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| Raphael: The School of Athens (Plato) |
We live in a century of immense social and technological change, which demands a continuous increase in intelligence and creativity. Creativity and mental flexibility are vital to improving work performance, solving everyday problems, and enhancing the quality of life. Yet, despite a gradual increase in intelligence measures, the creativity of incoming generations does not change.
Creativity requires alternating between divergent and convergent thinking, culminating in the aha moment, the highly pleasurable feeling of discovery. Although arbitrary creative ideas can happen to anyone, it takes systematic preparation to achieve mental excellence, which is essential for long-term creative success. There are four crucial elements of creativity.
(1) Understand the problem. Knowing the crux of the contradiction or the problem is necessary to create or find a solution. However, too many details can be confusing and misleading. Your insight into the problem must be to the point, sharp as a needle, to puncture the perceived resistance of the difficulty.
(2) Accept the place where you are. Creativity is not linear progress. Most often, creative solutions come from those not highly invested in the organization. Leaders are often most invested in the status quo. Similarly, outsiders can gain insights not available to insiders. The lower you find yourself compared to your expectations, the better you are set for a breakthrough.
(3) Be immersed in the problem. All creative people have a hundred percent mental commitment. They cannot be disturbed! Whereas environmental disturbances disrupt most people, creative minds thrive in stressful situations, further sharpening their resolve toward the goal.
(4) Keep a light disposition. Children do not feel inhibited by expectations or social pressure. Their genuineness allows them to see the essence of things with creative potential. Playful activities possess an inner freedom that is conducive to creativity. Eliminating shaming, criticism, and pressure will allow creative instincts to flourish.
(4) Keep a light disposition. Children do not feel inhibited by expectations or social pressure. Their genuineness allows them to see the essence of things with creative potential. Playful activities possess an inner freedom that is conducive to creativity. Eliminating shaming, criticism, and pressure will allow creative instincts to flourish.
This last point is essential. Mental commitment is not a forceful and rigid concentration; creative people do not seem to work on the problem at all! Einstein often received creative inspiration while chatting with friends or engaging in mundane activities. Likewise, Mozart enjoyed light-hearted partying with friends, but in creative moments, he could 'see' a whole symphony.
Creativity visits a playful yet genuine mind: live with a clear conscience. Go for a walk; focus on a mantra or meditation to liberate your mind from a negative mindset. Mental house cleaning will often immediately create space for a creative solution. Keep going, even if you receive an unworkable or faulty answer at first. If you are persistent and optimistic, innovative solutions will visit you.
Creativity cannot be planned for but can be cultivated.
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