Creative Thinking

Do you want to make creative thinking part of your everyday life? Creative thinking and problem-solving have come to mean a lot to me over the years—and I think you will find value in them, too. My love of creative thinking began in my work in healthcare improvement and innovation, migrated to my writing life, and often influences my family life as well. I teach and facilitate on creative thinking whenever I can.

Here’s the thing I’ve learned: it’s best if you deliberately nurture and practice it. This doesn’t have to involve sweeping efforts or disappearing to a cabin in the woods (or the beach, if that’s your thing). It’s mainly small acts of deliberate creativity woven into our days. As with anything, the more we practice, the more it becomes habit and the way we approach our work and life. As children and as adults, you will ask why not?, what if? and how can we? more often and contribute unique thinking to the world.

Got a question or suggestion? Contact me. I’d love to hear from you.

My Handouts

Screenshot of Six Thinking Hats handout

Six Thinking Hats: Handout describing this method to think through ideas and issues more effectively.

Use Images to Spark Creativity: Infographic of ways to work pictures into creative practice.

 

Need a Creativity Boost? Try Using Provocations:
A way to escape the usual ways of thinking to bring depth and interest to your stories. ​

Matrix showing time pressures and creativity impacts

Time Pressure-Creativity Matrix: Blog post with image exploring how time pressure impacts our creativity.

 

Need a Creativity Boost? Try This Word Clustering Exercise:
A way to explore words and stimulate thinking about story ideas.

Need a Creativity Boost? Try This Easy 7 Ways Exercise:
A way to come up with new ideas and solve problems.

Web Resources: Specific Methods

Struggling to find time for your creative adventures? Join my list and get my Finding Time guide and fillable worksheet.

Thumbnail of Time worksheet
BADGE-graduate-Jennifer-Phillips
Member of SCBWI - 10+ Years!
 
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Member - 10+ Years!