Introduction
How do you solve a problem in life by being creative? Learn to become a creative problem-solver and discover new ways of thinking. Discover what helps you to generate out of box ideas and how to escape the ordinary routine patterns that control your logical thinking.
Have you ever thought about, what is it that helps you to generate creative ideas? How to escape the ordinary patterns that control your thinking? Read on if you want to learn how to become a creative problem-solver and discover new ways of thinking.
The most ordinary and successful decisions are made in a predictable, rational, and positive way. Do you ever wonder why the most successful people stand out from the crowd? That is because they think differently. They believe that it is beneficial and worth viewing problems from different angles including emotional, intuitive, creative, or negative perspectives. This creative way of thinking enables them to spot any strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats better than others.
Remember: creative problem-solving is about escaping the ordinary patterns that control thinking so that you can discover options that you previously could not see.
Phases of Creativity
Let’s start by looking at the Phases of Creativity.
The famous researched Graham Wallis identified four phases in the creative process:
- Preparation
- Incubation
- Illumination
- Verification
If you understand which of these phases you are in at any given time, you are in the position to benefit from and define your creative and workable solution.
Let’s learn about the Four Phases of Creativity and explain what they are.
Preparation
At this phase, you will identify the facts relating to the problem you wish to solve. Action the following:
- Evaluate and define the problem & think about the desired outcome
- Be clear about the real concern that must be addressed and the desired goal
- Learn more about the context and background of the problem in question
- Can you identify all the facts, questions, data, or feelings related to it?
Incubation
At this phase, you must step back from the problem and switch off your logical evaluation senses. Sometimes taking a time off even for a day or two is the best, it can help your creative process to mature and sink in.
Illumination
At this phase, you must let the idea be free and formulate in a creative, free, spontaneous, free-flowing, and non-linear manner without criticism or evaluation. This is the brainstorming stage where any idea-generation technique can be used and put in practice to match against the problem in question.
Action: shut off your evaluative reflexes and allow your thoughts to generate new ideas.
Verification
At this phase, you must check whether the idea or solution that emerged in the Illumination stage matches against the criteria defined in the Preparation stage. Considering the outcome, feel free to question yourself:
- Can you define which idea or solution is the best fit for your problem?
- Is there an alternative that can strengthen the idea or solution?
- What are the actionable and practical steps that you must take to implement your idea or solution?
If you feel that there is a mismatch, please feel free to repeat the process. Remember that you must feel confident and comfortable about the proposed idea or solution. Keep in mind that every decision you make will define your way to success.