Creativity is the combining of old bits and pieces in your mind, and in your surroundings, to produce “new and useful” ideas. It is the conversion of old ideas into new ideas. It is not the creation of new ideas out of nothing. That doesn't happen.
For example, to invent a clock radio, you must know about clocks and radios and think about them in an environment that catalyzes their combination. To be creative, you need many bits and pieces in your mind and an environment containing creativity triggers that help you combine them.
Use this concept to enhance your creativity.
What Are Creativity Triggers?
Creativity triggers vary widely. They include a chance remark, deep focus on a problem, deliberate thought and incubation, meditation, discussion with others, dreaming, a shower, a walk in nature, riding quietly in a vehicle, resting, laughing, having fun, and being relaxed and quiet.
People report that all of these triggers can produce new and useful ideas.
How Do Creativity Triggers Work?
We don't know exactly how they work. Each trigger can suddenly produce a new and useful idea. Creativity triggers may provide an idea that works by itself or add new bits and pieces to those already in your mind. Either way, they are useful.
Basic Elements of Creativity Triggers
Advanced creativity triggers contain basic elements and underlying principles. Once you understand these elements, you can use them more effectively and even design your own creativity triggers by combining elements from different triggers to fit special needs.
1. Generate Many Alternatives and Avoid the “Quick Fix”
Whether you are clarifying a problem, creating an idea, or seeking a breakthrough solution, generate many alternatives.
Suppose an idea suddenly appears. You like it, it seems to work, and you shout “eureka.” The creative process ends. Actually, it has hardly started. This is the “quick fix.”
The quick fix only scratches the surface of the alternatives available if you continue. To avoid it, generate at least five new alternatives. One hundred is better, but who's counting?
2. Ignore Premature Criteria
Knowing the criteria for a quality solution too soon can spoil creative thinking. Criteria box you in and make you worry about whether each idea meets them.
Instead, dump the criteria. Distort, ignore, and forget stated and unstated “phantom criteria,” including criteria you have created in your own mind without realizing it. You can even reverse the criteria in your mind.
3. Avoid Premature Evaluation
Evaluation is based on old ideas and old information, while creativity seeks new ideas and new information. These can conflict.
Escape old thinking patterns and do not evaluate new ideas too soon. New ideas are often fragile and may not survive an immediate barrage of critical thinking. Stop the internal “gauntlet” and instant evaluation.
4. Forced-Withdrawal
Change the setting of your perspective. Create and combine alternatives within a different context from the real problem.
For example, pretend you work for a different company or that you are a different person. This helps you avoid getting bogged down in old thoughts and habits. Forced-withdrawal provides a clearing in which you can remain creative.
5. Trigger-Ideas
Trigger-ideas are ideas that may not contribute directly to a quality solution but can trigger other ideas that do. They help you avoid timeworn paradigms and lead you down new mental paths.
6. Triggered Free Association
Ideas can trigger new alternatives in unstructured ways. Stay open to this possibility when pursuing a quality solution. Even exotic words can spark new ideas.
7. Forced Combinations
Creating unexpected and useful ideas depends on combining ideas, objects, thoughts, and impressions with your problem statement. This is a cornerstone of creative thinking.
8. Idea Improvement
Improve your idea. The improvement process itself can trigger many more ideas.
- List what you like about the idea so you know what not to change.
- List what needs improvement.
This gives you a sense of the idea's usefulness and can spark additional alternatives.
9. Combine Ideas Into Trigger-Proposals
Sort and combine ideas into a trigger-proposal before converting them into a quality solution.
A trigger-proposal is based on forced-withdrawal and needs to be transformed into a workable, quality proposal. This approach helps prevent premature criteria from eliminating a potentially high-quality solution. Don't lose out to premature evaluation.
Make Creativity an Ongoing Habit
Adapt creativity triggers to your own needs. Stay creative when switching basic elements. What works counts most, so avoid philosophical distractions.
Allow yourself to change a creativity trigger as much as necessary to fit what you want. Avoid the internal gauntlet and other habits that distort the creative atmosphere in your mind.
Use forced-withdrawal with metaphors and analogies to help your subconscious mind contribute. Stay patient and relentless. Turn the creative process into an ongoing habit.
Creativity Is Also
- Waking up in the middle of the night with an idea so hot that you turn on the light and write it down.
- Driving to work when an idea so cool pops into your mind that you pull off the road to write it down.
- Making endless lists of alternatives.
- Getting excited about your work. •
Edward Glassman, PhD, was President of Creativity College® and Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he led the Program for Team Effectiveness and Creativity.