Creativity at work: How to activate creative thinking?

Creativity is important in everyday life as well as in project management, because everyone, whether they are an artist, scientist or financier, can and should let their creative side shine through. The ability to think outside the box and see things in a new light allows you to find fresh ideas and solve seemingly impossible problems. Creativity is a rejection of conventions, which helps to see new perspectives and overcome barriers. It is not limited only to the sphere of art, but is necessary in any field where non-standard approaches and original solutions are needed.

What is creative thinking?

Creative thinking is the ability to look at things with fresh eyes, to move away from the usual frameworks and change your perception. This approach allows you to find new ideas that would not normally come to mind through standard thinking. Lateral thinking, also known as creative thinking, involves choosing a parallel path instead of the main path, which helps you see alternatives and overcome preconceptions.

When we cross the boundary between the familiar and the unknown, new possibilities for ideas and solutions open up. Creative thinking allows us to go beyond the ordinary and look into the ‘unknown country’ of our minds, where unexpected solutions are born. This approach requires open-mindedness and searching for different alternatives rather than one ‘right’ answer, as there are always other possible solutions.

Being creative is important because creative thinking helps you approach problems from a different perspective and find original solutions faster. It saves time and resources, increases productivity and allows you to focus on the main tasks instead of getting stuck on problems. Everyone can develop their creativity, and it just takes a little practice.

Developing creative thinking

Creativity is a skill that can be developed if you follow some simple principles. Sometimes, you just need to change the way you approach familiar things to think more broadly and out of the box. Here are tips to help you learn to think creatively and find new ideas more easily:

• Have a clear vision, direction, goals and action plan, because if you don't know where you are going, it will be impossible to achieve the goal;
• Be proactive rather than reactive;
• Avoid monotony and routine and feel free to think outside the box;
• Challenge yourself by tackling difficult tasks;
• Don't be afraid to fail and don't be afraid to take risks, because that's how we learn and become better;
• Believe in yourself and don't be afraid of criticism or rejection of your ideas;
• Avoid being overly rational;
• Accept and embrace change, even provoke it.

Stimulating creative thinking: Top 5 tips

In order to stimulate creative and out-of-the-box thinking, you should innovate and develop new ideas. It's also worth breaking down the internal barriers that hold back your creativity. Here are the top top tips that can help you:

• Brainstorm: The main goal is to try to generate as many ideas as possible while avoiding value judgements. The problem is that we immediately judge our ideas as good or bad, while brainstorming allows us to let our imagination run wild and come up with whatever comes to mind without wondering if the idea is brilliant or completely stupid;
• Relaxation: It is worth remembering the proven positive effects of meditation. It is when you are calm and relaxed that innovation and creativity emerge. Occasionally do something you don't have to concentrate on, such as short meditation sessions. This will allow your creative thinking to spill out;
• Get rid of boredom: Studies have shown that boredom and repetitive tasks promote creative thinking. In 2014, Sandy Mann, a researcher at the University of Central Lancashire in England, published a study that found that boring activities (like copying phone numbers from the phone book) boost creativity. Two other researchers from the University of Pennsylvania suggested that boredom increases creativity because of the way people try to reduce it. Boredom is thought to motivate people to seek out new and rewarding activities;
• Childlike spirits: Children are often the ones with boundless imagination and creativity, but unfortunately as we become adults we lose these qualities. To stimulate creative thinking, it is important to have fun and play like we did when we were kids. For example, Google understands this and provides its employees with slides, climbing walls, foosball tables and pinballs so they can play during their breaks and develop their creativity;
• Good sleep: Firstly, sleep allows our brains to rest and be more efficient and productive the next day. And secondly, according to psychologists, ‘sleep is simply a different biochemical state. When we sleep, our brains think in a much more intuitive and visual way.’ Thus, rest and dreams allow us to find more effective and original solutions to the challenges we face.

Conclusion: Creativity at work

In conclusion, it is important to remember that creativity is the ability to see something new where others see the familiar. Creative thinking is not just a talent, but a skill that can be developed and improved. True creativity is about experimentation, growth, breaking the rules and the joy of discovering new solutions. These skills are also useful at work, allowing you to find non-standard approaches to tasks, solve problems more efficiently and contribute valuable ideas that make projects unique and successful.