How To Think Creatively – Leadership Skills
November 1, 2011 by Miriam Buhr
Filed under Skillset
photo by nataliafebo
Ask a child, what does being creative mean? and they’re likely to say…
it’s about doing things in a most outrageous way or ways;
it’s about thinking outside the box…
Ask an adult this same question and they’re likely to give you different scenarios which also points to doing things outside the norm but you’ll also note that it’s an emotional state that often eludes them.
Being in a state of ‘creative flow,” according to Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi means that a person’s motivational level is completely focused. One of his studies points to the idea that 15% of the participants never experienced a state of “flow”, while 15-20% said they experience it every day (or several times a day), and the rest of the participants were found to be in the middle of those 2 categories.
Keep in mind that being able to experience a state of creative flow has not been linked to intelligence. Therefore learning ways of thinking creatively or exposing yourself to a creative process, can have positive effects on different areas of your life.
Check out how in this video I share how to apply the findings of a scientific study about creativity which was conducted at North Dakota State University.
So if being creative is not reserved only for the smart people of the world, it’s a great idea to learn how to channel the power of thinking creatively and apply it to all areas of your life.
What are your thoughts? Leave your comment below.
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Creativity is the ability to utilize information and materials from one field in a completely different one. There is a difference between creativity and scientific invention and industrial design.
The individual that created the wheel may or may not have been creative (I wasn’t there); the individual that added the wheel to steer a car was.
Roy A. Ackerman, PhD, EA recently posted..Not for children- REALLY?
Good point about operationalizing or defining a concept. In the field of educational psychology, tests that assess creativity are typically based on the operationalization of creativity as a relatively enduring personality trait. To determine individual differences in this area, psychologists tend to rely on specific measurement techniques that focus on a person’s motivational state and his or her resulting creativity of performance in a particular place and time. So the message that I want people to take away after reading this post is to be aware of their level of thinking… thinking outside the box even if that box is another area of expertise is not only a sign of a divergent thought process but also indicates a level of openness and willingness for experimentation with what is available and what is not in sight. Either way it is opening up to possibilities and not being stuck in mediocrity. Thanks Roy!
Hi Miriam,
This is my first visit and I am excited already.
Anything that seek to bring me back to childhood days will interest me. I want to be creative and carefree again. When I am in this state, my heart pounds and race. I wait in anticipation for good things to come. My energy levels are high to help me create my own realities. It is the perfect state to be in. I will buy that big lollie pop and share it with my kids.
Jimmy recently posted..Using the Law of Attraction to Speed up the Attraction Process
Awesome Jimmy! You sure have a positive way of looking at life…that’s quite contagious!
Miriam,
Glad I stopped by – you are wonderful on video!
I totally agree that being creative ideas spill into your work. Albert Einstein said it best, “imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Being like a kid is what I thrive on – we become these serious adults and forget that a child brain is a creative brain. Be silly, dance, laugh and do things differently.
Living in the possibilties,
Nancy
Nancy Shields recently posted..FROM GOOD TO GREAT RELATIONSHIPS via The Law of Attraction
Thanks Nancy! I feel that experiencing the kid inside every once in while does create surges of positivity and increases your possibilities! Too much seriousness hurts us at times…it closes up our field of vision.
Big hair or not, this is a great lesson!!
And so timely too, since I’ve just recently been focusing on giving myself more time to PLAY … more time to be CREATIVE … just for the fun of it … which all amounts to … more time to be a kid again.
And you know what?
I’m finding all that luscious energy is spilling over into other parts of my life too.
And that’s just utterly delightful.
Love this video, Miriam dear
Bliss-ings
the (seven year old) goddess known as Jacqui
Jacqueline Gates recently posted..There Are 61 Days Till Christmas …. Will You Be Ready, Dahling?
Indeed Jacqui! When you allow this ‘luscious’ energy to flow into one area of your life, it’ almost resembles water which acts life a force that moves and spills over to other areas that are open to this flow!
Thanks for the post and the video! I think I’m going to start trying to think as a kid to bring out that creative side of me! I just hope i don’t go overboard with this!
gracia19 recently posted..CMA Management Accountants
You are so welcome gracia19! I think that there’s no going overboard if you do it with loving intention and purpose:)
Loved your post and video Miriam!
So as you know, my family along with 600 000 people were out of power last week… When I was young, I use to think it was so cool to be out of electricity and have to use cadles and play games in the dark…LOL Of course it was different then because there was no internet and cable… So if I did that exercise now and thought like a kid…I’m sure I would have gotten some great insights and trusted that things would be ok… I think that it is awesome to have the ability to think creatively especially while in a situation like we were in last week… I also think that the child in me would have want to draw by candlelight or do a picknic and went swimming more which i didn’t do…This is a great reminder and I’ll be sure to try to think more creatively and also trust more…I think it will be easy enough…It’s all about deciding to do it
Reminders are everywhere. Yet it’s up to us to be open to these messages. What’s interesting is that creativity is part of every one of us but we consider it something either out of the ordinary or simply something ‘nice’ to embrace or use when there’s enough spare time. Glad that you see it as an important and meaningful way of life. Thanks Nathalie for sharing your experience and message with us. ~Miriam