Assignment | A simple definition is that creativity is the ability to imagine or invent something new
Added on 2022-05-13
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Professional Development
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MODULE – 5
CREATIVITY
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
An Ability. A simple definition is that creativity is the ability to imagine or invent something new. As we
will see below, creativity is not the ability to create out of nothing (only God can do that), but the
ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Some creative
ideas are astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple, good, practical ideas that no one seems
to have thought of yet.
An Attitude. Creativity is also an attitude: the ability to accept change and newness, a willingness to
play with ideas and possibilities, a flexibility of outlook, the habit of enjoying the good, while looking
for ways to improve it. We are socialized into accepting only a small number of permitted or normal
things, like chocolate-covered strawberries, for example. The creative person realizes that there are
other possibilities, like peanut butter and banana sandwiches, or chocolate-covered prunes.
A Process. Creative people work hard and continually to improve ideas and solutions, by making
gradual alterations and refinements to their works. Contrary to the mythology surrounding creativity,
very, very few works of creative excellence are produced with a single stroke of brilliance or in a
frenzy of rapid activity. Much closer to the real truth are the stories of companies who had to take the
invention away from the inventor in order to market it because the inventor would have kept on
tweaking it and fiddling with it, always trying to make it a little better.
The creative person knows that there is always room for improvement.
NEGATIVE ATTITUDES THAT BLOCK CREATIVITY
1. Oh no, a problem! The reaction to a problem is often a bigger problem than the problem itself.
Many people avoid or deny problems until it's too late, largely because these people have never
learned the appropriate emotional, psychological, and practical responses. A problem is an
opportunity. The happiest people welcome and even seek out problems, meeting them as challenges
and opportunities to improve things. Definition: a problem is (1) seeing the difference between what
you have and what you want or (2) recognizing or believing that there is something better than the
current situation or (3) an opportunity for a positive act. Seeking problems aggressively will build
confidence, increase happiness, and give you a better sense of control over your life.
2. It can't be done. This attitude is, in effect, surrendering before the battle. By assuming that
something cannot be done or a problem cannot be solved, a person gives the problem a power or
strength it didn't have before. And giving up before starting is, of course, self fulfilling. But look at the
history of solutions and the accompanying skeptics: man will never fly, diseases will never be
conquered, rockets will never leave the atmosphere. Again, the appropriate attitude is summed up by
the statement, "The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer."
3. I can't do it. Or There's nothing I can do. Some people think, well maybe the problem can be
solved by some expert, but not by me because I'm not (a) smart enough, (b) an engineer, or (c) a blank
(whether educated, expert, etc.) Again, though, look at the history of problem solving.
Who were the Wright brothers that they could invent an airplane? Aviation engineers? No, they were
bicycle mechanics. The ball point pen was invented by a printer's proofreader, Ladislao Biro, not a
mechanical engineer. Major advances in submarine design were made by English clergyman G. W.
Garrett and by Irish schoolmaster John P. Holland. The cotton gin was invented by that well known
CREATIVITY
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
An Ability. A simple definition is that creativity is the ability to imagine or invent something new. As we
will see below, creativity is not the ability to create out of nothing (only God can do that), but the
ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Some creative
ideas are astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple, good, practical ideas that no one seems
to have thought of yet.
An Attitude. Creativity is also an attitude: the ability to accept change and newness, a willingness to
play with ideas and possibilities, a flexibility of outlook, the habit of enjoying the good, while looking
for ways to improve it. We are socialized into accepting only a small number of permitted or normal
things, like chocolate-covered strawberries, for example. The creative person realizes that there are
other possibilities, like peanut butter and banana sandwiches, or chocolate-covered prunes.
A Process. Creative people work hard and continually to improve ideas and solutions, by making
gradual alterations and refinements to their works. Contrary to the mythology surrounding creativity,
very, very few works of creative excellence are produced with a single stroke of brilliance or in a
frenzy of rapid activity. Much closer to the real truth are the stories of companies who had to take the
invention away from the inventor in order to market it because the inventor would have kept on
tweaking it and fiddling with it, always trying to make it a little better.
The creative person knows that there is always room for improvement.
NEGATIVE ATTITUDES THAT BLOCK CREATIVITY
1. Oh no, a problem! The reaction to a problem is often a bigger problem than the problem itself.
Many people avoid or deny problems until it's too late, largely because these people have never
learned the appropriate emotional, psychological, and practical responses. A problem is an
opportunity. The happiest people welcome and even seek out problems, meeting them as challenges
and opportunities to improve things. Definition: a problem is (1) seeing the difference between what
you have and what you want or (2) recognizing or believing that there is something better than the
current situation or (3) an opportunity for a positive act. Seeking problems aggressively will build
confidence, increase happiness, and give you a better sense of control over your life.
2. It can't be done. This attitude is, in effect, surrendering before the battle. By assuming that
something cannot be done or a problem cannot be solved, a person gives the problem a power or
strength it didn't have before. And giving up before starting is, of course, self fulfilling. But look at the
history of solutions and the accompanying skeptics: man will never fly, diseases will never be
conquered, rockets will never leave the atmosphere. Again, the appropriate attitude is summed up by
the statement, "The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer."
3. I can't do it. Or There's nothing I can do. Some people think, well maybe the problem can be
solved by some expert, but not by me because I'm not (a) smart enough, (b) an engineer, or (c) a blank
(whether educated, expert, etc.) Again, though, look at the history of problem solving.
Who were the Wright brothers that they could invent an airplane? Aviation engineers? No, they were
bicycle mechanics. The ball point pen was invented by a printer's proofreader, Ladislao Biro, not a
mechanical engineer. Major advances in submarine design were made by English clergyman G. W.
Garrett and by Irish schoolmaster John P. Holland. The cotton gin was invented by that well known
attorney and tutor, Eli Whitney. The fire extinguisher was invented by a captain of militia, George
Manby.
4. But I'm not creative. Everyone is creative to some extent. Most people are capable of very high
levels of creativity; just look at young children when they play and imagine. The problem is that this
creativity has been suppressed by education. All you need to do is let it come back to the surface. You
will soon discover that you are surprisingly creative.
5. That's childish. In our effort to appear always mature and sophisticated, we often ridicule the
creative, playful attitudes that marked our younger years. But if you solve a problem that saves your
marriage or gets you promoted or keeps your friend from suicide, do you care whether other people
describe your route to the solution as "childish?" Besides, isn't play a lot of fun? Remember that
sometimes people laugh when something is actually funny, but often they laugh when they lack the
imagination to understand the situation.
6. I might fail. Thomas Edison, in his search for the perfect filament for the incandescent lamp, tried
anything he could think of, including whiskers from a friend's beard. In all, he tried about 1800 things.
After about 1000 attempts, someone asked him if he was frustrated at his lack of success. He said
something like, "I've gained a lot of knowledge--I now know a thousand things that won't work."
Fear of failure is one of the major obstacles to creativity and problem solving. The cure is to change
your attitude about failure. Failures along the way should be expected and accepted; they are simply
learning tools that help focus the way toward success. Not only is there nothing wrong with failing, but
failing is a sign of action and struggle and attempt--much better than inaction. The go-with-the- flow
types may never fail, but they are essentially useless to humanity, nor can they ever enjoy the feeling
of accomplishment that comes after a long struggle.
Suppose you let your fear of failure guide your risk taking and your attempts. You try only three things
in a year because you are sure of succeeding. At the end of the year the score is: Successes 3, Failures
0. Now suppose the next year you don't worry about failing, so you try a hundred things. You fail at
70 of them. At the end of the year the score is Successes 30, Failures 70. Which would you rather
have--three successes or 30--ten times as many? And imagine what 70 failures will have taught you.
Proverb: Mistakes aren't fun, but they sure are educational.
MYTHS ABOUT CREATIVE THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
1. Every problem has only one solution (or one right answer). The goal of problem solving is to
solve the problem, and most problems can be solved in any number of ways. If you discover a solution
that works, it is a good solution. There may be other solutions thought of by other people, but that
doesn't make your solution wrong. What is THE solution to putting words on paper? Fountain pen, ball
point, pencil, marker, typewriter, printer, Xerox machine, printing press?
2. The best answer/solution/method has already been found. Look at the history of any solution set
and you'll see that improvements, new solutions, new right answers, are always being found. What is
the solution to human transportation? The ox or horse, the cart, the wagon, the train, the car, the
airplane, the jet, the SST? Is that the best and last? What about pneumatic tubes, hovercraft, even Star
Trek type beams?
3. Creative answers are complex technologically. Only a few problems require complex
technological solutions. Most problems you'll meet with require only a thoughtful solution requiring
personal action and perhaps a few simple tools. Even many problems that seem to require a
technological solution can be addressed in other ways.
Manby.
4. But I'm not creative. Everyone is creative to some extent. Most people are capable of very high
levels of creativity; just look at young children when they play and imagine. The problem is that this
creativity has been suppressed by education. All you need to do is let it come back to the surface. You
will soon discover that you are surprisingly creative.
5. That's childish. In our effort to appear always mature and sophisticated, we often ridicule the
creative, playful attitudes that marked our younger years. But if you solve a problem that saves your
marriage or gets you promoted or keeps your friend from suicide, do you care whether other people
describe your route to the solution as "childish?" Besides, isn't play a lot of fun? Remember that
sometimes people laugh when something is actually funny, but often they laugh when they lack the
imagination to understand the situation.
6. I might fail. Thomas Edison, in his search for the perfect filament for the incandescent lamp, tried
anything he could think of, including whiskers from a friend's beard. In all, he tried about 1800 things.
After about 1000 attempts, someone asked him if he was frustrated at his lack of success. He said
something like, "I've gained a lot of knowledge--I now know a thousand things that won't work."
Fear of failure is one of the major obstacles to creativity and problem solving. The cure is to change
your attitude about failure. Failures along the way should be expected and accepted; they are simply
learning tools that help focus the way toward success. Not only is there nothing wrong with failing, but
failing is a sign of action and struggle and attempt--much better than inaction. The go-with-the- flow
types may never fail, but they are essentially useless to humanity, nor can they ever enjoy the feeling
of accomplishment that comes after a long struggle.
Suppose you let your fear of failure guide your risk taking and your attempts. You try only three things
in a year because you are sure of succeeding. At the end of the year the score is: Successes 3, Failures
0. Now suppose the next year you don't worry about failing, so you try a hundred things. You fail at
70 of them. At the end of the year the score is Successes 30, Failures 70. Which would you rather
have--three successes or 30--ten times as many? And imagine what 70 failures will have taught you.
Proverb: Mistakes aren't fun, but they sure are educational.
MYTHS ABOUT CREATIVE THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
1. Every problem has only one solution (or one right answer). The goal of problem solving is to
solve the problem, and most problems can be solved in any number of ways. If you discover a solution
that works, it is a good solution. There may be other solutions thought of by other people, but that
doesn't make your solution wrong. What is THE solution to putting words on paper? Fountain pen, ball
point, pencil, marker, typewriter, printer, Xerox machine, printing press?
2. The best answer/solution/method has already been found. Look at the history of any solution set
and you'll see that improvements, new solutions, new right answers, are always being found. What is
the solution to human transportation? The ox or horse, the cart, the wagon, the train, the car, the
airplane, the jet, the SST? Is that the best and last? What about pneumatic tubes, hovercraft, even Star
Trek type beams?
3. Creative answers are complex technologically. Only a few problems require complex
technological solutions. Most problems you'll meet with require only a thoughtful solution requiring
personal action and perhaps a few simple tools. Even many problems that seem to require a
technological solution can be addressed in other ways.
For example, what is the solution to the large percentage of packages ruined by the Post Office? Look at
the Post Office package handling method. Packages are tossed in bins when you send them. For the
solution, look at United Parcel. When you send a package, it is put on a shelf. The change from bin to
shelf is not a complex or technological solution; it's just a good idea, using commonly available materials.
As another example, when hot dogs were first invented, they were served to customers with gloves to hold
them. Unfortunately, the customers kept walking off with the gloves. The solution was not at all complex:
serve the hot dog on a roll so that the customer's fingers were still insulated from the heat. The roll could
be eaten along with the dog. No more worries about disappearing gloves. (Note by the way what a good
example of changing direction this is. Instead of asking, "How can I keep the gloves from being taken?"
the hot dog server stopped thinking about gloves altogether.)
4. Ideas either come or they don't. Nothing will help. There are many successful techniques for
stimulating idea generation. We will be discussing and applying them.
MENTAL BLOCKS TO CREATIVE THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
1. Prejudice. The older we get, the more preconceived ideas we have about things. These
preconceptions often prevent us from seeing beyond what we already know or believe to be possible.
They inhibit us from accepting change and progress.
Example problem: How to connect sections of airplanes with more ease and strength than using rivets. A
modern solution is to use glue--glue the sections together. We probably wouldn't think of this solution
because of our prejudice about the word and idea of glue. But there are many kinds of glue, and the kind
used to stick plane parts together makes a bond stronger than the metal of the parts themselves.
Another problem: How can we make lighter weight bullet proof windows? Thicker glass is too heavy.
Answer: Use plastic. Again, we are prejudiced against plastic. But some plastics are not flimsy at all and
are used in place of steel and in bullet proof windows.
Another problem: Make a ship's hull that won't rust or rot like steel or wood. Solution: Use concrete. Our
prejudice is that concrete is too heavy. Why not make lightweight concrete? That's what's done.
Final example: How to divide a piece of cake equally between two kids so they won't complain that one
kid is preferred over the other: "You gave him the bigger piece; you like him better! Waaaah!" Solution:
Put the kids in charge of dividing the cake. Our prejudice is that immature, selfish kids can't do the job. But
the solution, one cuts the cake, the other has first choice of pieces, works very well.
2. Functional fixation. Sometimes we begin to see an object only in terms of its name rather in terms
of what it can do. Thus, we see a mop only as a device for cleaning a floor, and do not think that it
might be useful for clearing cobwebs from the ceiling, washing the car, doing aerobic exercise,
propping a door open or closed, and so on. (Later on in the semester, we will be doing "uses for" to
break out of this fixation.)
There is also a functional fixation of businesses. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the
railroads saw themselves as railroads. When automobiles and later airplanes began to come in, the
railroads didn't adapt. "That's not our business," they said. But if they had seen themselves as in the
people transportation business rather than in the railroad business, they could have capitalized on a
great opportunity.
Similarly, when the telephone began its rise, some of the telegraph companies said, "That's not our
business; we're telegraph companies." But if they had said, "Hey, we're in the communication business, and
here's a new way to communicate," they would have grown rather than died. Compare Western Union to
AT&T. And have you heard of those big calculator companies Dietzgen or Pickett? No? Well, they were
among the biggest makers of slide rules. But when electronic calculators began to rise, they didn't know
what business they were in. They thought they were in the slide rule business, when they were really in the
the Post Office package handling method. Packages are tossed in bins when you send them. For the
solution, look at United Parcel. When you send a package, it is put on a shelf. The change from bin to
shelf is not a complex or technological solution; it's just a good idea, using commonly available materials.
As another example, when hot dogs were first invented, they were served to customers with gloves to hold
them. Unfortunately, the customers kept walking off with the gloves. The solution was not at all complex:
serve the hot dog on a roll so that the customer's fingers were still insulated from the heat. The roll could
be eaten along with the dog. No more worries about disappearing gloves. (Note by the way what a good
example of changing direction this is. Instead of asking, "How can I keep the gloves from being taken?"
the hot dog server stopped thinking about gloves altogether.)
4. Ideas either come or they don't. Nothing will help. There are many successful techniques for
stimulating idea generation. We will be discussing and applying them.
MENTAL BLOCKS TO CREATIVE THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
1. Prejudice. The older we get, the more preconceived ideas we have about things. These
preconceptions often prevent us from seeing beyond what we already know or believe to be possible.
They inhibit us from accepting change and progress.
Example problem: How to connect sections of airplanes with more ease and strength than using rivets. A
modern solution is to use glue--glue the sections together. We probably wouldn't think of this solution
because of our prejudice about the word and idea of glue. But there are many kinds of glue, and the kind
used to stick plane parts together makes a bond stronger than the metal of the parts themselves.
Another problem: How can we make lighter weight bullet proof windows? Thicker glass is too heavy.
Answer: Use plastic. Again, we are prejudiced against plastic. But some plastics are not flimsy at all and
are used in place of steel and in bullet proof windows.
Another problem: Make a ship's hull that won't rust or rot like steel or wood. Solution: Use concrete. Our
prejudice is that concrete is too heavy. Why not make lightweight concrete? That's what's done.
Final example: How to divide a piece of cake equally between two kids so they won't complain that one
kid is preferred over the other: "You gave him the bigger piece; you like him better! Waaaah!" Solution:
Put the kids in charge of dividing the cake. Our prejudice is that immature, selfish kids can't do the job. But
the solution, one cuts the cake, the other has first choice of pieces, works very well.
2. Functional fixation. Sometimes we begin to see an object only in terms of its name rather in terms
of what it can do. Thus, we see a mop only as a device for cleaning a floor, and do not think that it
might be useful for clearing cobwebs from the ceiling, washing the car, doing aerobic exercise,
propping a door open or closed, and so on. (Later on in the semester, we will be doing "uses for" to
break out of this fixation.)
There is also a functional fixation of businesses. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the
railroads saw themselves as railroads. When automobiles and later airplanes began to come in, the
railroads didn't adapt. "That's not our business," they said. But if they had seen themselves as in the
people transportation business rather than in the railroad business, they could have capitalized on a
great opportunity.
Similarly, when the telephone began its rise, some of the telegraph companies said, "That's not our
business; we're telegraph companies." But if they had said, "Hey, we're in the communication business, and
here's a new way to communicate," they would have grown rather than died. Compare Western Union to
AT&T. And have you heard of those big calculator companies Dietzgen or Pickett? No? Well, they were
among the biggest makers of slide rules. But when electronic calculators began to rise, they didn't know
what business they were in. They thought they were in the slide rule business, when they were really in the
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