CREATIVE THINKING

refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new (a product, a solution, a work of art, a novel, a joke, etc.) that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs. What counts as "valuable" is similarly defined in a variety of ways.

Two Distinct Types

CONVERGENT THINKING a type of
thinking when there is only one correct answer or solution to a problem.

DIVERGENT THINKING a type of thinking

which generates as many different ideas or solutions as possible.

5 Methods of Creative Thinking

1. Evolution. This is the method of incremental improvement. New ideas stem from other ideas, new solutions from previous ones, the new ones slightly improved over the old ones. Many of the very sophisticated things we enjoy today developed through a long period of constant incrementation. Making something a little better here, a little better there gradually makes it something a lot better--even entirely different from the original.

2 . Synthesis. W i th i m e th o d , tw o o r m o re exi n g th s sti i e a s a re co m b i e d i to a th i , n e w i e a . C o m b i i g d n n rd d n n th e i e a s o f a m a g a zi e a n d a n a u d i ta p e g i s th e d n o ve i e a o f a m a g a zi e yo u ca n l ste n to , o n e u se fu lfo r d n i b l n d p e o p l o r fre e w a y co m m u te rs. i e

3. Revolution. Sometimes the best new idea is a completely different one, an marked change from the previous ones. While an evolutionary improvement philosophy might cause a professor to ask, "How can I make my lectures better and better?" a revolutionary idea might be, "Why not stop lecturing and have the students teach each other, working as teams or presenting reports?"

4. Reapplication. Lo o k a t so m e th i g o l i a n e w n d n w a y. G o b e yo n d l b e l . U n fi te , re m o ve p re j d i s, a s xa u ce exp e cta ti n s a n d a ssu m p ti n s a n d d i ve r h o w o o sco so m e th i g ca n b e re a p p l e d . O n e cre a ti p e rso n n i ve m i h t g o to th e j n kya rd a n d se e a rt i a n o l m o d e l g u n d T tra n sm i o n . H e p a i ts i u p a n d p u ts i i h i ssi n t t n s l vi g ro o m . A n o th e r cre a ti p e rso n m i h t se e i th e i n ve g n sa m e tra n sm i o n th e n e ce ssa ry g e a rs fo r a m u l ssi ti sp e e d h o t w a l r fo r h i h o rse . H e h o o ks i to so m e ke s t p o l s a n d a m o to r a n d p u ts i i h i co rra l T h e ke y i e t n s . s to se e b e yo n d th e p re vi u s o r sta te d a p p l ca ti n s fo r o i o so m e i e a , so l ti n , o r th i g a n d to se e w h a t o th e r d u o n a p p l ca ti n i p o ssi l . i o s b e 5. Changing Direction. Many creative breakthroughs occur when attention is shifted from one angle of a problem to another. This is sometimes called creative insight.

Characteristics of the Creative Person ` curious ` seeks problems ` enjoys challenge ` optimistic ` comfortable with imagination ` able to suspend judgment ` sees problems as opportunities ` doesn't give up easily: perseveres, works hard