What professions do you usually associate with creative thinking ? Painters, dancers, actors, musicians, graphic designers, artists ? Though it is correct, it is also important to not just solely attach creativity to those professions. Putting creative thinking inside an exclusive box just for artists can be very limiting, because that’s equating it to an expression of a completed artistic outcome such as painting, choreography & music. It is vital to be aware that creativity is not only a tangible expression of a “finished artistic
product” but also a mindset.
Just because you are not an artist it does not mean that you are not entitled to embody creative expression. You can be an accountant, stock broker, a farmer, lawyer or someone who works in healthcare and still be creative. Because creative thinking is when you are seeking solutions to challenges at work, planning a fun-filled night out with your friends, strategizing the way you communicate with your co-workers, organizing an event, meticulously scheduling a company wide meeting, finding alternate routes to get to your destination faster and even creating a delicious meal from your left overs.
Thinking creatively and insightful intelligence are characteristics that everyone can have access to and can be applied at all times to our personal and professional lives. As Mary Lou Cook, an activist & artist famously said, “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” An Article from Scientific American indicated that a lot of experts concur that there are two factors that are central to creativity. First is that creative thinking reflects the capacity to generate ideas that are original, unusual or novel in some way. Second, is that these creative ideas also need to be satisfying, appropriate or suited to the context being presented. The following are more ways to describe creative thinking and how broad its spectrum beyond arts :
Being curious and open to new concepts while searching for answers to why things are the way they are.
Going through the process of acquainting and connecting yourself to novel ideas. It requires a deeper level of mindfulness, keen observation and open mindedness.
Having a growth frame of mind is also being creative because it can be vital to think of ways to resolve situations that don't favor you. It plays a key role when solving problems, for it’s about figuring out innovative resolutions to challenges, big or small, that can be beneficial to all parties involved. In a nutshell, it’s finding ways of transforming obstacles into opportunities.
A creative thinker knows that at times, failing is inevitable. In order to eventually reach success, errors can happen. As long as there’s an awareness that part of the journey is about learning from mistakes and moving forward from it.
Being insightful, inquisitive and asking the right questions , traits that can promote innovation & inhibit fixed mindedness.
Looking at the nuances of each situation. It is the ability to visualize beyond the face value of what is being presented.
Knowing how to enjoy the process and thrive in a fun environment.
In conclusion, you may not be a painter, dancer, actor, musician, graphic designer or an artist, as long as you integrate thinking outside the box , approach your daily tasks with growth mindedness and immerse your own skills and knowledge with a sense of excitement & resourcefulness, you also then personifies creative mindset. It is incorrect to think of creativity exclusively belonging only within the artist community, because there is much more to creative thinking than artistic value.
