For a More Creative Brain Follow These 10 steps

Nearly all great ideas follow a similar creative process and this article explains how this process works. Understanding this is important because creative thinking is one of the most useful skills you can possess. Nearly every problem you face in work and in life can benefit from innovative solutions, lateral thinking, and creative ideas.

Anyone can learn to be creative by using these ten steps. That's not to say being creative is easy. Uncovering your creative genius requires courage and tons of practice. However, this ten-steps approach should help demystify the creative process and illuminate the path to more innovative thinking. To explain how this process works, let me tell you a short story.

A Problem in Need of a Creative Solution:

In the 1870s, newspapers and printers faced a very specific and very costly problem. Photography was a new and exciting medium at the time. Readers wanted to see more pictures, but nobody could figure out how to print images quickly and cheaply. For example, if a newspaper wanted to print an image in the 1870s, they had to commission an engraver to etch a copy of the photograph onto a steel plate by hand. These plates were used to press the image onto the page, but they often broke after just a few uses. This process of photoengraving, you can imagine, was remarkably time consuming and expensive.

The man who invented a solution to this problem was named Frederic Eugene Ives. He went on to become a trailblazer in the field of photography and held over 70 patents by the end of his career. His story of creativity and innovation, which I will share now, is a useful case study for understanding the 5 key steps of the creative process.

1. Engage in Divergent Thinking: Divergent thinking is the ability to generate multiple ideas and solutions to a problem. Engage in activities that require you to think outside the box, such as brainstorming sessions or creative writing exercises.

2. Take Breaks: Taking breaks can help refresh your mind and prevent burnout. When your mind is relaxed, you are more likely to come up with innovative ideas.

3. Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a technique that involves being present and aware of your thoughts and surroundings. Practicing mindfulness can help you focus and clear your mind, which can lead to more creativity.

4. Seek Inspiration: Inspiration can come from many sources, such as nature, art, music, or literature. Surround yourself with things that inspire you and expose yourself to new experiences and perspectives.

5. Embrace Failure: Failure is a natural part of the creative process. Don't be afraid to take risks and try new things, even if they don't work out as planned. Embrace failure as a learning experience and use it to fuel your creativity.

6: Gather new material. At first, you learn. During this stage you focus on 1) learning specific material directly related to your task and 2) learning general material by becoming fascinated with a wide range of concepts.

7: Thoroughly work over the materials in your mind. During this stage, you examine what you have learned by looking at the facts from different angles and experimenting with fitting various ideas together.

8: Step away from the problem. Next, you put the problem completely out of your mind and go do something else that excites you and energizes you.

9: Let your idea return to you. At some point, but only after you have stopped thinking about it, your idea will come back to you with a flash of insight and renewed energy.

10: Shape and develop your idea based on feedback. For any idea to succeed, you must release it out into the world, submit it to criticism, and adapt it as needed.