologists hypothesize that our daily lives are consumed with work demands, device notifications, multitasking, and constant interruptions, all of which place a huge load on the prefrontal cortex of the brain. If you are continually immersed in your comfortable daily routine at home, on the commute, at work, etc., your mind runs on autopilot. 3. As a child, I bet you did. Check out our popular eBook I don’t recommend trying this with other people who don’t know what you are up to unless you really like taking risks. Creative thinking is the ability to consider something in a new way. Some of these experiences are decades old, and we no longer question the absurdity of them. This can be a simple paper notebook that is small enough to slide into your pocket, which I highly recommend. When you are surrounded by a completely new environment (e.g., other languages, different food, new sights, and sounds, etc. Creative people are comfortable with imagination and with thinking so-called weird, wild, or unthinkable thoughts, just for the sake of stimulation. The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. Even those qualified to lead this kind of role-play exercise, and who have done so many times, can often be surprised by their outcomes. There is something about pretending to be someone else and channelling someone else’s emotions which is astonishingly freeing and can lead to hugely creative thinking. 5. What follows are research-based techniques for generating more ideas or for increasing flexible and original thinking. Mind mapping uses words connected with arrows or lines. Are you already a Redbooth user? Lateral thinking is the mental process of generating ideas and solving problems by looking at a situation or problem from a unique perspective. What are the secrets? Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas. Even when you think you’ve reached a good point, carry on a bit further. Participants are encouraged to come up with more free-flow generation of unconnected ideas that can then be grouped and themed later. It’s generally agreed that the rules of brainstorming, at least in the initial stages, include: There are at least a couple of different ways that brainstorming sessions can be run: It is also generally agreed that following an initial period of open brainstorming, there needs to be a period of idea evaluation, where questions are asked and criticisms are made. Just because we’ve always done it that way. I will work in my home office, day after day. Creative thinking includes analysis, open-mindedness, problem-solving, organization, and communication. Image by stuartpilbrow Reframingopens up creative possibilities by changing our interpretation of an event, situation, behaviour, person or object. Try a new food. The main aspect of the present research consists in the comparison of three different scoring techniques of the Test for Creative Thinking – Drawing Production (TCT-DP) (Urban & Jellen, 1995). The left side of the brain is supposedly focused on logic and order. Don’t be satisfied with the first solution you reach. It is important that it is easily accessible and you can quickly jot down ideas. The app is called oflow . I’ve encountered a thousand different forms of this question in my lifetime. It is just faster. Role-play situations are probably the 'Marmite' of management development courses: you either love them or you hate them. Another way of harnessing the creative side of the brain is to make something, perhaps out of balloons, or old cardboard boxes large and small, or even Lego. Share your favorites in the comments. ears ago I attended a talk by creativity keynote speaker Edward DeBono where he taught a number of creative thinking skills techniques. Larry Cornett is a Leadership Coach and Career Advisor. Since 1990, even as IQ scores have risen in American students, creative thinking scores have dropped. Exploring Creative Thinking Techniques It is often that some people wonder how another person is gifted with the ability to have creative thinking techniques that seem to … It makes you think about things differently. You may see this as anecdotal evidence. Alison Doyle in this article: Creative Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples. Call 03332 207 677. Much of this happens through play and other experiences that allow children to be creative, to take risks, and to make discoveries. One person starts by placing all the others in the room to show the way that they see the problem. We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time. Try crossing it, giving yourself the option of crossing back to the point of genius again. The trouble is that there is no scientific formula for the number of ideas you need to generate to find a good one, or even a guarantee that you’ll be able to find a good one at all. If you’re interested in joining a community of ambitious people who make creativity and innovation a part of their daily work, check out my free Slack team. Create an “Idea Board” project in your organization today and open it up to your entire company, and start the conversation off with a few strategic thinking questions that … al., 2004). We have a great deal of work to do in our educational system to develop and nurture creativity, instead of crushing it. He lives in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with his wife and children, two Great Danes, two chickens, and a stubborn old cat. But, you can apply simpler versions of this process locally. You are exposed to novel experiences and novel solutions to problems (at least they are novel to you). Unfortunately, this is also the area we rely on for our higher-level thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity. I know that you can’t always go for a trip when you need to be creative. Explore a new neighborhood during your lunch break. Lateral Thinking Techniques. Change Management, See also: The end point is reached when everyone is comfortable with their location within the group, and this represents the ‘shape’ of the group and the dynamics within it. Creative Thinking Activities and Exercises for a Smarter Brain. We also know that we are at risk of losing the creative minds who are ready, willing, and able to come here and be a part of our entrepreneurial spirit. Supposedly intractable problems suddenly have simple solutions. Creative thinking is the process of thinking in a flexible, flowing and original way. We want more creativity and innovation, but are we really willing to make the changes necessary to foster them? ... thinking, and creative styles into our schools and businesses. 3. Our page on Creative Thinking Skills explains that creative thinking is the ability to think about issues and problems in a slightly different way, and therefore generate new solutions. We also found techniques that any individual can apply to improve their own creativity and innovative thinking skills. For example, Google asks its teams to allocate at least 20% of their time to creative thinking or new projects. 1. You rely on your critical and creative thinking skills so often, you might not even be aware of using them, yet they are vital to growth and success at work and at home. Mind maps usually start with a single word in the centre, and connected ideas and concepts radiating out via branches. The "snake" slithers over on its belly to connect up to make a four-- person snake and so on. The more frequently you do this, the more interesting your observations will become. The key ideas for Critical and Creative Thinking are organised into four interrelated elements in the learning continuum, as shown in the figure below. Structure, workplace issues, and reward systems abound that are destructive to the creative process. There is a debate about whether the physical act of writing by hand triggers different neurological pathways that enhance creativity and learning, or not. A list of common creative thinking techniques. Some of this is covered by an approach called “Design Thinking“. Effective creative thinkers demonstrate the courage needed to find new strategies, innovative techniques and unusual solutions and to put them into action. I’ve studied the innovation problem, researched creativity literature, read dozens of books, and tested many different approaches throughout the years with my own teams. Based on some of our most popular content, this eBook will help you to live a happier, healthier and more productive life. Use your critical thinking skills to fine-tune your idea and ready it to reach the audience. Almost everyone I know needs creativity in their daily work, as an employee, entrepreneur, writer, or artist. Who cares? Maybe you saw them as ‘difficult’ or ‘unpleasant’ because of the way they behaved towards you; only to discover a reason for that behaviour that made you feel sympathetic towards them. Personal SWOT Analysis Again, no words are to be written. There is some interesting research on the benefits of “green exercise” and time in nature. We were seeking the holy grail of trying to find a program and process that was already successful, hoping that we could emulate it. For information on how to reference correctly please see our page on referencing. This page describes some of the most widely-used tools and techniques for creative thinking, to help you get started. Problem solving games that include sketching and prototyping on paper can be effective at the solution finding and development stage of the process, and can be great for keeping a team engaged. Sooner or later, I face writer’s block. Creative thinking is implicit in many cooperative games, such as "Big Snake." I’ll work out of a new coffee house, drive up to Lake Tahoe to work near the shoreline, or just stop at a new town and explore. In turn, each person in the group then moves to where they see themselves fitting best. 8 Ways to Boost Your Creativity They focus on a variety of aspects of creativity, including techniques for idea generation and divergent thinking, methods of re-framing problems, changes in the affective environment and so on.They can be used as part of problem solving, artistic expression, or therapy. Rich pictures encourage the use of colour and symbols: anything, really, that will help your picture to come alive for you, and show you the situation in a different way. Try these techniques to reignite your innovative thinking. Basically, more science and art, and fewer creative pranks. For example, there are techniques for defining a problem, exploring attributes of a problem, generating alternatives, visual explorations, metaphors, analogies, and evaluating and implementing ideas. But, I’ve also discovered that a weekend hike or trail run has huge benefits for problem solving and creativity as well. Why don’t we do this instead?” More often than not, they were right. The basic idea is that we become accustomed to how things function in our lives. There are two key things to remember when you are engaged in creative thinking skills and techniques. Many employers value creative thinkers, so consider highlighting your creative thinking skills … When it comes to routine, I am just as guilty as most. I was just too stressed and in-the-moment to realize it before. They are seeing our planet for the very first time. If you have children, then you know that they have very creative and unique interpretations of the world around them. Unfortunately, the working world isn’t much better. But, the demand for innovation is immediate. I think we missed the larger opportunity and clearly weren’t tasked with solving the root problem: Traditional educational programs are not structured to encourage creativity. International travel seems to have the largest impact, as you can imagine. Richard Florida fears that we are facing a “creativity crisis.” If we are entering the era of the “Creative Class,” with an increasingly large percentage of the global working population being employed in creative occupations, it is only going to become more critical that we can tap into our creative skills on a daily basis. You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter. Creative thinking and visual ideation does not need to be confined to the opening stages of your problem solving strategies. Turn off your devices, stop thinking about the problem, and just be physical. Many classic creative thinking techniques make use of one or more of these methods. Just as sleeping on a problem can give you a new perspective, so can doing something completely different. He’s also on Twitter and Instagram @cornett. Take it right to the point of idiocy, and see where that gets you. We’re loaded with designers, engineers, product visionaries, writers, artists, and other creative folks. People who already doodle pictures to help themselves think may enjoy this sort of session, but are likely to get less out of it. Seek Out Ambient Noise How can our organization become more innovative? But, the more you practice it, the better you will become. Examples of Creative Thinking Skills . But love them or hate them, they can have some dramatic results. Our page on Creative Thinking Skills explains that creative thinking is the ability to think about issues and problems in a slightly different way, and therefore generate new solutions. Why do our brainstorming efforts eventually fail? “Over time, terrorism is less a threat to the U.S. than the possibility that creative and talented people will stop wanting to live within its borders.” — source. He does his best to share advice that can help others take full control of their work and life. Personal and Romantic Relationship Skills, Teaching, Coaching, Mentoring and Counselling, Managing Your Internal Dialogue (Self-Dialogue), Introducing Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Managing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), 4 Tips for Getting Your Team to Think Creatively, 5 Routines to Enhance Creativity and Imagination, No criticism of other people's ideas is allowed. Within the app you touch a button and a random creative technique or prompt flips into view. Creative thinking and creative thinkers are needed in those situations because it pushes out of that linear way of thinking. Think about a time when you changed your opinion of somebody. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day. So, use this technique to break free of your preconceived notions of how the world works. Just let them run for a while and see what happens. They refine their ideas through exploring their environment actively and through interacting and communicating with adults and with other children. They form ideas and theories and test these out. However sceptical you may be about their potential, it’s a good idea to approach them with an open mind. Mind mapping is a technique originally created by Tony Buzan, and adapted by many others since. The techniques that display are litt Random Words (Random Input) Random Words creative technique encourages your imagination to create different perspectives and new angles on your idea or the problem you are facing. 5 Simple Techniques That Will Make You More Creative. Ask the group to start at one edge, and draw the situation, as it currently is. In this game, children stretch out on their stomachs and hold the ankles of the person in front of them to make a two-person snake. They interact with everything as if it is a novel experience. Next, draw a large semi-circular ‘bridge’ between the current and future sides, and ask the group to draw what needs to happen to move from one side to the other. Many believe that creative thinking techniques are based on experience, including Steve Jobs: 5 Ways To Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills Now, as noted above, you’re not simply born with innate critical thinking skills. Second, to make the most of this new “heightened state”, you need easy access to tools to capture your impressions, thoughts, and new ideas. However, for most people, creative thinking requires more effort. Much research has been done over the years on the way in which the two sides of the brain work differently. It is considered an important element of strategy, problem solving and decision making that allows for a great breadth of possible solutions. This is a very powerful technique, which can cause emotions to run high, so should only be undertaken with a trained practitioner to facilitate. All these techniques are likely to work best with people who don’t see things very visually. You may be surprised by the results. Check out my Invincible Career newsletter where you can receive more stories and advice that help you plan your own invincible career and life! It’s a good way of representing a large amount of interconnecting information in a fairly compact way, and many people also use it for planning presentations or taking notes in meetings. To spark creativity, you need to overload your sensory system and shock your system into a higher level of alertness. The principle behind brainstorming is Linus Pauling’s point that most ideas are not very good. Thanks! For example, “It sucks that I have to wait in line for this” and “I can’t believe that there isn’t a better way to handle it”. It is often used in conjunction with its cognitive colleague, convergent thinking, which follows a particular set of logical steps to arrive at one solution, which in some cases is a ‘correct’ solution. Ask all of the “Why?” and “Why not?” questions that you normally suppress, or have forgotten to ask. An open mind is the most important prerequisite for creative thinking. The right side of the brain focuses on the more 'messy', creative and innovative aspects. Third, shake up your daily routine. Although this is a rather extreme view, there does seem to be evidence that doing physical activities that engage the 'creative' areas of your brain can help you think differently. That’s stupid. You don’t want to lug around and fumble with a laptop when you’re trying to capture a flash of inspiration. It isn’t easy to clear your mind and play a completely naive role. Creative Thinking Techniques. Cover as much of a wall as possible with large pieces of paper, such as flip-chart pages. The better you become at thinking up creative ways to solve the inevitable and unavoidable problems of daily life and work, and making effective decisions, the more successful you will be. Create a “This Sucks” list. Familiarity not only breeds contempt, but it also stifles creativity. Creative Thinking Skills Self-Assessment In this last stage of the creative thinking process, you need to test your idea. Have your meetings outside, walk, and talk. Use different transportation. Creative thinking is a skill which lets you consider things from a fresh perspective and different angles. The term ‘role-play’ also encompasses Business Constellations. First, I’ve found that original thinking and innovation only occurs when you are uncomfortable. Linus Pauling - Thus, we can say creative thinking is the task of recognizing relationships between concepts. I recommend that you get into the habit of carrying some note-taking tool with you at all times. You can also learn more about my services on Brilliant Forge. We’re not afraid to be weird. 8 Creative Thinking Techniques and The Tools To Use. Every company I’ve spent time with — as an employee or consultant — wants to find a way for their employees and their organizations to be more innovative. Everyone follows up an initial idea, feeding off it to generate new ones, until an end point is reached on that idea, at which point the group turns to a new idea and does the same. The Best Rituals to Jumpstart Your Creativity, Screwed Up? They are often used formally, to help with problem solving in the workplace. When I run and let my mind wander, I’m struck with flashes of inspiration later. The act of making something with your hands, and occupying your conscious mind with spatial problems, can often allow your subconscious to get to work on the big intractable problem. But, I finally found a mix of techniques that give you the best chance of success in creating and sustaining a viable innovation process that delivers results. As Oscar Levant said, there is a fine line between genius and insanity. Are there other creative techniques that work well for you? Examples that use drawing techniques to aid creative thinking. Being able to draw is not a prerequisite to this approach. Organising elements for Critical and Creative Thinking The elements are not a taxonomy of thinking. Draw with pencil, coloured pencils, charcoal, ink pens- still life- focus on lines/ focus on the outside contours/ focus on light and shadows/ 2. Children can: 1. Creative thinking can be aided by brainstorming or lateral thinking to generate ideas. This creative exercise works well for students as well as adults and is a great idea to develop one's linguistic skills. Sometimes the most useful outcomes of any creative thinking exercise are the unexpected ones, so don’t squash ideas just because they don’t seem to fit straight away. Go to a concert. Why do we do it that way? Tim Brown, of IDEO, wrote an excellent article about it in the June 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review. This eBook, now in its second edition, with new and revised content for 2020, is designed to make life both easier and better. Many people also use this opportunity to group ideas by theme to make exploration easier since, often, a lot of the ideas will be linked. Plus, it’s kind of fun. Again, you create a picture of a situation, but this time using words as sparingly as possible. The principal and a few teachers formed a research committee that included a couple of teachers and a small handful of students. The idea behind this is that seeing the pictures makes it easier to 'bridge' the gap between the current situation and the desired future situation. Take a short word, say for example Dye. Draw from observation -sketching fro… I also find it much easier to sketch concepts on paper to illustrate and capture concepts. Learn how to look after your body and mind: the fundamental first steps to personal development. It is true that there are those who are gifted with a greater aptitude for literal creative thinking but thinking and idea generation are skill that one can learn easily. 16th Jul … Creative thinking is also important for other reasons: Thinking creatively provides immense freedom. Finally, the last interesting technique is to try to view the world through the “eyes of a child”. One fairly simple way to do this is by drawing or creating something in three dimensions, perhaps using junk-modelling or balloons and post-it notes. However, there are also some tools and techniques that can be used to stimulate creative thinking. They’re not banned altogether, but your thinking will be more creative if you focus on the pictures. It is important to set aside plenty of time for brainstorming, and to keep exploring even when you think you’ve found a good idea: the first idea is very seldom the best. According to the teaching of Garard Puccio of the Buffalo State College in New York, creativity is a four stage process. Constantly observe the world around you and use it to capture opportunities. Instead, as long as you have time, try exploring other ideas, or even push the one that you have a bit further. Many of the approaches failed. Check out a selection of six of the most functional and used creative thinking techniques in the world, which have helped many people and will certainly help you too. It’s super neat. I love hearing how they view problems and the solutions they offer. There are a number of ways that we can all become more creative thinkers, such as getting to know more people, and exposing ourselves to new experiences. We get set in our ways, consciously — or unconsciously — optimizing how we spend our days in a familiar pattern. Rich pictures are a rather more visual version of mind mapping. My children were always saying, “Why do we have to do that? There are a number of ways that we can all become more creative thinkers, such as getting to know more people, and exposing ourselves to new experiences. Just make sure that you shock yourself out of your usual comfort zone. Divergent Thinking Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Typical examples of times when you might take the time to use creative thinking techniques include: When you are facing a major problem or issue, and you cannot see an obvious way forward. ‘Role-play’, does not just include the basic ‘pretend I’m your customer’-type role-plays, or even ‘walk around the room trying to channel an animal’-type exercises, which rightly or wrongly are often regarded as something of a waste of time. Understanding Creative Thinking This allows for initial ideas to be explored in more detail and accepted for further investigation or discarded. Some people use a similar technique by pretending that they are an alien visitor from another world. But, maybe that is my design background poking through. You can also use something like Evernote on your mobile device, which I use daily as well. The use of material found at skillsyouneed.com is free provided that copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is included to the page/s where the information was found. The Skills You Need Guide to Life: Looking After Yourself. People are even partaking in “forest bathing” to boost their mood and immune systems. We have listed below several creative thinking techniques that you can use to come up with creative ideas faster. I can’t come up with a single crazy, creative concept for my morning list of 10 ideas. Approach the problems you are trying to solve as if you have absolutely no knowledge of any existing solutions (e.g., you’ve never interacted with this situation before). It’s the activity, not the precise form at the end, that’s important. How can I become more creative? This creative process allows you to explore connections, meet new challenges and seek solutions that are unusual, original and fresh.. That’s not why I do it. Business Constellations is a technique emerging from family therapy, which allows a group to explore the interrelationships within it by the use of actors or group members to represent particular individuals, not necessarily themselves. The aim is to determine the most appropriate Yes, they’re easier to acquire for some people than others, but they can in principle be cultivated in anyone. It's an inventive thought process which results in surprising conclusions and new ways of doing things. thinking skills. When you need a creative boost to solve some sticky problem, remove yourself from your usual environment and head for the forest or even a local park. However, they also have a place outside work, in helping to deal with problems and issues. The fatigue of our attention and cognitive abilities leads to a lack of that “spark” we need for inspiration. So the best way to have a good idea is to generate lots of ideas, then discard the impractical and inappropriate ones. If you’d like to support my writing, you can buy me a coffee. See also: Executive Coaching is one of the most efficient methods for developing a high-performance business. Historically, universities in the U.S. have attracted students from around the world, which injects a diversity of experiences, thinking, and creative styles into our schools and businesses. This will all take time. Role-play situations also cover other, more radical and powerful ideas such as Richard Olivier’s Mythodrama, which explores leadership through the medium of Shakespeare’s plays. During brainstorming or just mental playfulness, all kinds of strange thoughts and ideas can be entertained. Creativity techniques are methods that encourage creative actions, whether in the arts or sciences. 5 Routines to Enhance Creativity and Imagination, Subscribe to our Newsletter | Contact Us | About Us. I find that one of the best ways to do this is to travel. I remember one of the earliest when I was in high school. Every textbook on creativity affirms to the importance of setting aside clearly defined time for creative thinking and innovation. I’m a big believer in spending time in nature, for all of these reasons and more. We love digital - Call 03332 207 677 and say hello - Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm. Meet new people. Olivier found using Henry V as a management textbook opens up some interesting ideas, and there is more about his ideas on our page on Leadership Styles. That’s when I know that I need to pack up and leave. De Bono’s six thinking hats (Source: Micorsoft) The Six Thinking Hats. Techniques are like tools in a workshop, with different tools for different parts of the creative process. Double Nobel Laureate, chemist, biochemist and peace campaigner. Make time for cohesive creative thinking. Brainstorming is the often-maligned practice of getting a group of people together and generating ideas. But, neuroscientist David Strayer discovered in his research that “four days of immersion in nature, and the corresponding disconnection from multi-media and technology, increases performance on a creativity, problem-solving task by a full 50% in a group of naive hikers.”. And of course, as each person moves, it affects the others in the group, who then want to move again. Material from skillsyouneed.com may not be sold, or published for profit in any form without express written permission from skillsyouneed.com. No words are allowed, it all has to be pictures, although they can talk about what they’re drawing. Exactly how those ideas are generated is less important than the ideas themselves. As you go about your daily routine, take note of irritating events and failures. So you ended up with an imag… Each of these is an opportunity for a solution or as Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay, said; “Look for friction in the system and create a solution that reduces or removes that friction” (paraphrased). The following are common types of creating thinking. Research shows that in terms of divergent thinking, problem solving, performance, and creative attitudes, creativity training is effective (Scott et. How can we all restructure our lives and daily practices to fully participate in the creative class? ), you are entirely awake absorbing the data around you. Now make a sentence using the letters of this word as the first letter of each word in a … Then ask them to move to the opposite edge, and draw the ideal future situation. Individuals and companies have so many burning questions around innovation, creativity, and brainstorming. So, take a new route to work. A little over a year ago I launched an app that gives users access to more than 150 creative techniques and thinking methods. But, our most recent policy changes have created barriers to entry, admissions have dropped, and now visitors are reluctant to come here. The second point is closely related and it is ‘go with the flow’. Here Are Koozai's 8 Fantastic Creative Thinking Techniques To Help You Generate All Kinds Of Ideas For Content. Many people also find doing jigsaw puzzles is a good way to get some creative thinking time. It is by far the simplest of all creative techniques and is widely used by people who need to create new ideas (for example, for new products). This can be an individual or group activity, to aid either your own or everyone’s thinking processes. This never fails to spark new ideas. Although at first glance, some creative thinking techniques may sometimes look a bit ridiculous, there are good principles behind most of them. Don’t Worry, First Attempts Often Fail, Blessed For The Crappy Review of My Math Book, How Steve Martin Used The Power Of Naïveté To Find Wild And Crazy Success, 5 Tips On Finding Inspiration for Your Next Poem, When You’re Stuck Creatively, Borrow Franz Kafka’s Brain. Note in this section that the goal is to produce a good quantity and a good quality of new ideas and solutions so that the best ones may be chosen. The goal was to create a program to spark, encourage, and productively guide the creativity of the students in the school. The first is don’t stop there. It is simply faster and less distracting than pulling a device out, launching an app, ignoring the other apps and notifications, and trying to capture an idea. updated for 2020. Are you already a Redbooth user? 4 Tips for Getting Your Team to Think Creatively We discovered that no one was completely successful, although there were some interesting aspects of the different programs. Therefore, creative thinking is the ability to consider something – a conflict between employees, a data set, a group project – in a new way." So, what can we do here, right now, to bring back the spark of our own creativity? It encourages us to look at other perspectives and even open up to the idea of new solutions. Envisaging the future is an interesting exercise to do with a group especially during times of change. But, it’s clear that the U.S. isn’t poised to lead the way. A definition of creative thinking is as a way to look at and solve problems from a different perspective, avoiding orthodox solutions and thinking outside the box.