Questions about creative thinking I have been asked in Quora

• Is creativity related to problem-solving abilities?

I would say "yes, but not always". It depends on the type of problem and the person who is solving it, as well as the process followed.  There coul be problems that usually we can solve the same way and might not require much creativity. It does not mean that the person could not approach it creatively thinking about other ways to solve the problem faster, less costly, more efficient or with added benefits. Usually when it is a type of problem that is new or with added difficulties or in different contexts, etc always there is some level of creativity to be applied.
However, in my opinion, creativity is related but not limited to problem solving as it can be explored from different angles such as the process (for example, a problem solving process), the person, the product created and the creative environment.

• How can one make imagination more vivid?

 By imagining the details.   The trick is to try to "visualize" not only the images but also to perceive with the 5 senses: sight, sounds, tastes, touch and smells.  And most important, to try not only to imagine with the senses but also with your heart. Imagine your emotions, you feelings.  For example, there are relaxation scripts that can be found online, where you can have an idea of so many things you can perceive when walking around the beach or the forest (perceiving many pleasurable sensations: warmth and smooth sand, fresh air and water, bright colours,  etc.) and at the same time imagine yourself relax, rested, full of energy and happiness. 
This activity can be useful also to learn new behaviours, as you can imagine first in your mind what you are going to do in reality.  For example, you can imagine yourself  doing a presentation in public or behaving assertively and not only thinking what you are saying (and how, your body language, etc.) but also feeling confident and motivated.

•  Think Big - How do you "think big"? What do you use to think big? Your examples?

 A simple task could be to change the level of abstraction, to exagerate, to magnify   some element of what you are thinking about.  This can create a challenge that make you think differently.  For example, imagine you want to increase the benefit of a company by 10%.  You might be thinking about small changes to reduce costs and increase benefits, such as increment of sales, increment of selling price, etc.  However, imagine you are thinking about increasing the benefit by 100%.  The type of thoughts that you had before will seem will not be able to achieve a change like this.  Then you need to think about other changes that are more radical, including the possibility of redesigning completely the business model (or closing this down and starting a new one, or starting something new without closing down this one).

•  Why do people create things?

 We enjoy creating.  It is fun and feels natural to express yourself doing something.  There is a satisfaction element in finishing something that make yourself feel to have achieved something.  Whatever you have done, it is an expression of yourself, and you can feel defined by it.   When you create something, you feel the ability of having been able to do it. 
When you have been creating things, but there is a long time you have not done it, you could start having doubts about your ability.  Creating something means that your areusing your knowledge, experience and motivation, so it is something that you value and feels part of being yourself.
Of course, there is also the need of creating things, tools, inventions, etc to solve problems or to improve things, or adapting things we have for other purposes, so we create not only something but a different way of using it.

•  How can I learn to invent?

 To start thinking about inventing, it can be useful not to be to ambitious, but start thinking about small changes on things that exist, products that you use.  You could think about any problem and what solutions exist and imagine something different.  When you have thought about something different, you can think about what other benefits, besides solving the problem you had thought about.  Think about what people or your self criticise about other products, what are the things you don´t like.  You can draw some draft about the product you are thinking about.
You could try to simplify something that exists or the opposite, try to add more features to a product that exist, or try to adapt it to a new environment, to do different things or for different type of user.  Write a selling advert, an elevator pitch, imagine you are in Dragon´s Den trying to sell your idea. 
Think about the trends in life, about problems you have had in your life, about the products that have been successful.  Think no only about the different possibilities of products that currently exist but about different ways of using them. You could focus in an specific group of people, with specific needs or in a group of owners of a product.
Think about new technologies and how could be use in different fieldsor how to combine new products with old ones. 

•  How can a person be both rational and creative?

 I think the trick is to be both rational and creative at different times.  It is possible to be both at the same time, but I feel that it will be better to exchange times where you are rational and where you are creative, the same way as to exchange work and rest, or physical and mental activities.
That has been said under the understanding that rational can be "critical" and creative can be an attitude to be open to all type of options.  However, I think it is possible also to be rational at the same time as creative, but probably will not be as effective as it seems to me that it could be like going in a car and checking the map.  You could try to do it at the same time, but will be difficult, dangerous and maybe you have to reduce the speed.  However, it is better to stop, concentrate on it, have an idea about what to do and then do it. This will be more effective, as you concentrate in one activity at at time.

•  Should we learn to separate the art from the artist?

I think you are right.  In some cases their art can be an expression of bad life experiences.  On other cases, these type of experiences are aimed to find inspiration or something to be expressed or are just utilised for that.  However, "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder" and at the same time, everybody has the potential to do art and everybody is or can be an artist.It is possible to admire the art but not the artist, the same way that "good people" can do bad things or "bad people" can do good things.  On the other side, people change and maybe they did wonderful things in the past, but in the present their lifestyles are not so wonderful (or the opposite).
Sometimes people can forget who they were and also who they are.  Some people could believe that the artist is just an instrument for the expression of the art.





o rigid routine, but the truth is that it works.  You have a time frame every day where you are thinking about something, you choose some topic that you enjoy thinking about, you choose maybe some thinking tool... and the consistency of thinking on a daily basis means that very often I awake in the morning with some idea related that I never thought about it consciously but it looks some kind of simplification or integration of some of my ideas.
Even if it might not be related to the question, something that has changed a lot that consistency of getting ideas, is the need to do something with them that same day, even if it is to write something about them (not only in paper, but in a blog or something else that makes the idea to remain), or do a first step towards its implementation.

•  How can I more consistently be creative?

This is a very important question that can change anybody´s life.  In my case, it is a combination of the topics I am more interested at the time and also an habit of continuity thinking about these topics on a daily basis. I commute by public transport nearly every day, what means I have sometime that I could be reading, sleeping or checking emails on my mobile...  What I do it is to have a notebook and think about some topic I am interested. I could do that using some thinking technique (see my book "Essex Creativity") or doing free writing about it, allowing any thoughts that come to me to flow.  A nice way to start thinking about something is to write some questions about it. And this is a good point: Think about new questions you could ask about a topic you are interested.
You might think about it as a too rigid routine, but the truth is that it works.  You have a time frame every day where you are thinking about something, you choose some topic that you enjoy thinking about, you choose maybe some thinking tool... and the consistency of thinking on a daily basis means that very often I awake in the morning with some idea related that I never thought about it consciously but it looks some kind of simplification or integration of some of my ideas.
Even if it might not be related to the question, something that has changed a lot that consistency of getting ideas, is the need to do something with them that same day, even if it is to write something about them (not only in paper, but in a blog or something else that makes the idea to remain), or do a first step towards its implementation.

• Where do people get their creative ideas?

Mixing something that is interesting for the person, some knowledge about it and something else related to the person's life. Sometimes it helps thinking about questions related to the topic, possibly connected to a total different topic. It can be easy to start by doing small changes to something. Then you can try to think big, breaking assumptions about how things are supposed to be. When thinking, reading or writing about something, sometimes you can awake in the morning with a new idea that can simplify and make easier to implement another idea you had previously, in which you have been working but now the thought reveals a more powerful motivation to do something about it.

•  What techniques are most helpful for thinking creatively?

 I think that in the same way people should not stop generating ideas when they find one, people should not use only one technique but several. I designed an acronym called B.A.S.I.L.D.O.N. (brainstorming, analogies, searching, inspiration, lottery, differences, open questions, notebook) in my book Essex Creativity, that suggest using all of them as I believe it is more beneficial

•  How can I learn to think outside of the box?

First you need to identify the box (material, shape...) you want to want to be thinking outside from.  Is it a cardboard box that can be cut easily by hand? Awooden box that need some specific tool like a saw ? Asafety box that need something very difficult to find? Is it a drawer that sometimes is open and sometimes is closed? Is is a glass box that seems you are outside, when in reality you are inside? Is it a box shaped by fear, by lack of resources, the lack of time or finance, by the way of expressing, by cultural rules, by your own experiences, by your language, the way you express the ideas, labels, stereotypes, concepts... the way you try to think, to make things more complex or simpler than they really are?  What box is stopping you to think without specific limits?

•  In Wallas process: preparation, incubation, illumination, verification. Which is the most critical step for you and how do you do it?

In my opinion, preparation is the most critical step, followed by verification.  In preparation we do all the work of gathering, combining, transforming and re-structuring.   This is an effort that will contribute to generate ideas at any time.  On the other side, when in the illumination step we have new insights, these new ideas are in a weak position.  On one hand, they must look too difficult to apply or too different to what was expected.  On the other side, this difficulty to link the new idea with our need is what the step of verification can solve.  The step of verification can transform a weak idea in a new approach to transform radically a concept, a way of doing something.  This usually needs the work done in Preparation to reach at this stage.  If we don´t start the process having a good preparation, using the tools that we have, the stage of verification will not be as revolutionary as it should.

•  Why do ideas often come in the shower?

I believe in some situations like having a shower, sleeping, washing dishes, shaving, etc the brain is a bit relaxed because it is concentrating on an activity that doesn't demand much concentration. Then, even if you are not thinkin consciously, the brain still is working unconsciously in a less restrictive way because you are not consciously censoring your ideas, combinations, modifications, etc

•  Where do you start when planning a creative project?

I would start by writing some ideas using brainstorming, free writng or/and mind mapping. Then, I will think how to organise them. It could be following a logical process but also thinking about mixing activities in a sequence that alternate different type of activities.

•  How do you choose the techniques to generate ideas?

 Quick answer:
There are too many techniques and variations of techniques, so I would recommend to choose the one you feel more motivated to and at the same time another technique you don´t feel comfortable with.

Long answer:
I think there is not an easy answer, as I feel it is more an art than a science.  In my own experience, sometimes due to time restrictions I use any super quick technique and then I modify or combine the results.  In my book "Essex Creativity" I designed an acronym called B.A.S.I.L.D.O.N. (brainstorming, analogies, search, inspiration, lottery, differences, open questions, notebook)  to ensure I use a specific set of different type of techniques.  Even though it might seem a waste of time, the truth is that when using these different techniques, many ideas will be similar, but also there will be a few ones that are different.
Besides, If there is need, I will use something different to approach the topic from a different perspective.  Some times you could think about a criteria that could help you to choose a technique, such as to be used individually or in group, the time for the activity, the urgency, the confidence you have on that technique, the difficulty, etc.

I think to use a type of reflective practice about how the activity to generate ideas has been used, your thoughts, feelings, outcomes and what could be done different, can be a good guideline to choose what to do next.

I believe that sometimes the problem is not only to generate ideas, but to focus on how the problem has been defined.  Some times, using more time to think about the definition of the problem and the information we have can be beneficial to frame the type of ideas we want.

•  How can I bring out the creativity I only have in my dreams?

Act on any idea as soon as you are aware, specially if you suddenly awake.... Don´t leave it till next day, write something in a notebook, blog, twitter, whatsapp... anything!!! There are many ideas that are lost or loose the power of the emotion attached to them and later might be to late....
It is very interesting to see how sometimes we use thinking techniques to generate ideas... and other times they come without trying....
I would advice to try different things at different times (day or night), different places, different ways of expressing them.... It could start by using free writing, juts reflecting on what is around your mind, even if it is just to mention thoughts about wanting to generate ideas, discouragement, etc.  You can even try to improvise talking about the topic to yourself or singing about it, or drawing about it.
Also you could just relax, concentrate in your breathing, your mind, the sounds outside in the street, in the room, in your body... relax and don´t stop thoughts moving around but also don´t allow them to stop your flow.  When something is special, write it.

•  How do you explain to a younger person that imagination is no substitute for personal real life experience?

  Imagination will help to perceive details. You can visualise, hear, feel, etc. and predict scenarios, imagine problems, discussions, implementation of solutions , steps to be done... However it will be very difficult to imagine all the actions, behaviours, thoughts, emotions  ,variations, changes, etc and unexpected things that arrive with real life experience. However, imagination is very useful to analyse, think and plan without forgetting that it will only be an approximation to reality.

•   To what extent is scientific creativity driven by "making connections"? 

Scientific creativity refers to a replicable methodology. A method with trials and errors, associations and combinations, iterations that provoke new concepts. This methodology could be programmed to generate different options considering all possible combinations as well as a determined process.

•  Why is thinking outside of the box important?

 Because to improve things require doing things differently. New problems require new solutions and new ways of thinking to achieve these solutions. In competition, you need to win.   This can be achieved by training harder... Or by finding niches with less competition.

•  What are some activities or exercise I could do or try that will get me to think outside of the box?

One interesting activity is to think ideas to achieve the opposite to what you want. Later think about the opposite of each of the ideas. For example, if you are thinking about finding a job, you could ask yourself how to loose a job, write ie. 10 ideas and later write the opposite ideas. This will suggest new possibilities.

•  How can we develop our critical thinking abilities?

 By learning how to search and assess the strengths and weaknesses of evidences. Looking at their simplicity, common sense, logicality and comprehensiveness, meaning that it can be applied on many different situations. 

Paying attention to other issues that can disturb our critical spirit: Tiredness, dispersion, expectations, emotional thinking, rules in a community, "groupthink" not wanting to think different than others, assumptions, , labels, overgeneralisation, radical thinking, rushing, jumping into conclusions, etc

Also by using reflective practice to reflect on our critical thinking.

• How can one become a better thinker?

 Depends on what is interpreted by "better think". Faster? Deeper? More ideas? Better argumentation? Good decisions? Common sense? With clarity? Conceptual? Visual? Understanding? Comprehensive, broad?   In a society overloaded with social media and information, I think the better thinker is the one who has learnt to enjoy thinking because will spend more time thinking.

•  What are the best books about creativity and creative thinking?

• A Technique for Producing Ideas

A very interesting book to fall in love with the process of thinking.

• Essex Creativity: How to think

A book with many tools to generate ideas, break routines, analyse thinking errors, problem solving, etc.

•  Why do most people pay more attention to the results instead of the process?

Very interesting question about thinking!  When you enjoy thinking, there are interesting ideas flowing around.  When you are too focused on the results, you might not enjoy the process.
However, when you have a wonderful idea, you can surprise yourself and think: Where is this idea coming from?  Why?  You might feel some type of illumination and appreciate the happiness attached to it more than even the quality of the idea.  Maybe the idea is not something special, but because of the emotion attached to it, because of the meaning that 
you feel about it, it become special.
A way to place emphasis on the process on any activity could be to think about it as if you were playing for the fun of doing it, with the aim not to win, but to enjoy. Another example could be to do any activity as present as possible. Thinking about nothing else than the activity, developing concentration to be in only one place, one activity.

• Is thinking inside the box still relevant?

Of course it is relevant.  Experience is a very good asset to use to solve any type of problems.  The best combination will be experience inside the box with fresh ideas that come from the inexperience and freedom that comes when you don´t feel limited by the knowledge and expertise you have accumulated.

•  What´s thinking "inside the box"?

Thinking inside the box is a good thing to do when the problems you are dealing with are problems that you have dealt with them in the past.  However, when it is the first time you deal with a type of problem or when you have tried the solution that other times has worked, but not on this occasion, then you have to think outside the box of the ideas that have worked well in the past.

Inside the box could be some options that have been successful before, but when this options don´t work any more you have to go outside this box to find out other options that can be successful.

•  What is the reason that humans tend to think "inside" the box and why is it harder to think outside the box once one has been established?

We feel comfortable and enjoy the routines.  We build a system of knowledge based on our experiences that are useful to our survival.  It is like a model that works for us and help us to deal with daily issues.  Even when knowing different tools and techniques to be innovative, we tend to use the ones we feel more comfortable with or the ones we enjoy more.

Once that one has been established, tends to protect his/her establishment as thinking outside the box can be risky.  The risk of thinking outside the box can be contrasted with the risk of remaining stuck in the past.  While one is not established, the tendency is to continue fighting, to continue doing whatever it takes to improve, such as thinking outside the box.  When one is established, you don´t want to risk it.

•  Does Amazon think "outside the box"?

I believe that everybody that is a leader like Amazon needs to think out of the box, as by definition to be a leader means that others follow you.  When you think about companies that are leading their industry, always you can find some product or service that stands out as different from others.  Thinking outside the box can be thinking how to improve things in ways that nobody has done it before or doing things that nobody has done before.I believe amazon is breaking the limits that others haven´t thought about.  Even though I have never used the service of delivery in 1 hour, I think it is pretty amazing.

• What is thinking outside the box? How can I do it?

The box shows some limitations.  Thinking outside the box is thinking outside these limitations.  These limitations can exist because of fear, because of our routines, because of our assumptions, labels, emotions, rules in our society or family, the tools we use, because of our expertise about the topic we are thinking, that make it difficult to see it with fresh eyes, but with expectations based on our past experiences.

Breaking routines can help to think outside the box.  You can change timetables, the type of books you read, the people you mingle with, the tools you use to think.  You can use analogies to relate the topic of thinking with some other topic that is very different and try to make links.