Want to Think More Creatively? Act Like A Child

To Think Divergently It's Critical to Think (And Play) Like A Child.

"How so?" You might ask. Have you ever taken notice of children riding a bus or a train? They're the ones with their faces pressed against the windows looking out in awe and wonderment at the world passing before their eyes. They're dreaming. Creating and innovating without any of the criticism that we adults have learned over the years. Criticism and self-doubt that at times stunts or prevents us from thinking divergently.

Kids know how to play. They have wonderful imaginations and if you're a parent, hopefully you are nourishing those imaginations. So, it makes sense that as adults when we 'play' the various parts of our brains associated with creativity come into (sorry for the pun) play.

Play can come in many forms and most involve some sort of body movement. Play is a form of exercise and when we exercise we effect how creativity works in the brain. There is a slew of conclusive evidence on the positive effects of exercise readily available for your review. I have my own evidence (non-empirical) for those of you who might be interested in learning about my personal experiences.

So if play is so important to divergent and creative thinking, why aren't we doing more of it in the workplace? If you live and work in North America most likely your work environment and work culture supports working long hours with infrequent breaks and very little 'play' time. Yes, a certain amount of pressure and stress are valuable when looking to innovate but too much causes paralysis and burnout. (See the Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 28, February 2017.) Americans work very hard but, how efficient, effective, and productive we are, is a question for another post. Playing, having fun does not mean that you are not working. Being childlike is very different than being childish.

So before you start your next meeting, try some simple play activities such as stretching, drawing on whiteboards, laughing, clapping, running in place or, better yet, whenever possible, take your meeting outside and walk, talk, and create solutions using your childlike sense of fun and adventure

I would love to hear your experiences, ideas, and approach to thinking creatively. Now, get back to work.

Get Unconscious

I came across John Cleese presenting a talk on "how to be creative". He admitted up front that he had know idea how creativity works and can't explain it. He did, however, go on to explain the magic that comes from our unconscious minds, for within it rest solutions to creative problems and that there are two modes that we can choose when faced with a creative challenge.


If you're anything like me or most people, a blank piece of paper, canvas, or mound of lumpy clay can cause sheer panic. Cleese addressed this when he talked about the importance of accepting that uncomfortable feeling of not having any idea of how to proceed but start we must on that book, painting, sculpture or business plan in spite of the anxiety. He relates that moment when we feel completely lost and stuck to being in a "closed mode" versus the moment we pick up that brush or pen and commit to the "open mode". When we operate from the open mode we allow our imagination to percolate even if we aren't fully aware of what's actually happening. According to Psychology Today, the unconscious mind is the "source for intuition and dreams." This can be very exciting to some and a source of anxiety for others.


Cleese's "modes" are quite interesting, especially since I had the incredible fortune recently to meet Carol Dweck, a Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Dweck wrote the mind changing book Mindset. I found it so intriguing that I finished reading it in two days. 


The premise of Professor Dweck's book is that we have a choice of two mindsets: fixed or growth. A fixed mindset believes that people are born with a fixed amount of intelligence, skills and talent. A growth mindset believes that anything can be learned and mastered with hard work and time invested. (Read Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success) Growth mindsets love challenges and don't give up when things get uncomfortable. Even geniuses like Einstein and Picasso had to learn and put a lot of what they learned into practice. If they hadn't we never would have heard of them. Einstein famously said, "I am neither especially clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious."


Both Dweck and Clesse speak to the importance of taking  frequent breaks along with playing and having fun, especially, when faced with the big "C" word, Creativity. With open or growth mindsets the answers will seemingly come when least expected. Wherever they come from, I can say that after reading Professor Dweck's book and watching the Cleese video, I have had a very productive week in spite of the initial uncomfortableness.