Art Appreciation
Lecture Series 2
Asst. Prof. Maximo B. Sauz Jr.
Course Facilitator
Melissa Ling / The Balance
BY ALISON DOYLE
Updated June 26, 2020
Creative thinking is the ability to consider something in a new way. It
might be a new approach to a problem, a resolution to a conflict between
employees, or a new result from a data set. Employers in all industries
want employees who can think creatively and bring new perspectives to
the workplace.
This article will dive into what creative thinking is, types of creative
thinking, and the benefits of thinking creatively in the workplace.
What Is Creative Thinking?
Creative thinking means thinking outside the box. Often, creativity involves lateral
thinking, which is the ability to perceive patterns that are not obvious.
Creative thinking might mean devising new ways to carry out tasks, solve
problems, and meet challenges. It means bringing a fresh, and sometimes
unorthodox, perspective to your work. This way of thinking can help departments
and organizations be more productive.
Creativity thinking isn't limited to artistic types. Creative thinking is a skill that anyone can nurture and
develop.
How Creative Thinking Works?
Opportunities for creative thought in the workplace vary from
obvious artistic positions to highly technical ones. Generally, anything
that involves an “aha” moment is considered creative. Here are
some examples of how to display creative thinking in different jobs.
Artistic Creativity
You don't have to be an artist for your work to have an artistic element. Perhaps you arrange
retail displays for maximum impact or shape the path of an enticing hiking trail. Other
artistically creative tasks might include designing logos, writing advertising copy, creating the
packaging for a product, or drafting a phone script for a fundraising drive.
Creative Problem-Solving
Creative problem-solving stands out as innovative. A creative problem-solver will find new
solutions rather than simply identifying and implementing the norm. You might brainstorm
new ways to reduce energy use, find new ways to cut costs during a budget crisis, or develop
a unique litigation strategy to defend a client.
Creativity in STEM
Some people think of science and engineering as the opposite of art and creativity. That's not
true. The fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are highly creative.
Designing a more efficient assembly line robot, writing an innovative new computer program,
or developing a testable hypothesis are all highly creative acts.
The history of science and technology is filled with projects that didn't work, not because of
errors in technique or methodology, but because people remained stuck in their assumptions
and old habits. STEM fields need creativity to flourish and grow.
Types of Creative Thinking
Creative thinking is expressed in several ways. Here are some of the types of creative
thinking you might see in the workplace.
Analysis
Before thinking creatively about something, you first have to be able to understand it. This
requires the ability to examine things carefully to know what they mean. Whether you are
looking at a text, a data set, a lesson plan, or an equation, you need to be able to analyze it
first.
Open-Mindedness
To think creatively, set aside any assumptions or biases you may have, and look at things in a
completely new way. By coming to a problem with an open mind, you allow yourself the
chance to think creatively.
Problem-Solving
Employers want creative employees who will help them to solve work-related issues. When faced with a
problem, consider ways that you can solve it before asking for help. If you need the input of a manager, suggest
solutions rather than just presenting problems.
Organization
This might seem counterintuitive: Aren’t creative people known for being somewhat disorganized? Actually,
organization is an essential part of creativity. While you might need to get a bit messy when trying out a new
idea, you need to organize your ideas so others will understand and follow through with your vision.
Communication
People will only appreciate your creative idea or solution if you communicate it effectively. You need to have
strong written and oral communication skills.
You also need to be able to understand a situation fully before thinking creatively about it. That means you also
need to be a good listener. You may come up with a unique solution by asking the right questions and listening
to the answers.
Imagination is critical to innovation and
learning–but what exactly is it?
Dr. Murray Hunter of the University of
Malaysia Perlis explains that imagination
is, in part, about filling in gaps in our
knowledge.
“Imagination is the ability to form mental images, phonological passages, analogies, or
narratives of something that is not perceived through our senses. Imagination is a
manifestation of our memory and enables us to scrutinize our past and construct
hypothetical future scenarios that do not yet but could exist.
Imagination also gives us the ability to see things from other points of view and empathize
with others. Imagination extends our experience and thoughts, enabling a personal
construction of a worldview that lowers our sense of uncertainty. In this way, our
imagination fills in the gaps within our knowledge enabling us to create mental maps that
make meaning out of the ambiguities of situations we face where information is lacking,
which is an important function of our memory management. This partly explains why people
react differently to what they see due to the unique interpretations they make based on
different prior knowledge and experience. Imagination enables us to create new meanings
from cognitive cues or stimuli within the environment, which on occasions can lead to new
insights.”
And, Dr. Hunter explains, it’s not always a conscious process.
“Recent research has shown that the brain periodically shifts phase
locking during a person’s consciousness, where neural networks
activate and these brief periods may be enough to allow the
dominant left hemisphere give way to the right hemisphere,
enabling a person to see the environment, problem or issue from a
new perspective.”
Types of Imagination
1. Effectuative Imagination combines information together to synergize new concepts and
ideas.
2. Intellectual (or Constructive) Imagination is utilized when considering and developing
hypotheses from different pieces of information or pondering over various issues of
meaning say in the areas of philosophy, management, or politics, etc.
3. Imaginative Fantasy Imagination creates and develops stories, pictures, poems, stage-
plays, and the building of the esoteric, etc.
4. Empathy Imagination helps a person know emotionally what others are experiencing
from their frame and reference.
5. Strategic Imagination is concerned about vision of ‘what could be’, the ability to recognize
and evaluate opportunities by turning them into mental scenarios…
6. Emotional Imagination is concerned with manifesting emotional dispositions and
extending them into emotional scenarios.
7. Dreams are an unconscious form of imagination made up of images, ideas, emotions, and
sensations that occur during certain stages of sleep.
8. Memory Reconstruction is the process of retrieving our memory of people, objects, and
events.
