10 Practical Techniques to Boost Your Creative Thinking Skills

Introduction

Enhancing creative thinking skills is essential for success in today’s fast-paced and innovative world.

In this blog, we will explore ten practical techniques that can help you unlock your creative potential and elevate your problem-solving abilities.

By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you would acquire the tools and the skills required to tackle challenges in your personal and professional endeavors. So let’s dive in.

What Does it mean to Boost Your Creativity?

Before we examine the techniques, what does it actually mean to boost your creativity?

I will explain this by telling you a story. Before we go into the story, if you do not have a clear idea of what creativity really is, I recommend you read this blog post to understand my 7-sided definition of creativity.

Here’s my story: It was a freezing cold winter in Canada and I had parked my car outside an apartment.

The temperature was about -30°C and as such, all cars parked in open parking lots were exposed to the harsh forces of the freezing winter.

So, I came outside, dressed up for the weather, ready to go do some grocery shopping, only to discover that I had forgotten to plug the car to the block heater.

Now for the benefit of readers who may not know, an engine block heater helps keep your car engine warm while you are not driving it. It is typically used in extreme cold weather conditions to prevent the fluids in your car from freezing up.

Now there I was, hoping that my car would start nonetheless but to my profound dismay, the car would not start. This was a very challenging moment for me.

I was outside in the extreme cold and I could not feel my hands nor my ears anymore. That was the wrongest time to have car trouble!

So I popped the hood and tried to make frantic efforts to start the car but to no avail. I took a cab to the nearest shop and bought some tools for charging a battery but that was not the solution. The car battery was so dead that it needed a boost if it was ever going to start. I felt stuck for a moment until someone who had parked next to me came by after hours of wishing and hoping without knowing what to do.

Many people are on this table. They know that they need help boosting their creativity but prefer to wing it. Do not wait till it is probably too late before you commit to learning how to boost your creativity.

After hours of trial and error, alone in the thick of the winter, along came a good samaritan. Coincidentally, he was parked beside me and saw me in my lowest moment of frustration, almost freezing from the cold and concerned that my car won’t start.

Then he offered a helping hand. He had a device in his car that could boost or jumpstart dead car batteries. He brought it out, plugged it to my cold battery and asked me to turn the ignition.

Immediately I did that, the car  responded and jerked back to life. To this day, I remain grateful to that man who helped me in that situation. He could have just got in his car and driven off as he did not know me and did not have to help but he did. He gave my car a boost!

The essence of that story is to help you see why the creativity of many people needs a boost. Many creatives are stuck in the middle of nowhere and they just need a jumpstart or a boost in order to manifest their creativity. 

For some, they are stuck in the cold winters of fear, external criticism, self-doubt, unrewarded skill, suppressed talent and time constraints.

They have lost that creative spark, that fire that used to burn within them due to the disappointments they have encountered along the path to exploring their creativity.

This is the reason many have ideas, skills, talents, knowledge, gifts and experience and are never able to transform them into profitable creations or tangible solutions.

If this describes you or someone you know, then you need to read this post to the end.

10 Practical Techniques to Boost Your Creative Thinking Skills

These techniques will show you how to boost your creative thinking. So let’s jump right in:

Embrace curiosity

Encourage a sense of wonder and curiosity by actively seeking new experiences, asking questions, and exploring different perspectives. Curiosity fuels creativity and opens doors to innovative solutions. 

Further reading:

The Creative Power of Questions: 5 Keys to Innovative Discoveries

Engage in brainstorming sessions

Gather a diverse group of individuals to generate a multitude of ideas and inspire fresh insights. Emphasize a non-judgmental and free-flowing environment where all ideas are welcomed and explored. For more on brainstorming, see: How to Brainstorm Ideas and Creative Solutions – 8 Easy Steps.

Practice mind mapping

Use mind maps to visually organize thoughts and ideas. This technique promotes connections between different concepts, stimulates creativity, and facilitates the development of comprehensive solutions. To learn how to mindstorm and mindmap effectively, see this: 6 Easy Steps to Solve Problems with Mindstorming.

Incorporate divergent thinking

Break away from conventional patterns of thinking and challenge assumptions. Explore multiple possibilities and consider alternative approaches to problem-solving.

Seek inspiration from different disciplines

Expand your knowledge base by exploring fields outside your expertise. Drawing insights from diverse areas can spark new connections and generate innovative ideas.

Cultivate a growth mindset

Embrace challenges and view failures as learning opportunities. Adopting a growth mindset allows for continuous improvement and encourages resilience in the face of setbacks. If you would like to grow in your creativity, I recommend you read my book titled “Ignite Your Creativity”. It contains about 40 worksheets/exercises to help you become more creative.

Experiment with different mediums

Step out of your comfort zone and explore various creative outlets such as painting, writing, or music. Engaging in different mediums stimulates creativity and helps you approach problem-solving from fresh perspectives.

Practice active observation

Pay attention to details and observe your surroundings with heightened awareness. By actively observing, you can uncover hidden patterns, gain new insights, and find inspiration in the world around you

Foster a collaborative environment

Collaborate with others to leverage diverse perspectives and tap into collective creativity. Embracing teamwork and fostering open communication can lead to breakthrough ideas and innovative solutions

Allocate time for reflection

Set aside dedicated time for reflection and introspection. By taking a step back and evaluating your creative process, you can identify areas for improvement and refine your thinking techniques

Conclusion

By implementing these ten practical techniques, you can enhance your creative thinking skills and unlock your full creative potential.

Embrace curiosity, foster collaboration, and consistently practice these strategies to develop a more innovative mindset. As you refine your problem-solving abilities, you’ll find yourself approaching challenges with renewed creativity and resourcefulness, leading to greater success in all areas of life.

PS: If you would like to invite me to do a presentation, keynote or seminar in your organisation or church, hit me up by filling this request form.