Archives For creative thinking

Help Your Brain Think Big

April 30, 2013 — Leave a comment

Butterfly Caterpillar

Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said could not be done. | Sam Ewing

Our lives are full of the byproducts of big thinking. Stop for a moment and survey the environment around you. Big thinking has led to all sorts of things we take for granted. Our big thinking can do the same for future generations.

Unfortunately, many people and organizations inadvertently limit their big thinking by allowing their preconceived notions to limit their creativity. It’s a vicious cycle that exchanges our propensity to do great things for a halfhearted celebration of mediocrity. Rather than pursue excellence, we grade on a curve and celebrate insignificant tweaks of exhausted strategies.

In 1975, George Lucas started talking with special effects experts and movie producers about an idea for a new science fiction movie. After explaining his vision, Lucas was told his special effects ideas could not be brought to life. John Dykstra, however, caught the vision and partnered with Lucas to create the special effects company, Industrial Light and Magic. The two worked together, failed a lot, and in 1977 released Star Wars. To date, the Star Wars brand has grossed billions of dollars. And it all began when a young man had big thoughts and never gave up.

Here are some reasons you should think big.

  1. Big thinking produces big possibilities. If you limit your thinking to what you’ve already experienced, your future experiences will look very familiar.
  2. Big thinking attracts other thinkers. If you’re stuck in 1982, you don’t need fresh ideas. Big thinkers are magnetic.
  3. Big thinking helps others. When your ideas come to life, you’ll need the help of people who have skills and abilities that are relevant to your dreams.
  4. Big thinking produces even bigger thinking. Seeing one dream materialize inspires you to dream bigger dreams.
  5. Big thinking separates you from the crowd. The world gravitates toward average. When you think big, you distance yourself from those who are satisfied to think old thoughts and use old strategies.

If you want to be a big thinker, you need to make some changes. In his book, Thinking For a Change, John Maxwell suggests the following:

  1. Stop focusing on what you believe is impossible. Negative self-talk is the enemy of big thinking.
  2. Stay away from “experts.” Experts are quick to shoot down big thoughts… probably because they didn’t come up with the idea.
  3. Look for possibilities in every situation. Connect things that are usually disconnected. Give thinkering a try.
  4. Force yourself to dream one step higher. Maxwell says, “If you push yourself to dream more expansively, to imagine your organization one size bigger, to make your goals at least a step beyond what makes you comfortable, you will be forced to grow.”
  5. Question the status quo. You can’t improve and stay the same. If you want greater things later, you can’t settle for what you have now. People who crave the status quo will do everything they can to stop you from thinking big. When your thinking bothers them enough, they will dispose of you. That’s OK. You can always think like them, but they will never be able to think like you.
  6. Be inspired by great thinkers. We are aware of people who persevered against the odds because doing so is rare and newsworthy. Average never makes the headlines.

In what area of your life do you need to think big?

In help for writers, how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking , ,
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How To Be Creative

April 23, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Some everyday tools for discovering your creativity

Creative thinking inspires ideas. Ideas inspire change. | Barbara Januszkiewicz

No one is bothered by change. What bothers them is being changed. Yet, when it comes to life, unless we are changed, there will be no organizational or societal change. My inquisitive nature has made me money and cost me jobs. I’ve asked questions that have moved people and organizations in positive directions and I’ve also asked questions that others didn’t really want me to ask.

Creative thinking isn’t easy. It can be a problem because we have a tough time escaping our preconceived notions. No one ever said thinking is easy. However, if we really want to achieve our potential, we must become creative thinkers because, like the quote above says, creative thinking leads to change. OK, so how do people who had the creativity taught out of them in school suddenly turn into creative thinking juggernauts? Here’s how.

  1. Accept the fact that you are creative. Creative people believe they are creative; non-creative people make excuses.
  2. Do the work of creative thinking. Every creative person works passionately to develop new ideas. Most of those ideas are bad. That’s OK because success is just around the corner.
  3. Creativity produces creativity. There is a neurological explanation for this process, but the simple truth is that your brain’s creativity is enhanced by you being creative. Do something creative everyday and you will begin thinking more creatively.
  4. Stop disqualifying your ideas. Nothing shuts down the creative process faster than discarding ideas too quickly. Generate lots of ideas and then choose which one to employ.
  5. Link ideas together. Sometimes your great idea is a stepping stone to an even greater idea. Keep looking for ways to improve your thoughts.
  6. Don’t seek expert advice. The more expertise people have, the more determined they are to prove that nothing they didn’t think of fits into their frames of reference. Experts aren’t quick to accept new ideas so don’t seek their approval.
  7. Redefine failure. When something doesn’t work, you haven’t failed; you’ve simply learned what not to do.
  8. Be a genius. A genius is someone who discovers a perspective no one else has taken. Use different tools to describe a problem. Write it, draw it, model it, paint it, reenact it. Do something to force your brain out of its normal thinking patterns.
  9. Become an inclusive thinker. Creative geniuses look for ways to include things that are dissimilar and totally unrelated in their analysis.

Creativity is paradoxical. To create, a person must have knowledge but forget the knowledge, must see unexpected connections in things but not have a mental disorder, must work hard but spend time doing nothing as information incubates, must create many ideas yet most of them are useless, must look at the same thing as everyone else, yet see something different, must desire success but embrace failure, must be persistent but not stubborn, and must listen to experts but know how to disregard them. – Michael Michalko

You are creative and you have the ability to develop revolutionary solutions to persistent problems. Not everyone will celebrate your creativity. And, if you join that crowd, you’ll have no creativity to celebrate. Think about it.

What persistent problem can you attack with creative thinking?

Could you use some help becoming a more creative thinker?

Terry Hadaway’s Creative Thinking Network will be launching this summer. Join Terry and other creative thinkers in a weekly live dialogue that will help you unlock your creative genius and separate you from the norm. Click here to learn more and to save your spot in the first cohort.

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The Perception Test

April 19, 2013 — Leave a comment

eight-of-diamonds

How many 8s do you see?

The trick to thinking differently is found in paying attention to what is visible as well as what’s missing. On the surface, most people see two 8s. However, there’s another one lurking in the background. Can you see it now?

Pay attention to the negative space and the third 8 will begin to appear. Once you see it, you’ll always see it. That’s the way creative thinking is. It takes you outside your thinking patterns and opens your eyes to new possibilities.

You don’t have to stick with old ways of thinking. With a little help, you can unlock your hidden genius. Whether it’s your church, organization, or business, some creative thinking might be the thing you need to break through to new possibilities. You can learn more about my consulting and coaching services by contacting me.

When it comes to real life, rather than rearranging what you see, why not cultivate what you don’t yet see? Think about it.

What are the challenges that are facing you, your church, organization, or business? Could some creative thinking help formulate a new plan?

In how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking , ,
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You Can Know Your Future

March 27, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. | William Jennings Bryan

Americans spend approximately $300 million per year on psychic services. That’s a lot of money to spend on something that you can know for free. So, if you’re wanting to know what your future will be, here are three free things you can do.

First, do nothing. Doing nothing changes nothing, so the future of those who do nothing can be predicted with amazing accuracy. I see that a lot in people who claim they want a different life, but won’t change anything. Doing nothing is a way of life for the habitually lazy and perpetually victimized in our society. They want life to be different but apparently they want someone else to do the work! They are content to buy lottery tickets and watch the world go by.

Second, keep doing what you’re doing. I see this a lot in people and organizations. Their present reality isn’t what they want, yet they are too connected to their traditions and thought processes to start doing anything differently. If you want life to remain just like it is, keep doing the same thing you are doing now. Just don’t be surprised when it gets harder and harder to tell the difference between your yesterdays and your tomorrows.

Third, do anything other than pursue your purpose. The cycle for people who aren’t living their whys is similar—optimism meets reality producing frustration which leads to abandonment which opens the door to optimism. The cycle continues forever. If you aren’t living your purpose, just figure out where you are on the cycle described above. Your future will be the attitudes that follow your present situation. It might not be where you want to go, but you can be certain that you’ll be there sooner or later.

A predictable future sounds boring to me. I prefer to pursue my purpose by making a difference wherever I am. Doing so will open doors to new experiences I might never have enjoyed had I stayed in the place I once was. Living on purpose is an ever-changing, invigorating way to approach each day. When I passionately pursue my purpose, what people think about what I’m doing becomes less and less significant. Think about it.

What can you do today to free yourself from a predictable future?

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Turn ideas into projects

March 15, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.
Albert Einstein

We aren’t short on ideas; what we need is a strategy that brings organization and clarity to our projects or dreams. Without an organizational strategy, you are destined to leave your best ideas on the shelf. With a little creative thinking, however, you can bring your ideas to life. You can write that book, develop that invention, or produce that craft. If you can follow the simple process outlined below, you will be on your way!

I call this my Pyramid Process. This is scary if you’re talking about a business plan, but invigorating when developing an idea. It is a systematic strategy that brings clarity to almost any idea. It looks like this.

pyramid_processThe pyramid starts at the top with a simple concept or statement. This is the main idea of your  project. With the main idea in place, identify three supporting ideas or progressive steps. View the three supporting ideas as sections of your finished project. Each supporting idea or step needs explanation. This will range from three to six points per idea. These points form the basic ingredients for the project.

If you are working with a writing project, the main idea is supported by three sections, each of which contains three to six explanatory ideas. These are the chapters in your book. When this process is completed, you’ll have the foundation for a 12-20 chapter finished project (be sure to add introductory and conclusion chapters).

When applied to a creative project, the idea is supported by three basic processes. Those processes are made up of progressive steps. The main idea is that you can use this process to organize almost anything you want to do. Your idea won’t come to life if you don’t take action. One day, your idea will become reality. Will you be responsible or will someone else do it? Think about it!

What idea do you need to bring to life?

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Three tricks to get your brain in gear

March 4, 2013 — Leave a comment

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The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. | Albert Einstein

Have you ever set out to solve a problem or come up with something new only to have your brain refuse to cooperate? You’re not alone. Getting our brains in gear is one of the biggest obstacles to creative thinking. When I was a university professor, I taught Creative Thinking and Problem Solving. I was amazed at how difficult it was for students of all ages to process new ideas. For many people, their claim of being innovative thinkers is simply foolish self-talk. Their lives contradict their proclamations.

If you find yourself struggling to think, here are three things you can do to get your brain in gear.

  1. Ask: If I could go back and start all over again, would I build what I have right now? This is a great organizational question that many leaders should address. It also works for our individual lives. Much of what we do and who we are is a byproduct of our failure to think. Thinking will take us in a different direction almost every time.
  2. Ask: If I painted today a color, what color would it be? It sounds strange, but the psychology of color is more important than we think. Marketers spend millions of dollars each year analyzing the ways people respond to color. It influences their product and logo designs. So, if color can influence our decisions, it must be connected to our thought processes.
  3. Flip your day. Classroom flipping is a growing trend in education. Basically, flipping is when the content delivery is accomplished away from class and the “homework” or discussion takes place in class. This worries lecturers and excites interactive teachers. Well, rather than flipping the classroom, flip your day. Rearrange the activities and allow the break in routine to inspire your thinking. Routine and habits are natural enemies of creative thinking.

How you’ve thought in the past brought you to where you are. If you want different results, change your thinking. If you don’t change your thinking, your future and today look a lot alike. Think about it!

If you painted today a color, what color would it be and why?

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