Think Creatively: How to Unlock Your Brain's Hidden Potential

Some people seem naturally full of ideas, always approaching challenges with fresh solutions. But creativity isn't a rare gift—it's a skill you can strengthen with the right mindset and practice.

If you're looking to break out of routine thinking, boost your problem-solving abilities, or simply bring more originality into your work and life, you're in the right place. In this article, you'll discover how to sharpen your creative thinking skills, understand the process behind them, and explore the real benefits of thinking more creatively.

What Is Creative Thinking?

Before we explain how to develop your creative thinking skills, you must first understand creative thinking. It is the capacity to see things from a different perspective, offer new solutions and ideas, and adapt to unexpected circumstances.

People who are great at solving problems and can adapt quickly to new environments and conditions have strong creative thinking skills. Some people assume that creative thinking is tied to art, but it goes beyond one field. If you're a creative thinker, you will be able to use these skills across all areas of your life.

You will notice some similarities between creative thinking and innovative thinking. That said, innovative thinking relies on innovative solutions.

Having innovation skills means applying original ideas and solutions without necessarily going through the creative process. You can think of innovativeness as one crucial factor of creative thinking.

Key Aspects of Creative Thinking

To better understand what creative thinking involves, let's look into its key aspects:

• Originality: Coming up with ideas that are novel and unique.
• Flexibility: Being able to shift perspectives and adapt to new situations or constraints.
• Imagination: Visualizing possibilities beyond the obvious or expected.
• Problem-solving: Finding inventive solutions that might not follow conventional methods.
• Curiosity: Asking questions, exploring, and remaining open to new experiences and knowledge.

To be considered creative, you don't have to excel in all these aspects. For example, you might be great at solving problems and being curious about new ideas, but you struggle with imagining things. Every creative thinker is unique.

Types of Creative Thinking

There is not only one type of creative thinking. You've probably already noticed that two people who are great at creative thinking will not have the same thinking or application process. Three main types of creative thinking exist, and these are divergent, convergent, and lateral thinking.

Divergent thinking refers to generating many possible ideas or solutions. Brainstorming is a typical example. Divergent thinking helps generate ideas, which is often a skill that outside-the-box thinkers have. This type of creative thinking thrives most in professional and educational areas.

Convergent thinking refers to narrowing down multiple ideas into the best, most effective solution. This type can refine ideas generated from the brainstorming session into rational solutions. A group of people with strong convergent thinking skills has developed all of the emerging technologies.

Lastly, there is lateral thinking, which refers to approaching problems from an unexpected angle, often breaking traditional patterns. Pairing an innovative thinker with lateral thinking skills is a perfect example of a successful tech business owner.

How to Develop Creative Thinking Skills

Creative thinking involves a combination of technical and non-technical skills. These skills help generate fresh ideas, solve problems more effectively, and approach situations with innovation and curiosity. Every person can work on developing their creative thinking skills, regardless of how much of them they have already acquired through life.

If you want to start working on your creative thinking skills and perform better in all areas of your life, find the list of techniques below. Some might seem more natural to you than others. Try these ones first and see how you feel.

1. Challenge Your Assumptions

The easiest way to start thinking creatively is to start questioning the way you do things. Ask yourself, is there another way to do, think, or say something? What would be the thing you can do differently from tomorrow?

Start with something small, like walking home using a different route. You can take an interest in listening to different types of music or trying to phrase things differently when talking to your friends.

You can also write down things you'd like to change in your life. Then, ask yourself which possible solutions there are to these things. Focus mostly on unconventional solutions and ideas you wouldn't typically even give a thought to.

2. Practice Divergent Thinking

You can practice divergent thinking every day if you want to. Set a timer for five or ten minutes and write down as many ideas as you can about something you're interested in. These can be ideas for a romantic getaway with your partner, titles for a movie about your life, or businesses you'd like to start.

This will help you develop out-of-the-box creative thinking and help you see challenges as an opportunity to develop your divergent thinking.

Most creative thinkers brainstorm ideas about anything, so follow their lead if you want to become more innovative.

3. Engage in Creative Activities

There are dozens of creative activities you can start exploring and find the ones that work best for you, from artistic activities like dance, singing, and painting to gardening, baking, and collage. When you engage in creative activities, you don't just become more relaxed but you also start developing problem-solving skills.

Each creative activity starts with a challenge. How to write a song out of nothing? How to learn a tricky choreography? How to bake a cake you've never baked in your life?

Creativity allows you to create out of nothing. Once you find your favorite activity, you will notice how your attitude towards problems in your life changes as well.

4. Expose Yourself to New Experiences

When was the last time you did something for the first time? Try a new recipe, talk to someone from your high school you haven't seen since then, or take on a sport you've never tried. Exposing yourself to new experiences leads to developing innovative solutions. After all, how can you be innovative when you don't try new ideas?

New experiences open you to multiple perspectives. That is why you'll see early professionals exposing themselves to unknown environments and learning from them. New experiences are also a great productivity booster when you feel stuck or need that extra motivation.

5. Play with Constraints

Creativity thrives under limitations. Try to challenge yourself to solve a creative problem with unique approaches. For instance, you can decide to explain something complex in 4-5 sentences. This soft skill is excellent to grow, both personally and professionally.

Many people are able to climb the career ladder because of the limitations such as deadlines and performance reviews.

Becoming a problem solver in a more relaxed environment can prepare you for real-life challenges quickly. Apply this technique to your work processes if you wish to thrive in your career. You will notice how your innovation skills are becoming more developed, and you're not afraid of your next obstacle.

6. Keep a Creativity Journal

Why not keep track of your most creative ideas? If you provide space for all these new ideas that pop into your mind, they will multiply.

While keeping your creativity journal, don't be judgmental towards your ideas. Simply focus yourself on writing them down and adding simple explanations to them.

The purpose of this exercise is not to find the best idea you can monetize; it is to start explicitly adding creative thinking into your everyday life. You can use this journal for your personal interests or to track your career success.

7. Surround Yourself with Diverse Thinkers

To be able to develop rational solutions, you will need to surround yourself with people who think creatively. Being around this group of people will help you develop collaboration skills and solve complex problems.

Diverse thinkers can be found in various gatherings, such as conferences, business and academic events, social occasions, etc.

When talking to them, they will expose you to multiple perspectives and creative ways you never thought about before.

Creative Ideas for Everyday Life

Below, you can find ideas to start practicing on a daily basis without changing anything in your life. If the ideas mentioned above seem like too much work, these will be perfect for you.

1. Seek a Creative Problem in Your Home

You can be physically sitting in your home and practicing your creativity. All you have to do is look for some inspiration that can help you boost your innovative way of thinking. For instance, you might have a set of white chairs which you can paint over or draw something on them to make them more interesting.

You can rearrange your closet instead of just putting things where they've been for the past few years. You can think about a way to make your bed more comfortable, whether that's adding more pillows or changing the texture.

Whatever it is, make sure you motivate yourself to think differently. DIY projects are fun, creative, and rewarding!

2. Offer Creative Solutions in Conversations with Your Friends

Your target audience for a creativity boost can be your friends or family. Whenever your friends come to you seeking advice, instead of providing the usual information, try something different. Maybe you can ask them a few questions before suggesting what to do.

Think about the way you talk to your friends and how your communication typically flows to explore other options. Gather initial thoughts and suggest steering the conversation in a different direction. This way, you can also inspire your friends to try a new approach and become creative thinkers with you.

3. Try a New Approach to Your Analytical Skills

Being creative doesn't mean you're immediately a writing expert. You can practice your creative approach with your analytical skills. You can evaluate a project from a different perspective.

When you combine creativity with analytical skills, you will find numerous creative ways to become more productive in your work.

When you become more creative, your problem-solving approach will also thrive. You might be able to help your team members overcome obstacles and work more easily together. Pairing these two approaches makes you a valuable asset to any business.

Conclusion

In today's constantly changing world, creative thinking is no longer optional—it's a crucial soft skill that empowers individuals to adapt, innovate, and thrive. By putting limitations in place, we can often spark greater originality, as boundaries encourage the mind to think outside the box.

Whether you're brainstorming a new idea or navigating a complex challenge, creative thinking accelerates your ability to find a final solution through flexible problem-solving. As a skill that can be developed quickly with regular practice and exposure, it deserves to be cultivated frequently, not just for artistic pursuits but for success across every area of life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Develop Creative Problem-solving Skills?

Creative problem-solving is the ability to approach challenges with originality and find innovative solutions that might not be immediately obvious. To develop this skill, start by strengthening your creative thinking. This means practicing how to view problems from different angles, questioning assumptions, and generating multiple possible solutions. These skills aid in navigating situations where the solution isn't straightforward or familiar. Creative problem solving often involves working through an unfamiliar process, pushing you out of your comfort zone, and encouraging new ways of thinking.

What Are the Examples of Problem-solving Skills?

An interactive brainstorming session is just one of the problem-solving skills you can practice. However, there are analytical thinking, critical thinking, creativity, decision-making, communication, flexibility, and adaptability. Even if you don't feel like you're good at solving problems, you can practice it in different situations, whether at work or in your personal life.

How Do You Use Your Creative Skills to Grow Your Career?

To grow your career, especially in a marketing job, leverage your creative thinking to stand out as a strong problem solver. Employers seek candidates who can adapt to ever-changing workplaces and offer fresh, innovative solutions. Showcase your creative thinking on your resumes and LinkedIn profiles through examples of campaigns, strategies, or content you've developed. This skill quickly sets you apart, demonstrating your ability to connect ideas and think beyond conventional approaches. Whether you're building a brand identity or crafting messaging, applying creativity in marketing not only drives results but also highlights your value in today's fast-paced professional environment.