Chapter 4:

CREATIVITY

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Creativity
 When we say
someone has
creativity, it usually
means that he or
she is also a good
critical and creative
thinker.
 This topic deals
with creativity as a
product of critical &
creative thinking.

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What is Creativity?
 It is the ABILITY
to imagine or
invent something
new by combining,
changing, or
reapplying existing
ideas.

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What is Creativity? (contd.)

 It is an ATTITUDE
because it involves
 the ability to accept
change & newness,
 a willingness to
play with ideas &
possibilities,
 a flexibility of
outlook,
 eagerness for
improvement.

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What is Creativity? (contd.)

 It is a PROCESS.
Creative people work
hard to improve ideas
& solutions by making
gradual alterations &
refinements.
Creativity does not
usually appear as a
single stroke of
brilliance. It requires
much time, effort &
patience.

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What is Creativity? (contd.)

 It involves
“THINKING
OUTSIDE THE
BOX”. Creative
people dare to
think differently &
unconventionally.
They look for
unusual solutions
to solve problems.

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Myths about Creativity
 Creativity requires
high IQ.
 Creativity needs
talent.
 Drugs & alcohol
enhance creativity.
 Creative people are
crazy.

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Myths about Creativity (contd.)

 Creative answers
are technologically
complex.
 Creative ideas
either come or
they don’t.
 My idea is not as
creative as those of
others.

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Characteristics
of Creative People
 They are curious.
 They enjoy a
challenge.
 They are not afraid
of innovations.
 They see problems
as opportunities.
 They are optimistic
about finding
solutions.

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 Characteristics
of Creative People (contd.)

 They challenge assumptions

and long-held superstitious
beliefs.
 They do not take things for
granted.
 They do not give up easily;
persevere.
 They are daring; take risks.
 They are dynamic; active.
 They are resourceful.
 They are hardworking.
 They are independent.
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What you need to do to be
Creative?
 Curiosity.
 Challenge ideas,
proposals, beliefs, &
statements.
 Optimism about &
perseverance in
solving problems.
 Suspension of
judgment & criticism.

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What you need to do to be
Creative? (contd.)
 Ability to turn bad into
good.
 Courage when handling
problems.
 Flexibility in imagination.
 Find your own creative
period/time.
 Read (whenever you have
the time) to enhance your
general knowledge. Read
on a variety of subjects,
not just on your major area
of study.
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What you need to do to be
Creative? (contd.)
 Attend or watch talks,
seminars, forums &
discussions to widen
your horizons.
 Use the Internet to
search for ideas &
solutions.
 Befriend creative people.

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Stages in the Creative Process
 Searching for challenges.
 Expressing the problem or issue.
 Investigating the problem or issue.
 Producing ideas.

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Applying Creativity in Solving
Problems & Issues
 Taking a novel approach.
 Devising or modifying a process or
system.
 Inventing a new product or service.
 Finding new uses for old things.
 Improving existing things.
 Redefining a concept.

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Creative Methods
 EVOLUTION: New ideas evolve from
older ideas, new solutions emerge
from previous solutions, with the new
ones slightly or significantly improved
over the old ones.

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Creative Methods
 REVOLUTION: A new idea that is
completely different from an original
idea & that ends up in getting great
results.

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Creative Methods (contd.)

 SYNTHESIS: This involves combining

two or more ideas to produce
something that is better, more
practical & more convenient.

Example: Someone noticed that a lot of

people like to have some coffee and
muffins while surfing the Web. Why not
combine these two activities into one?
Thus, the ‘Internet Café’, was born.

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Creative Methods (contd.)

 REAPPLICATION: This involves

looking at old things with renewed
interest & with the aim of benefiting
from the old item in a markedly
different way.

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Creative Methods (contd.)

 CHANGING DIRECTION: Many

creative breakthroughs occur when
attention is shifted from one angle of
a problem to another. When
attempting to solve a problem, if one
solution does not work, shift to
another. There is no commitment to
a particular path, only to a particular
goal.
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Creative Methods (contd.)

 CHANGING DIRECTION:
Example: “The Case of Senator A
Presidential Campaign”

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 Creative Methods (contd.)
Today is Monday 8.00 am and Senator A had just walk into his campaign ‘war room.’

He was very excited, his advisers had call him 5 minutes earlier informing him that his 3 million colour printed,
high quality, presidential campaign brochures had just arrive from the printing company.

All 3 million brochures will be distributed all over the state this Wednesday morning at 8.00 am.

His adviser handed him one of the brochures which still smells like it has just come out of the printing machine.

He glanced at the brochure and began to smile. He had not been able to see the dummy draft of the brochure
because he was out on a campaign trail. He left it to his press officer to design it and arrange the whole thing.

He like it, the design was good and his photograph on the cover of the brochures was also perfect. He was
about to congratulate his press officer when he realized something.

There is a small writing on the right hand corner of the photograph stated simply ‘Atomic Studio – copyright
reserved.’ His smile turned to a frown.

He whispered something to his right hand man, who ran out of the ‘war room’ and came back 10 minutes later.
He told the senator that:
i. They did not realized that the photo belongs to ‘Atomic Studio’ and it was copyrighted.
ii. According to the law, they have to pay USD1 for each time they use the photo on any printed material
hence they have to pay ‘Atomic Studio’ USD3 million for all the 3 million brochures printed.
iii. From the intelligence that his right hand man had gotten, he found out that ‘Atomic Studio’ is not really
doing well and their main source of income is payment from people using their copyrighted photos.
iv. Rumour has it that the owner of ‘Atomic Studio’ is not a friendly person. People say he actually is quite
rude.

The Senator face turned sour after hearing this news. He can’t afford to pay USD3 million to a photo studio, he
barely have enough money to pay his campaign staff! He realizes that if he used the photo without permission
he will bet taken to court and have to pay a larger amount than USD3 million. Hence, he could kiss his
presidential campaign goodbye. However, he had to use distribute the brochure next Wednesday so there is no
time to make new brochures. What should he do?

If you are Senator A, what would you do to solve this problem? [By the way, this incident happen when
the fastest mode of communication is by using the telegram] 22
Obstacles that Block Creativity
 Attitudes: Since childhood, the way we
learn things is counter-creative.
 Education System: Examination-oriented
approach.
 Rules & Tradition: Sometimes rules and
tradition hold us back from creativity,
especially if we contradict our seniors.
 Emotional Block:
 Fear of taking risks.
 Not comfortable with ambiguity and vagueness
or the “grey color”.
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Other Obstacles
that Block Creativity
 Oh No, another
problem!
 It can’t be done!
 There’s nothing I
can do.
 I’m not creative,
I’m just an
ordinary person.
 What will people
think?

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Other Obstacles
that Block Creativity (contd.)
 But I don’t want to
fail!
 But I’ve always done
it this way!
 I can’t believe what
he has achieved!
 But I don’t have the
necessary tools.
 Yuck! How can they
do that?

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Differences between
Creativity & Innovation
 Creativity
 refers to the
phenomenon
whereby something
new (which has
value) is created.
 is a mental process
involving the
generation of new
ideas or concepts.

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Differences between
Creativity & Innovation
 Innovation
 involves the people
who create the new
things that are of
value.
 is a practical process
that turns the new
ideas or concepts into
products & systems
that can be widely
used or that are
commercially
successful.

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Creative Thinking
 Creative thinking
results in creativity.
 It is a way of thinking
that generates
something new or
different or unique or
interesting or
beneficial.
 Ideas generated by
creative thinking
usually work better
than those thought of
using ordinary ways.

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Creative Thinking (contd.)
 Creative thinking
involves coming up
with new:
 concepts
 designs
 ideas
 perspectives
 possibilities
 solutions
 strategies

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Two Unique Techniques of
Creative Thinking: 1. Reverse
Brainstorming
 1. Reverse
Brainstorming
Technique: This
involves thinking in
the opposite way.
 Instead of asking
“How do I achieve
these results?”, ask
“How do I achieve
the opposite
effect?”

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Two Unique Techniques of
Creative Thinking: [Link]
Brainstorming (contd.)
 Example of Reverse Brainstorming:
How can we destroy the
environment?
 Cut down a lot of forest trees.
 Throw all rubbish inside rivers.
 Do not recycle anything.
 Do not do anything about air pollution.
 Do not request that factories treat their
chemical waste.
 Stop all research that produces safer &
cleaner energy sources. 31
Flip back the negative answers to the positive side
Two Unique Techniques of
Creative Thinking: 2. Lotus
Blossom Technique

 2. Lotus Blossom Technique:

 Start by writing your main subject or topic or
problem in the middle of a piece of paper.
 Then write major sub-topics or major aspects of the
problem surrounding the main subject, topic or
problem (like the petals of the lotus flower).
 Next, write minor sub-topics or minor aspects around
the major ones.
 After that, look at what you have written so far &
start thinking of ideas, writing them down in a
circular fashion around what you have written before
(so that you have something that looks like a big
lotus flower with lots of petals in the end).
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