Different Ways to Think Creatively

Creativity and critical thinking are interconnected. Creative thinking is the process of innovativation with problem-solving — from analyzing the facts to brainstorming to working with others. 

When you use creative thinking, you are making connections between seemingly unrelated ideas and concepts.

It’s also the process of creating new ideas or solutions by combining existing ones.

Sometimes we see "creative" and think art. Creative thinking skills and art can scratch each other's back, but you don't have to paint to use your creative thinking skills. 

​Here are ways to think creatively that scientists have identified: 

Creativity & Anxiety

Creativity often feels like some mysterious force that rarely cooperates, especially when you need it most.

Controlling and tapping into this thinking is an important part of managing anxiety and building the creative process.
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Sometimes giving yourself a challenge can help jump start creativity. 

1. Write a six-word story- try to tell a whole story using only six words. Try to write one every day for a week. 

2. Avoid the letter “e”- try to have a conversation without pausing and without using the letter E!

3. Write by hand- try writing your worries down and then throwing them out to see what happens every day for a week.

4. Eliminate “I, “me,” “my” and “mine” from your vocabulary- try to talk for fifteen minutes without using these words. Or try writing a letter without them everyday for a week.

5. Give a project limitations- we use this a lot (mostly because we can never find what we need when we need it), but try to create something with only certain things. A recipe without sugar or butter. A lego build without the color red. Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs & Ham when his editor challenged him to write an entire book using less than 50 different words.

6. Use a writing prompt- you use these in school all the time. Try using a prompt like "I love baking because"... and try a different prompt everyday for a week. 

7. Look at things from a new perspective- find a story in the news every day for a week and put yourself in that person's shoes. Try to think the way they would think or solve a problem the way they would. 

8. Write down the question you’re trying to answer- If something has you stumped, grab a piece of paper and write the question down at the top. Be as specific as possible. Then write down any and all potential solutions, no matter how ridiculous or “wrong” they may seem. Do this for five minutes every day with the same question. 

9. Exercise and tire yourself out- We do this. We started beause toddlers are nicer when they are worn out and then get lots of rest. But exercising can wear away your worries and allow you think outside the box.

10. Meditate in the morning- Daily Practice! Clear your mind of clutter.

Click on the imagine about to download some free worksheets!

• Analytical mindset- Analyzing is Curiosity dressed up in a fancy word. When you analyze information, or ask “why,” identify problems and trends, and solve complex problems, you are using analytical skills. This happens when you want to learn how to do or make things better, which is what we do with our anxiety so check mark!

• Problem-solving- Problem-solving helps you sort through facts, data, and information to develop rational solutions. These skills aid you in the first part of the creative thinking process as you brainstorm and start to generate ideas. Creative thinking in problem-solving is solving a problem like MacGyver (google it). 

• Communication- Successful creative thinking involves the ability to articulate (clearly say) your ideas and communicate them to others. Creative thinking skills in communication is finding ways to say complex things simply, knowing who your audience is and presenting your ideas in a way they can understand, and finding a way to present your information in an unexpected way.

 

• Open-mindedness- being open to new ideas and new ways of doing things is an essential creative thinking skill. When you approach a situation, you should try to be open to any possibility instead of wanting things to be exactly the way you want them to be and there will be no happiness unless it's done your way. Super important with anxiety! 

 

• Organization- We do A LOT of organizing around here. Categories for toys, books, blankets, towels, plates, you name it. Creative Thinking is sometimes an accident with organizing like when you find a cool shelf out by the curb for the landfill and know just what you can use it for so you paint it and put all your legos in it. Sometimes it's using a thing, like a dish rack, to organize your paper. Sometimes it's knowing exactly what a friend needs and making sure they get it. Whatever you need to organize, thinking creatively can help you find a solution you didn't even know existed!

 

• Experimentation- Usually experimenting is for science. But experimenting is important for creative thinking. Experimenting is how you find out if something works. Experimenting with color, or food, or clothes, or character strengths helps you think creatively. When you experiment, you are challenging assumptions, or the way you (or anyone who sees your work) think about something like when you put on a costume to go to the grocery store or rearrange your furniture. Sometimes it doesn't work, but sometimes it's better than it was!

 

• Active listening- Active or Empathic Listening provides you with what is needed to organize the information you hear, understand why it's important or what the situation is, recognize assumptions, make logical connections between ideas, and draw conclusions. 

• Divergent Thinking- This type of creative thinking is using your imagination to solve problems. You come up with a bunch of possible solutions like thoughts that bubble up. You capture all those idea bubbles and then use "convergent" or regular old logic to figure out which one will work. 

• Lateral thinking- Lateral thinking is "thinking outside the box." It's a type of creative thinking with a structured way to generate new ideas. Lateral creative thinking helps generate multiple, different, and often unexpected solutions. It's when you use both divergent and convergent thinking AT THE SAME TIME. Crazy, yes. But it works. You follow each thought bubble with logic to see where you get.​

How to get there

READING
The more you read, the more you will be aware of words, situations, emotions, stories, and characters, and the more your brains capture information. The building blocks of your staircase! Click here for some of our favorites.

Be Curious
Every question you ask is an opportunity to learn and use the information. Don't just look for simple answers; explain your views and opinions about the topic. Have discussions. 

Solving problems
This helps you establish critical thinking. Solving a problem can help you get an insight into your mind like how you think, process information, and react to solve a problem. Don't hide from problems, run towards them! Embrace problems. 

Get some responsibility
Push yourself out of your comfort zones at an early age. Get responsibilities like taking care of a pet, folding clothes, packing your school bag, looking after your younger sibling, etc. 

Develop hypotheses
Find scenarios and ask questions. 

Learn through play
Whether you're playing a game with friends, or with puzzles, riddles, and board games, it helps you develop and discover certain critical thinking skill sets that might be impossible to learn in theory. Some important life lessons learned through play are teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship, and creativity.