Creative Thinking For Dummies

David Cox is a creative business consultant who, since the 1970s, has created, acquired and sold numerous successful businesses. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing as well as a Chartered Practitioner of NLP. David began his education in Fine Art, where he cultivated his interest in creativity. He also trained as a clinical psychologist before turning to marketing, when he founded the UK’s first youth marketing consultancy.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Conventions Used in This Book 2What You’re Not to Read 2Foolish Assumptions 3How This Book Is Organised 3Part I: Laying the Foundations: Understanding Creativity 3Part II: Preparing Yourself: Creating Your Creative Mindset 4Part III: Getting Creative – The Practical Stuff 4Part IV: Applying Creativity to Your Life 4Part V: The Part of Tens 4Icons Used in This Book 5Where to Go from Here 5Part I: Laying the Foundations: Understanding Creativity 7Chapter 1: So What Is Creativity? 9Seeing Creativity Everywhere 9Spotting obvious signs of creativity 10Noticing less obvious signs of creativity 11Finding Curious Ways to Fulfil Your Curiosity 12Reconciling paradoxes and juxtapositions 13Combining the familiar and the strange 13Entwining the tangible and the elusive 14Experiencing the seductive and the scary 14Adapting Strategies to Help You Survive in the Creative World 15Emulating child’s play 16Recognising creativity as a necessity – not a luxury 16Appreciating creativity as your lifeblood 17Getting into a Creative Frame of Mind 18Converging and diverging 18Storming ahead 19Being physically passive but mentally active 20Being physically active and mentally alert 20Programming Yourself for Creativity with Neuro-linguistic Programming 21Fighting through Uncreative Times 24Being stuck 25Getting unstuck 26Chapter 2: Living in a World of Creativity 27Searching for Spiritual Expression 28Embodying spirituality and knowledge in architecture 28Connecting body, mind and spirit 29Meeting the Muses 29Musing with Greeks and Romans 30Meeting modern muses 31Finding your own muse 31Tuning In with Music and Creativity 32Challenging the Status Quo with Creative Thinking 35Playing a revolutionary role 35Working within the system 36Creating political art 37Connecting Religion, Politics and Creativity 38Pomp and propaganda 38Nudge – when politicians get ideas 39Shedding Light on the Dark Side of Creativity 43Limiting beliefs 43Generating energy and ignoring burn-out 45Melding creativity and personality 46Chapter 3: Exploring the Creative Mindset 49Being Creative – All the Time 50Realising that you can’t not be creative 50Exhibiting everyday creativity 51Knowing creativity when you see it 51Having the creative touch 52Knowing the Moment versus Knowing the Outcome 53A change is as good as a rest 53And a rest is as good as a change 54Exploring Different States of Consciousness 54Memories, dreams and reflections 54Daydreams, sleep and meditation 56Being wide awake and curious 58Altered states – sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll 59Exploring the subconscious 60Understanding Different People and Different Kinds of Creativity 62Jung’s theories and the foundations of modern personality assessment 62Convergent and divergent thinking 66Gender 66Age 67Creativity across cultures 67Beyond the five senses 69Part II: Preparing Yourself: Creating Your Creative Mindset 71Chapter 4: Preparing to Be Creative 73Understanding the Creative Process 74Opening up to ideas and originality 74Closing down to solve a problem 74Changing your mind for a different perspective 75Capturing Your First Ideas 75Getting into the Right Space – Mentally and Physically 76Getting in the mood 76Setting the scene 77Flying Solo versus Working in Teams 83Working alone 84Working together 84Having it both ways 86Assessing Outcomes 87Did it work? 89What to do next 91Chapter 5: Committing to Creativity 93Creating Continuously – Keeping the Tap Running 94Being creative for a living 94Stressing about creativity 95Achieving the magic 10,000 hours 96Preparing for good results 96Living Like Leonardo – Working with Creative Continuity 97Being insatiably curious – curiosità 98Testing knowledge through experience – demostrazione 101Refining the senses – sensazione 103Embracing ambiguity – sfumato 105Balancing art and science – arte/scienza 106Cultivating the finer aspects of life – corporalita 107Connecting everything – connessione 109Experiencing a Creative Burst 110Lighting up – the light bulb effect 110Exploding with creativity 111Finding Your Own Creative Style 112Part III: Getting Creative – The Practical Stuff 113Chapter 6: Changing Your Mind with Creative Thinking 115Discovering Ways of Changing Your Mind 116Getting to Grips with Mind Mapping 118Designing a mind map 119Employing Table Games 122Building with Matchbox and other games 122Using creativity cards 124Playing with Language 125Harnessing the power of metaphor 125Talking about narrative and trance 127Finding a way into trance states 131Using Random Input 133Playing word games 133Making complexity simple 135Transforming language 135Visualising Success 136Putting visualisation to work with image streaming 137Discovering other creative visualisation techniques 138Chapter 7: Opening Your Mind with Creative Thinking Techniques 141Generating Ideas with Brainstorming 142Processing the rules 143Brainstorming the right way 144Making refinements for better brainstorming 146Signing Up To Synectics 150Inventing a prototype for brainstorming 151Referring, reflecting and reconstructing 152Tooling Up with SCAMPER 157Working with a handy toolbox 157Using Thinkertoys – a bigger toolbox 160Thinking Laterally 160Introducing Parallel Thinking 161Provoking Provocative Operation 163Wearing the Six Thinking Hats 164Chapter 8: Closing In on the Answer: Creative Problem-Solving 169Working Creatively to Find a Solution 169Using the Disney Model – Being in Character 170The dreamer 173The realist 174The critic 175Trusting Young’s Five-Step Technique 176Using the Whole Brain with Herrmann’s Model 179Listing dominant types 181Seeing HBDI in action 182Putting the Whole Brain Model to work 185Chapter 9: Playing Creatively 189Provoking New Ideas with Thought Experiments 190Drawing and Doodling 192Drawing on the right side of the brain 192Seeing passively and actively looking 194Building a visual vocabulary by asking questions 195Working with SQVID 199Playing with paint 203Playing with Role Play 204Walking a mile in their shoes 205Evaluating role play 205Keeping and Breaking Rules 206Thinking in and out of the box 207Encountering blue skies, clouds and storms 208Choosing chance 209Having Whole-Body Experiences – Indoors and Out 211Creating Movement When You Get Stuck 213Part IV: Applying Creativity to Your Life 215Chapter 10: Living the Creative Life 217Living the Benefits of a Creative Life 217Improving your health 218Managing stress 219Living a long life 222Getting good sleep 222Measuring wealth 225Celebrating the Creative Power of Happiness 227Searching for happiness 227Failing happily for success 228Joining the club – happiness is catching on 230Getting a Sense of Humour 230Taking humour seriously 231Laughing at an important subject – deflating the balloon 232Enjoying humour and creativity together 232Experiencing Wellbeing 233Ascending Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 233Feeling good about yourself 235Creating a healthy brain 237Chapter 11: Children and Creativity 239Looking Inside Children’s Creative Minds 239Blooming buzzing confusion 240Modelling mastery 241Becoming competent 242Considering what babies do because they don’t know better 244Playing as a learning method 244Developing patterns and habits 246Showing acquired skills through drawing 247Observing How Education Influences Creativity 251Debating the purpose of education 252Balancing rigid and relaxed teaching 252Applying Creative Thinking Lessons in Daily Life 253Fostering creativity 253Getting culture into the bloodstream 254Partnering with modern technology 255Chapter 12: Working Creatively 257Looking at Creative Industries and the Bottom Line 258Auditing creative business 258Driving business through the creative engine 259Moving creativity from back room to front office 260Generating Ideas that Make Money 261Putting a premium on creativity 261Owning ideas that change the world 262Protecting the Creative Franchise 262Where there’s a hit there’s a writ 263Engaging in the eternal battle between artist and producer 264Instilling Creativity in Companies Large and Small 265Doing business as usual 265Drawing creativity from the outside in and inside out 265Overcoming Resistance to Creativity 266Living by logic – or not 267Riding your obsessions into oblivion 268Planning in a straight line 270Resisting vision 270Creating (and Maintaining) a Creative Workplace 271Choosing a space 271Making a creative space 272Living with the Difference between Innovation and Creativity 273Defining the difference 273Owning the creativity 274Making it happen at Saatchi & Saatchi 275Chapter 13: Embedding Creativity in Your Personal Life 279Becoming Continuously Creative 280Changing the habits of a lifetime – or a minute 280Perseverance versus perseveration 282Appreciating Creativity and Culture 283Asking what culture is 285Pushing the culture button 285Breaking the barrier – official creativity 286Celebrating everyday life 286Discovering Transferable Skills and Resources 287Trying self-remembering 287Reaching resourceful states 289Using Your Creative Awareness 289Getting serious 290Joining creative networks online 290Being in touch with creativity around the world 291Maintaining a Creative State of Mind with Fun and Games 294Discovering an app for that 297Simplifying 298Noodling and doodling 299Part V: The Part of Tens 301Chapter 14: Ten Great Ways to Get Creative 303Seize the Moment 303Give Yourself Permission 304Make Time to Relax, Play and Have Fun 304Immerse or Isolate Yourself 305Immersion 305Isolation 305Tolerate Ambiguity 305Find Your Personal Centre 306Develop Endless Curiosity 306Make Things Bigger, Smaller, Distorted or Inverted 307Organise a ‘Creative Heroes’ Dinner Party 308Indulge in Creative Sleep 308Chapter 15: Ten Acorns That Became Oak Trees: Great Ideas that Became Reality 309Gutenberg’s Printing Press 309Galileo’s Understanding of Mankind’s Place in the Universe 310Newton’s Insights into the Physical World 310Henry Ford’s Vision of Modern American Industry 311Edison’s Persistence and Inspiration 311Tesla’s Electric Inventions 312Marconi’s Radio 313Picasso’s Works of Art 313Alan Turing’s Modern Computers 314Richard Feynman – Bongos and Atom Bombs 316Chapter 16: Ten-Plus Essential Books 317The Act of Creation by Arthur Koestler 317Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind by Guy Claxton 318Secret Knowledge by David Hockney 318The Power of Creative Intelligence by Tony Buzan 319Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko 319The Creative Brain and The Whole Brain Business Book by Ned Herrmann 319Blink by Malcolm Gladwell 320How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael Gelb 320Strategies of Genius, Volume One by Robert Dilts 321Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono 322The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley 322A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young 322Making by Thomas Heatherwick with Maisie Rowe 323Chapter 17: Ten Inspirational Creative Businesses 325Saatchi & Saatchi – Bringing World-Changing Creativity 325The Mind Gym – Instigating Intelligent Interaction 326Pixar – Creating an Ideas Playground 327Apple – Sustaining an Atmosphere of Maverick Thinking 328DPA – Thinking Space 328LEGO – Building a Business Brick by Brick 329Chiat\Day – Reinventing Creativity 330St Luke’s – Redefining Creativity 331Caffeine – Stimulating Business 331Jack Tinker – Achieving Creativity Heaven 332Chapter 18: Ten Unusually Creative Individuals 333Eric Clapton – Learning His Craft the Hard Way 333David Hockney – Working at Everyday Creativity 334Bob Dylan – Reaping the Rewards of Creative Persistence 335Brian Eno – Being Eclectic 336Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm McLaren – Producing Punk 336Benoit Mandelbrot – Fascinating Fractals 337Anita Roddick – Creating a Body of Work 338Malcolm Gladwell – Making New Sense 338Ferran Adrià and El Bulli – Cooking Up Magic 339Richard Hamilton – Inspiring a Generation 340Index 341