Many people equate creative thinking with problem solving. You have a problem and you find an ingenious way to solve it. Most creativity methods are indeed problem solving techniques:  Brainstorming, six thinking hats, TRIZ, SIT, even design thinking, all assume that you have something at hand that you want to change. And that’s quite fine with me.

But how do you know what your problem really is? How do people generate ideas, hypotheses and briefs in the first place? This first step is based upon keen observation, curiosity, doubt, questioning, wonder, cheekiness, checking boundaries. These characteristics are innate to young children, who come up with new ideas all the time. And that is why it’s hard for us adults, to get it.

Most new ideas do seem ridiculous (at least to us adults). Didn’t Einstein say “

“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.”

And that’s why many creative people can often connect to their ‘childish’ side. And that is why creative methods that deal with the ideation process are, well, childish. These methods tell us: “Start with anything but a real problem. Imagine. Connect the unconnectable . Invert. Question. They are actually games. Have fun!!”

Norman Podhoretz said:  “Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of order imposed on the disciplined adult intelligence.”

So, if you want to be creative, you need to learn from the behavior of kids:    Do something silly once in a while       Embrace mistakes   Learn to laugh at everything, including yourself   Read your favorite children’s stories – to yourself

Play ‘creativity games’ such as random associations and 48create. And observe. Notice. Doubt. Ask.