Creative thinking is divergent thinking

Creativity is sometimes measured in terms of ‘divergent’ thinking. Divergent thinking is defined as “the ability to come up with a large number of responses to an open-ended probe” for example How many uses can you think of for a brick?(Runco & Marz 1992). Measuring creative thinking is a more interesting approach than measuring ‘creative productivity’ where we might ask: ‘How many designs, paintings or books did you produce…?’

The question is: how can us every day mortals enhance our ability to produce creative ideas? How can we create more room for creative thinking? Why should we care about creative thinking? Because enhanced creativity leads to better business ideas, greater digital innovation, more inspiring graphic design, greater brand equity, even better cake. This is where the thought of exploring ‘Higher Consciousness’ came to us and in turn, became the topic for our agency’s Sunday inspiration video.

Boorish bozo versus creative mojo

The phrase ‘Higher Consciousness’ may sound like there is a lot of tree hugging and meditation involved; fond as we are of those delightful entertainments, it turns out higher consciousness is simply a state of mind – or perhaps, allowing the mind to enter into a different state. A state where more creative thinking is not only possible but enhanced.

This means, instead of allowing ourselves to be entirely consumed by day-to-day trivialities where the reptilian brain’s obsession with survival and our narrow ‘me, me, me!’ is all consuming, we place ourselves instead into situations where we encourage our brain to enter states associated with the neocortex (the bit that developed after the reptilian brand). This is a more creative state of mind, a more thoughtful and imaginative space.

The neocortex is associated with imagination, insight, and empathy – the states of mind associated with higher consciousness. In this state we are more able to triumph over reptilian concerns like fear, fight or flight and begin to see ourselves as connected to the whole – an ‘oceanic perspective’ if you will. This is the kind of state Einstein was in when he formulated E=MC, when Michelangelo carved his masterful’David’ or Khalil Gibran wrote ‘The Prophet’. In other words, this is a magical state where possibilities are endless.

Design space to think

So how do we get into such a space? It turns out we need to give our brains room to go beyond the humdrum of the everyday. To venture away from modern-day media landscape littered endless social media feeds and their episodic updates on GOT memes. We need to get out of our routine behaviors that so easily become stifling ruts that kill creative thought. In other words, we need to be creative about how we make space for creative thinking to happen.

We each need to find our own ‘access point’ or shortcut to this space. Nature is a good nutrient for the creative mind – it offers us a diet of ‘peace’, ‘solemnity’ and ‘tranquility’. So take time to listen to the ocean, watch clouds pass across the sky, enjoy sunlight flickering through the trees, listen to birdsong, take a walk in green pastures, breath in the fresh air and smell of freshly cut grass, watch the stars… However and wherever you find your path to peace, you will find your self on a journey towards to greater creativity.

OK, so how many uses for a brick did you come up with?

(If you would like to see the results from our creative thinking, have a look at some of our work or awards the work has won. If you would like to watch more from The School of Life click here).