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
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.
Creating Time: Worksheet to rethink your time to make capacity for things that matter.
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
- How a Random Image Can Help You Generate Creative Ideas (article)
- Visual Clustering (article is specific to writing but can apply to other needs)
- Role Storming as an alternative to brainstorming (video)
- SCAMPER idea generation technique (video)
- The Innovation Practice of Blending or Combining Ideas into Something New (article)
Other Web Resources
- Ted Talks creativity playlist
- Make Creativity a Habit at Work (but applies to everyday life)
- The 5 Simple Habits of Highly Creative People
- NY Times article on How to Be Creative
- Essential Resources for Creativity
- Creativity Tools: 24 Free Online Creative Thinking Tools
- EyeWire Creativity Cards
- Brainsparker website and app
- The Creativity Post website
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I am available for visits & presentations.
Learn more here or download my flyer for topics, rates and other details.