How creative are you?

For lots of people, their answer is “not very.”

I want to challenge that assumption.  In honor of National Creativity Day (May 30), I’m sharing some perspectives on creativity that might help to expand your understanding of creativity… and might even change your own assessment of how creative you are – or can be!

First, let me start by saying that creativity is not a gift, or talent, or ability that is only given to certain people.  Creativity is not the same as artistic talent.  One might use creativity in some form of artistic expression, but creativity is (or can be) used in all industries and in every form of human expression.  It’s needed in all aspects of life – from living with our families to doing our jobs, from discerning our career path to planning our next vacation.

No, creativity is not an inborn quality or special ability.

So what IS creativity?

Creativity is actually three things all at once:  a mindset, a process, and a set of tools.

It’s a mindset of openness that values imagination and novelty and sees problems as challenges and opportunities for growth.  This mindset can be grown and stretched with intentional practice.  Which leads us to the process…

Creativity is a process – often deliberate and intentional – that harnesses positive energy to open up new and unconventional possibilities.  It is a process that can be used to approach everything in life.  By using this process, we can expand our creative mindset.  And to use this process, we will likely need some tools…

Creativity is applying a set of tools to help us think differently.  Just like any tools (think hammer and screwdriver), we can learn to use these creativity tools and build our skills over time.  Our first attempts may be awkward, but with time and practice, we can become proficient at using these tools.  When that happens, we see how using the tools helps us save time and effort.

Think of trying to install a light fixture without a screwdriver… you might be able to do it eventually, but it will take a lot more time and effort.  The same is true of creativity.  Tools help make the job easier!

Assumptions 

These three ways of defining creativity lead to two foundational assumptions about creativity and creative problem solving.

1. Everyone is creative.

2. Creative skills can be learned and enhanced.

Interestingly, the assumption that everyone is creative is also a foundational assumption in coaching.  Coaches are trained to see their clients as whole, creative, and resourceful.  As a coach, and a practitioner of creative problem solving, I believe wholeheartedly that every person is creative.  I know that you already possess the ability to create novel ideas and open new possibilities for yourself.

Sometimes, you just need a little help to do that.  Enter assumption #2.

Creative skills can be learned and enhanced.  Since creativity is a mindset, a process and a set of tools – and not an innate quality – it can be expanded with learning, training, coaching, and practice.

Two Types of Thinking

One core principle of creative problem solving is that two different types of thinking – divergent and convergent thinking – must be balanced.  Divergent thinking is the kind of thinking that generates lots of ideas and options.  Convergent thinking is the kind of thinking that evaluates ideas and options and makes solid decisions.

Luckily, you already have experience with both kinds of thinking.  A simple example:  you regularly decide what clothes to wear.

Except for any times when you might be required to wear a uniform or certain outfit, you likely have multiple clothing options in your closet and dresser.  The last time you got dressed, you used divergent thinking to generate a few different ideas of outfits you could wear.  Then you narrowed your options and chose one using convergent thinking.  

Both of these kinds of thinking are required for creative problem solving, but the key is knowing when each is needed and how to effectively engage in it.

Divergent thinking is likely the type of thinking that most people associate with being “creative.”  And it’s often true that the creative problem solving process is fueled by dedicated time and energy spent in divergent thinking.  During this time, we need to defer or suspend judgment (positive and negative) and focus on generating lots of options, otherwise we won’t generate enough new ideas and options to find a workable solution.

However, divergent thinking isn’t enough.  It must be balanced with convergent thinking.  If divergent thinking is the fuel, convergent thinking is the GPS and the guardrails on the highway that help ensure that we continue moving toward the goal.

Creative problem solving requires both types of thinking.  And while most of us have a preference for (or more skills in) one of these types of thinking, it’s important to remember that everyone is creative.  People who struggle with divergent thinking and are more skilled at convergent thinking still have an important role to play in a creative problem solving process.

See Problems as Questions

Another core principle of creative problem solving is to understand that all problems are really just questions in disguise – and usually questions with many possible answers.  When problems are restated as open-ended questions, we can see them as challenges and opportunities that have multiple possibilities.

For example, the problem of “My job is challenging and exhausting” might get restated as “What might help me bring more energy to work?” or “How can I find more joy in my job?” or even “What kinds of work would be life-giving for me?” 

Simply reframing problems and complaints as open-ended questions can shift a person’s (or a group’s!) mindset, beliefs, emotions, and energy.  It can help them gain (or regain) a sense of their personal power in a situation and consider ways to take action.  

If you want one concrete takeaway from this blog, it’s this:  To get more creative (and be more effective as a leader), practice this skill of reframing problems as questions.  

Need help getting started with this?  Try these “question stems:

• How might I (we)…?

• How to…?

• In what ways might I (we)…?

• What are all the ways I (we) could…?

I learned this principle of seeing (and phrasing) problems as questions when I was in high school.  I’ve used it in my own life and with groups, in personal and professional settings, ever since then.  When others affirm my perseverance, dedication, and ability to find or create solutions to difficult problems, I know it’s a direct result of applying this principle.

Four Stages

The definition, assumptions, and core principles of creativity come together in the creative problem solving model.  In this model, or process, a person or group moves through four stages to solve a problem.  We’ll look at each stage (and a tool for each!) over the next four weeks in this blog, but in brief, the four stages are:

1. Clarify:  Identifying the issue, expanding understanding with related data, and formulating the real challenge to be addressed.

2. Ideate:  Generating ideas that may address the challenge.

3. Develop:  Evaluating, strengthening, and selecting a solution to be implemented.

4. Implement:  Exploring acceptance and identifying resources and action steps to implement the selected solution.

Let’s Put This in Action

So, now how creative do you think you are?

Hopefully, you have a new perspective about creativity and your own creative abilities.  But in case you’re still saying, “I’m just not the creative type,” or “I don’t have a creative bone in my body,” I invite you to come along for the ride over the next four weeks.  

Each week, I’ll unpack one of the stages of the creative problem solving process.  I’m pretty sure that at least one of those stages will catch your attention!  We all have at least one stage that we’re pretty good at, a stage where we get some energy, and a stage where we can contribute and grow.

And bring your strengths along for the ride!  Because usually the stages where we feel we can best contribute are the places where our strengths (CliftonStrengths or otherwise) can naturally shine.  

Your personal strengths matter.  A lot.  

Here’s my take on the assumptions of creativity through a strengths-based lens:  Everyone is creative.  But everyone is creative in a different way, based on their strengths.

So let’s put this in action over the next four weeks.  Think about your strengths and a problem in your personal life that’s currently vexing you.  Meet me right here next week, and we’ll get started walking you through your very own creative problem solving process!

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