Creative Thinking: Definition, Techniques, and Examples Analysis

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of creative thinking, defining it as a novel approach to problem-solving and innovation. It explores various methods, including brainstorming and lateral thinking, highlighting their roles in generating unique solutions. The essay also discusses the significance of creative thinking as a crucial skill in today's competitive environment, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and innovative approaches. Furthermore, it delves into the qualities that foster creative genius and differentiates between convergent and divergent thinking styles. The author offers personal examples of creative endeavors, such as crafting handmade items, to illustrate the application of creative thinking in everyday life. The essay concludes by underscoring the value of developing strong thinking skills through practice and exercises.

Running Head: CREATIVE THINKING 0
CREATIVE THINKING
Student Details
11/14/2018

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Creative thinking is defined as a different perspective of thinking and solving
problems such that these ways of solving problems are completely out of the box and
orthodox style. This process of creative thinking makes a person to find new connections,
face new challenges and discover solutions that are different, original, fresh, and unusual.
Creative thinking is not just related to problem solving, whereas there are many other ways of
thinking and solving problems that comes under creative thinking (DesignInspiration, 2016).
According to Gary Davis ‘ Creative thinking is a personality feature, a way of understanding
the surroundings, a lifestyle, a way of connecting and interacting with people, and a way of
growing and living’. A person can be creative in his day to activities also. Apart from family,
a person manage to perform daily activities including office, sports, health, entertainment are
also part of being creativity (Businessdictionary, 2018).
Many believe including Steve jobs believe that creative thinking is based on
experience. Creative people have a tendency of getting solutions for situations just by seeing
it as it seems very obvious to them. This happens because they have the ability of connecting
their experiences and synthesise new techniques. Therefore, it is important to understand that
creative thinking is a skill that can be developed within anyone. Creative thinking can be
encouraged by using two methods that are unstructured method of brainstorming and the
structured method of lateral thinking (Clearconnectionschiropractic, 2018).
Brainstorming technique includes putting down all the ideas that comes into mind
regardless how unrealistic and unrelated they seem at first. From the so many options, one
needs to find an idea that will stand out and innovative. Brainstorming is an excellent method
of developing creative thinking. Lateral thinking is a process of generating solutions for
problem just by looking the situation from a unique perspective (Thepeakperformancecenter,
2018). Lateral thinking provides a systematic and deliberate process that result in innovative
thinking. There are seven techniques that help in developing creative ideas. These techniques

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include alternatives, focus, challenge, random entry, provocation, harvesting and treatment of
ideas (Silvia, Nusbaum, Berg, Martin, & O’Connor, 2009).
Today everything is advancing at very fast pace. To be successful in this competitive
environment, one has to adapt these changes and has to think about new ideas and innovative
approaches that make them to lead in the group. Creative thinking has become a mandatory
skill to build a successful career. Capacity to think openly, freely, without any constraints and
limitations about problems makes a person creative. There are some of qualities that make
someone a creative genius. These qualities include learning, imaginative, independent, focus,
and orientation (Anna, 2017). Good thinking skills also make a person creative, for example
if someone is given a task of organising an event then it will first require to make a list of
things needed, persons to invite, scheduling of programs, contacting required people to get
the work done, assigning jobs of individuals. However this is the reason that’s makes me feel
that I have good thinking skills (Coughlan, 2007).
For instance, there are two types of thinking as introduced by Guilford in 1967; these
are convergent thinking and divergent thinking. According to Guilford, there are two ways of
finding a solution for the problem (Psychologenie, 2018). First way is a straight forward way,
where one finds a solution by thinking in a straight forward, to-the-point, and just focusing on
the problem. This way of thinking is known as convergent thinking. Whereas, divergent
thinking is an indirect way of thinking, where a person analyse the problem, consider all the
possible ways of reaching to the solution, and then choose the best way out of all to solve the
problem. Examples of convergent and divergent thinking are as respectively, suppose out of
the given words goat, phone, stroke, and shake, it is required to find the words rhymes with
‘boat’. In this example answer is among from few wrong words. It does not require much
thinking also as only knowledge about pronunciation of word ‘boat’ will tell about the word
having similar pronunciation. Similarly, if one is asked about the list of words that rhyme

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with ‘boat’, then it will require thinking, a lot of time, and this will give many answers too.
Here answer needs to be found out (Psychologenie, 2018).
Similarly, I consider myself as a very creative thinker. During my school days, my
school used to organise different events on handicrafts items. I was in seventh class when I
participated in that event. I collected different kind of cold drink bottles and by using them I
made a beautiful flower vase and plastic flowers too. Flower vase was so beautiful and
creative. This not only made me won first prize in the competition but also my vase got a
place in school gallery to be exhibited. This boosted my confidence and helped me in
recognizing my creative abilities. By using this skill I made beautiful door mats and sofa mats
from using unused towels. Everyone appreciated mats created by me and also used those in
home. Even my neighbours also asked me to make mats for them too. Similarly, I love to
work in garden during my leisure time. I am doing this since my childhood with my father.
From that time I used to cut plants and grasses in beautiful designs and shapes of different
animals and structures that express my creativity.
Since, it can be concluded that it requires a person to be creative and have excellent
thinking skills to be successful in today’s competitive world. Thinking skills can be improved
and developed by performing different exercises (Birgili, 2015).

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Bibliography
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Clearconnectionschiropractic. (2018). Your Creative Genius Mindset: The Essential Qualities
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DesignInspiration. (2016, 12 05). Creative Thinking – An Essential Skill for the 21st Century.
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Psychologenie. (2018). Convergent Vs. Divergent Thinking: Know the Real Difference.
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Thepeakperformancecenter. (2018). Lateral Thinking Techniques. Retrieved from
http://thepeakperformancecenter.com/educational-learning/thinking/types-of-
thinking-2/lateral-thinking/lateral-thinking-techniques/