CREATIVITYAlthough there are many

approaches about creativity, it is commonly defined as a

mental process which involves the generation of

new ideas or new associations of the creative

mind between existing concepts. An alternative

conception of creativity is that it is simply the act of making something new.

• Even when creativity is Even when creativity is popularly associated with art popularly associated with art a literature, it is also an a literature, it is also an essential part of innovation essential part of innovation and invention and is and invention and is important in professions important in professions such as business, economics, such as business, economics, architecture, industrial architecture, industrial design, science and design, science and engineering.engineering.

CREATIVE THINKINGCreative thinking is the process which we use when we come up with a new idea. It is divided into divergent and convergent reasoning.

• Divergent thinkingDivergent thinking is the is the intellectual ability to think of many intellectual ability to think of many original, diverse, and elaborate original, diverse, and elaborate ideas. ideas.

• Convergent thinkingConvergent thinking is the is the intellectual ability to logically intellectual ability to logically evaluate, critique and choose the evaluate, critique and choose the best idea from a selection of ideas. best idea from a selection of ideas.

Both abilities are required for creative Both abilities are required for creative output since divergent thinking is output since divergent thinking is essential to the novelty of creative essential to the novelty of creative products whereas convergent thinking products whereas convergent thinking is fundamental to the appropriateness. is fundamental to the appropriateness.

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BEING CREATIVE

"Being creative is seeing the same thing as everybody else but thinking of something different“

www.purveslab.net/seeforyourself

What can you see?

Only if you are able to view things Only if you are able to view things in new ways or from a different in new ways or from a different perspective and to generate new perspective and to generate new possibilities or new alternatives possibilities or new alternatives you can be a creative person. The you can be a creative person. The characteristics of the creative characteristics of the creative personality are:personality are:

• Creative individuals not only have a Creative individuals not only have a great deal of energy, but they are also great deal of energy, but they are also quiet .quiet .

• Creative individuals tend to be smart, Creative individuals tend to be smart, yet also naive at the same time. yet also naive at the same time.

•Creative individuals alternate Creative individuals alternate between imagination and between imagination and reality.reality.•Even if creative individuals are Even if creative individuals are remarkable humble, they are remarkable humble, they are proud at the same time. proud at the same time. •Most creative people are very Most creative people are very passionate about their work, passionate about their work, yet they can be extremely yet they can be extremely objective about it as well. objective about it as well. •Creative individuals have a Creative individuals have a combination of or responsibility combination of or responsibility and irresponsibility. and irresponsibility.

HOW TO IMPROVE CREATIVITY

Some of the techniques that are used Some of the techniques that are used to improve creativity include to improve creativity include brainstorming, mind-mapping, The 6 brainstorming, mind-mapping, The 6 Thinking Hats exercise , various Thinking Hats exercise , various forms of hypnosis and meditation, forms of hypnosis and meditation, and guided imagery.and guided imagery.

• The six thinking hats: While The six thinking hats: While using this technique, you can see using this technique, you can see different alternatives to get the best different alternatives to get the best solution to solve a problem. Your solution to solve a problem. Your decisions and plans will mix ambition, decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in execution, sensitivity, skill in execution, sensitivity, creativity and good contingency creativity and good contingency planning.planning.

• Brainstorming: is a lateral Brainstorming: is a lateral thinking process. It asks that thinking process. It asks that people come up with ideas and people come up with ideas and thoughts even if it seem at first thoughts even if it seem at first to be a bit shocking or crazy. You to be a bit shocking or crazy. You can then change and improve can then change and improve them into ideas that are useful, them into ideas that are useful, and often stunningly original.and often stunningly original.

• Guided imagery or visualization Guided imagery or visualization

Imagery is the most Imagery is the most fundamental language we have. fundamental language we have. Everything you do, the mind Everything you do, the mind processes through images. When processes through images. When we recall events from our past or we recall events from our past or childhood, we think of pictures, childhood, we think of pictures, images, sounds, pain, etc. It is images, sounds, pain, etc. It is hardly ever be through words. hardly ever be through words.

Unfortunately, many of Unfortunately, many of the images popping into the images popping into our heads do more harm our heads do more harm than good. In fact, the than good. In fact, the most common type of most common type of imagery is worry. Being imagery is worry. Being worrying , what we worry worrying , what we worry about exists only in our about exists only in our imaginations.imaginations.

• One of the main things his One of the main things his research showed was that research showed was that almost all of the world-class almost all of the world-class athletes and other peak athletes and other peak performers are visualizers. They performers are visualizers. They see it; they feel it; they see it; they feel it; they experience it before they experience it before they actually do it. They begin with actually do it. They begin with the end in mind. the end in mind.

• You can do it in every area of your You can do it in every area of your life. Before a performance, a sales life. Before a performance, a sales presentation, a difficult presentation, a difficult confrontation, or the daily challenge confrontation, or the daily challenge of meeting a goal, see it clearly, of meeting a goal, see it clearly, vividly, relentlessly, over and over vividly, relentlessly, over and over again. Create an internal "comfort again. Create an internal "comfort zone." Then, when you get into the zone." Then, when you get into the situation, it isn't foreign. It doesn't situation, it isn't foreign. It doesn't scare you. scare you.

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