Unlocking Creativity: Problem Solving, Innovation, and Self-expression for Everyday Life

2024-03-31 20:04:00
Creativity provides problem solving, innovation, mental flexibility, self-expression and improves learning (Illustrative image Infobae)

Creativity is the ability to generate original, novel and valuable ideas. It is the ability to think differently, break with established models and find new solutions to the challenges that arise. It is the third most valued skill in the labor market and, in reality, it is useful in all aspects of life.

According to physicist Albert Einstein: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Those who enhance and develop it have better tools to face the daily challenges of life, experts say.

What is a creative person like? Think “outside the box,” experts say. But what is the box? “It is a limit within our own mind. A limit between what we know and what we have not yet thought regarding,” said Agostina Galiani, Member of the Department of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Rehabilitation at INECO in arecent note.

And he explained: “To think outside the box, we have to think of something absurd, something that is apparently not relevant, and resist the temptation to go back to the box (the known) and ‘this doesn’t make sense.’”

Albert Einstein said that “creativity is intelligence having fun”, a quality that abounds in childhood (Illustrative Image Infobae)

“Our brain takes two paths when solving problems, and both are necessary to develop creativity: one of them is a deliberate path, which requires critical thinking, conscious and analyzed decisions; The other is a spontaneous, automatic path that is based on instinctive reactions and less conscious decisions,” explained the expert.

For his part, Flavio Calvo (MN: 66869), doctor in psychology, teacher, workshop leader and author, explained to Infobae: “Creativity is contagious, it helps us find different ideas, alternative worlds and new objects in already existing concepts. It works like a muscle that must be exercised to achieve better results and shape new ideas.”

Dr. Claudio G. Waisburg (MN 98128), neuroscientist, speaker and director of the SOMA Institute, explained to Infobae in a userecent the benefits of putting creativity in our lives:

• Problem Solving: Find unique and effective solutions to daily challenges.
• Innovation: drives the development of new ideas and advances in different areas.

Creativity is defined as the ability to generate ideas that are original, novel and valuable, crucial in the labor market and useful in all aspects of life – (Illustrative Image Infobae)

• Mental flexibility: helps you adapt to changing situations and see things from different perspectives.
• Self-expression: facilitates the communication of thoughts, emotions and experiences in an original way.
• Improved learning: promotes the retention of information by approaching it creatively.

Given these great benefits, training creativity is creating a new and valuable tool to face life. For that, there is nothing better than imitating the behaviors and habits of the people who feed off it.

Anthony D. Fredericks, professor emeritus of education at York College in Pennsylvania and author of more than 170 books, explained in an article in Psychology Today that creativity is not just for a few, but is available to everyone and anyone can Increase your “creativity quotient” by making it a daily habit. Thus, he distinguished ten common behaviors in highly creative people:

There are two ways to solve problems: one deliberate and critical, and the other spontaneous and instinctive; both necessary for the development of creativity (Illustrative image Infobae)

1. Creative people are uncomfortable with the status quo. “For them, a creative life is a life full of options, opportunities and alternatives. They do not always accept what others do, rather, they seek multiple answers and points of view. In fact, the most powerful question they routinely ask is the one that begins with the words ‘What if…?’” Fredericks described.

2. They daydream. “Having our “head in the clouds” is an opportunity to let our creative powers develop and flourish,” the professor said.

Even boredom is beneficial. “Being bored can help foster creativity. Many scientists and artists have said that they were inspired or solved a complex problem when they actually stopped thinking regarding it. It is known that Archimedes (the Greek physicist, author of the theorem that bears his name), presented his main discovery related to the displacement of water while bathing,” says neuroscientist Alicia Walf, researcher in the Department of Cognitive Sciences of the Institute. Rensselaer Polytechnic, in a articlepublished in Neuroscience News.

3. They have an open mind. “They examine a variety of possibilities rather than simply looking for a single correct answer. They like to try new things just because. For them, each new situation is a learning situation, not necessarily a means to an end,” the professor explained.

The behaviors that characterize creative people include daydreaming, an open mind, and continuous learning (Illustrative image Infobae)

Calvo explained that Molière, the famous playwright, when he was stuck on an idea and needed to move forward from another place, had a technique called “the layman’s gaze.” “The idea is to find a person who has nothing to do with it and even better, who may not know much regarding the topic being worked on. He may be a child, someone from a completely opposite profession, an elderly person. The idea is to present the objective to him and for him to propose his way of reaching it; many interesting ideas can arise from this technique,” ​​indicated the psychologist.

And he added: “Once you have a long list of things written down on paper, it’s time to use your left hemisphere. Select some points from that list and prioritize those considered most feasible. Give each idea a score and keep the five or six ideas that have the highest score. These are the ones that are going to be implemented to develop.”

4. They spend a lot of time outdoors. “Nature has the ability to evoke a creative way of thinking, making us more curious and able to embrace new ideas,” Fredericks said.

Another habit that helps creativity is to make a daily silent walk to give the brain time to relax and dream. “Mental wandering increases creativity and divergent thinking, which is the ability to develop novel ideas,” explained Samantha Gambino, a clinical psychologist in New York. “And novel thoughts and creative ideas add richness to our lives that help us solve problems, think outside the box, and have a more complete experience,” she added.

It is recommended to spend time outdoors and practicing mindfulness to promote creativity (Illustrative image Infobae)

5. They are open to learning new things. The professor explained that creative people develop continuous learning in a wide variety of topics, which often have little to do with their occupational specialty. “A teacher who takes cooking classes, an architect who takes an archaeological trip through Greece, a dentist who reads books on the history of China,” he exemplified.

6. Meditate and practice mindfulness. “Research published in Harvard Business Review showed that just 10 minutes of meditation a day can increase our creative powers. The simple act of “taking some time off” is enough to calm the mind and offer opportunities to create and innovate,” said the academic. The key is to make meditation and mindfulness a habit that is part of daily activities, he noted.

“Mindfulness can help clear the mind and open space for new ideas. The best ‘Eureka’ moments of creative ideas can appear in the relaxation of a meditation, in the shower or on a walk. I recommend writing down paper or recording voice/audio messages for ourselves as they occur,” Waisburg said.

7. They are independent. “They feel comfortable taking on new challenges without the pressure of approval from others. Although they work with others, they often consider their best work to be the work they do alone,” Fredericks said.

The search for new experiences outside the comfort zone is key to stimulating creativity (Illustrative image Infobae)

8. They are passionate. “They find joy in their activities and are happy to share them with others. “They are, in many ways, optimistic explorers of the unknown,” the professor said.

9. They leave their comfort zone. “They examine the unknown, not necessarily because it will lead to something successful but because it is new. They are happy to play with new ideas. The most important thing is that they are not afraid of failure because they see it as a learning opportunity,” Fredericks described.

Additionally, Waisburg recommended interacting with people from diverse disciplines and backgrounds to stimulate creativity through the exchange of ideas.

10. They practice creativity every day. “When we make creativity a regular habit, we are ‘training’ our mind to tackle all kinds of mental challenges. It is similar to running a marathon. You have to race several days (actually, several years) before the big event to be competitive. Without that day-to-day training, your chances of finishing the race are put at risk. The same thing happens with creativity,” Fredericks mentioned and stated that intelligence or IQ have nothing to do with this issue.

Creativity must be exercised daily, from childhood and throughout life (iStock)

“High intelligence is not a prerequisite for creativity. Being very intelligent and being very creative can, in reality, be two mutually different concepts,” the expert highlighted.

What is most important, experts say, is to train creativity daily, not to stick with the first idea that comes to mind.

“A small creative act each day puts us in a growth mindset and begins to destroy those invisible forces that have negatively influenced our thinking for so long. We move away from the fixed mindset and enter new areas of creative expression. Just like a vitamin, we can all benefit from one a day,” he concluded.

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