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Roger W. Sperry formulated the theory that people are either dominantly left-brain or right-brain thinkers. Nevertheless, no one is truly left-brained or right-brained, and everyone is capable of broadening their cognitive horizons! Something that plays a role in doing so is understanding and making use of the different types of creative thinking. Creative thinking is defined as being able to generate new ideas and perspectives unconventionally. There are said to be five types of ways to foster creative thought, which are divergent, lateral, aesthetic, systems, and inspirational thinking.
Divergent means for something to develop in different directions, which is what divergent thinking does. An American psychologist named J.P. Guilford first proposed using divergence in creative thinking. This form of thinking is one of the most common, for it is said to be a traditional brainstorming process. Those who use divergent thinking try to devise as many solutions or options to a stimulus as possible. This type of thought uses flexibility, imagination, and originality, for much of the brain’s knowledge on a topic is acknowledged or embodied to develop multiple ideas. Divergence in the creative process is usually free-flowing and spontaneous, so the manner in which it is conducted is not always organized. When brainstorming to stimulate creative thinking, it helps to take note of every idea that comes to mind, and one can be used to come up with another. Keeping a journal is also beneficial when it comes to this type of thought, for one can write down any ideas that spontaneously come to mind. An individual can also try out freewriting to employ divergent thinking, and every idea that comes to mind about a specific topic is written down as an unrefined collection of thoughts. Another technique to utilize is mind mapping, which visually connects ideas and their relationships, which can help develop the topic later.
What follows divergent thinking is usually the opposite: convergent thinking, which puts the various ideas generated together in a more organized fashion, eventually discovering the most common option to follow. This type of thinking is the opposite of the former and helps to bring everything together.
A common phrase that one might hear is “thinking out of the box.” This form of thinking strays away from step-by-step thought processes and is known as lateral thinking. Researcher Edward De Bono coined this term, and it can be used to generate new ideas, leaving behind the traditional options that have already been employed. Lateral thinking serves as an alternative to the brain’s limitations of constantly following patterns and a sequential method of thinking. Many problems we face, have specific procedures, such as the scientific method, that can be used to solve them. However, not every issue fits perfectly into this vertical approach, and lateral thought is what brings us to new discoveries, theories, inventions, and more! Using this type of thinking helps people see the big picture and notice previously overlooked things, question traditional assumptions, and find another way to tackle what is in front of them. Along with the aforementioned divergent thinking, lateral thinking is considered non-traditional. Still, it is less sequential than the former, in which one thought can form another.
On the other hand, lateral thinking can produce ideas that are in no way related to others. This form of creative thinking is the least likely to follow, and it is easier said than done. One technique that can help promote this sort of reasoning is using one’s five senses. People rarely use all of these senses to come up with an idea or answer. To do this, for example, instead of conducting your thought process on paper using visuals, you can record your spoken thoughts and listen back to them. In this way, people can think of something they previously did not.
Another approach that involves lateral thinking is reverse thinking, in which one begins with the ideal result to be achieved and works backward to find a way to start. This is essentially the opposite of what people usually do when creating, whether working on a solution to a problem or an art piece for a prompt. It can, additionally, be helpful to make provocations through intentionally false statements about an issue. Seeing other potential thoughts and ideas from another perspective can stimulate new thoughts. Also, like divergent thinking, one can use mind mapping since these are visual aids that cause your brain to adjust its way of thinking. Doing this and taking a step back to take in the whole picture can lead them to unpredictable results. To gain new perspectives with lateral thinking, people must first understand their constraints, why they are, and how to go beyond the edges of their creative space.
Aside from these forms of creative thinking is aesthetic thinking, which revolves around beauty in art, embodied in its creation and appreciation. This concept came from taste, as it emerged in the 18th century, serving as a corrective to rationalism. Aesthetic thinking goes apart from practicality and involves producing pleasant things that appeal to people’s senses. A person’s knowledge and view on artistic aspects such as composition, color, and shape can alter their aesthetic thought. Yet, in general, this type of thinking can be adopted by anyone. Some types of this creative reasoning include visual and spatial, which are utilized, for instance, by painters and architects.
A mathematical characteristic that is implemented in visual aesthetics is the Golden Spiral, which is a logarithmic spiral that makes use of the golden ratio. This spiral is commonly found in nature, so artists, mathematicians, and others from other fields have used it in their work. It is deemed to form the most harmonious relationship between visual components. Elements such as tempo, melody, and rhythm can also be used to make music pleasing, making subjects such as music and performance types of aesthetic thinking. The same holds true in storytelling because the pace, figurative language, and theme can make any form of writing pleasing.
Aesthetic thought is not only used by artists but mathematicians and scientists as well. Formulas can seem harmonious and satisfying as well, including when they work out elegantly in finding answers. Aesthetic thinking, along with all other types of creative thought, can be used in more ways than one would initially come up with.
Systems thinking, created by Professor Jay W. Forrester, is an additional form of creative thinking that involves relating one idea to another and looking at the big picture. This type of thought consists of connecting just about all things to each other and combining multiple items to form a whole new thing, which would have a more significant impact than those components would separately. When utilizing systems thinking, one has to understand the entire new “system” that is created, the different components of this newfound idea, and how these parts are connected. Such interdependence forms the backbone of this thought, and previously unthinkable notions come about only through combining various elements. The entire system that is made serves as a solution to follow that encompasses and is more productive than the subsystems that compose it. Furthermore, systems thinking can be similar to other classifications of creative thinking, such as aesthetic and lateral thinking, in that the whole picture needs to be acknowledged and made perfectly.
Often, new ideas come about as a result of putting together multiple things that already existed, for creativity could be seen as connecting things in an unconventional way. As opposed to convergent thinking, systems thinking can follow divergent thinking by combining multiple solutions, options, or ideas into one instead of finding the “one correct answer.” While mind mapping was said to be a technique to embrace other kinds of creative thinking, it is likely most helpful here. This is because ideas can be connected and visualized in a way that allows the creator to combine multiple of them.
Last is inspirational thinking, which is similar to systems thinking due to one idea originating or being inspired by another. Studies have shown that inspiration is a strong predictor of creativity, and many artists are inspired by others and their environment. Gaining stimulation, motivation, or insight from another source can, sometimes, result in spontaneous ideas and moments of clarity. Having a breakthrough of this kind makes it possible for one to achieve relatively high creative outputs, and there are multiple terms for the occurrence, such as having a revelation.
Some see inspirational thinking as a case where the person having a breakthrough acts as a medium for what is demonstrated by something else. New ideas, solutions, and all types of creations can be created if the work of another inspires someone, and they can build on that person’s vision to make their own. A person can also be motivated to do something of their own because of observing another doing something as impactful as they want to achieve.
Inspiration does not always come from other people, though. People can be inspired by something from their subconscious, such as through dreams or something that they experienced. For instance, people can make a story or art piece based on their own sentiments or that of another. People can also gain insight through anything they admire and alter it to make a creation that more so suits themselves. Inspiration leads people to new possibilities and can cause them to think of ideas that have not occurred to them before. To stimulate inspirational thought, one can surround themselves with a new environment, use a vision board, start with divergent thinking, and explore something new.
It is crucial to remember that no one simply employs a single form of creative thinking, and one type of thought is usually used in combination with another to form something of creative quality. Creative thinking can be used to create art, problem-solving, storytelling, academics, and much more. Some people might use one kind of creative thought more than others, but that does not mean it is impossible to learn and stimulate those alternative types! Everyone has the capacity to be creative, yet it is also necessary to realize that the creative process takes time, and it is not always easy to just come up with something of your own.
Moreover, no type of thinking is less innovative than another. Even if one were to combine ideas already in existence to make their own or get inspired by the work of another, that does not mean that whatever was created or thought of is any less creative than if you were to make use of, say, lateral thinking. Exploring the different types of thinking and using them with each other can, undoubtedly, aid anyone in diversifying their demonstrated creative ability.
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Editing by Kanishka Kataria
Cover page by Francine G.
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