We are all aware of the many challenges facing this planet today. It’s no secret that we have reached a point of almost no return in our valuable recourses, our plant and animal species and the old way of thinking in many government and corporate institutions. People are now required to step out of the old way of doing things and discover innovative ways to remain sustainable. The only solution left is to acknowledge the vast, ingenious and astonishing power of the human mind and it’s ability to source creative ideas.

Creative thinking; a gift that we have all been given to successfully sustain, grow and re-invent ourselves for the purpose of evolution, adaptability and survival. So why have we not returned to this recourse in order to solve the many challenges we face today? Well quite simply put, because more than 90% of us don’t even recognise that we can, don’t know how or have never put the power of it to work in their lives. Do you fit into this percentage?

Myths of creativity

To date, the word creativity has been misinterpreted, wrongly defined or in most cases, not even taught or acknowledged at all. The education system teaching our children today and for the last century is based mostly on literacy and numeracy. There is no time or effort given to providing children with the space to awaken their own creative thinking and inner recourses of information. It’s a system of question equals answer and answers that have most often been passed down for decades by authorities who did not have an awareness of how the world would change through discoveries, technology and expansion of the human mind.
Our myths surrounding creativity is the first problem: that we are not all born with the gift, that being creative will not get you a good job, that creativity is illogical, uncontrollable and difficult to master, that creative thinking is not important in business and does not add value to the end product, production processes and profit required today to remain ahead.

Creating the life you desire

What if I told you that you are a creative genius and that you hold the same possibility to reach breakthroughs, solve challenges and create desired, successful results as any ‘creative’ master who has ever lived and still lives today? Awareness of this is the first step to creative ingenuity. Creative thinking can be taught and developed just like any other skill. And just like any skill, with practice, can be mastered.

If responsibility is your ‘ability to respond’ then I invite you to respond to your own creative possibility. To look at your life, your community, your world and ask if you are happy with what you see? If you are not, then what choice do you have to change it? You have as much choice as any other human being. You were born creative, creating every day and in every moment, through your choices of how to see yourself as well as what you choose to action.
Look at what you create in your life everyday, from your attitude, to the people you surround yourself with, to the career you choose, to the clothes to you wear and so on. Using this same fundamental process, you can use creativity to choose better solutions, solve challenges and source more valuable answers.

How to be an original thinker

I define creativity as the ability to source an original idea. Innovation is then defined as adding value and putting into action that original idea. There are many tools, formulas and tips on how to think creatively but the main point to remember when going through your creative emergence is that you are already creative and the process of integrating it more into your life such that it adds value and brings you the results you desire is merely a case of knowing how it operates.

How can you awaken your creative genius?

To see things differently, you need to unsettle the mind. Here is just one process of provoking creative thinking.

1. Be clear about your intention. In other words, what is the focus or objective or subject you wish to be creative about?
2. Challenge every answer even if it is an excellent solution by asking ‘What else can I do?”
3. Ask 'What if' questions to open up all the possibilities. What is important here, is that the possibilities do not have to be logical.
4. Combine or choose the best possibility and answers and ask what needs to happen in order to make it happen in reality.

Accessing creative thinking

To master creative thinking, you will need a combination of the following. A willingness to be wrong, take risks, challenge the structures in your life, challenge your beliefs about your life and how things should be. We all have our own personal blocks to being a creative thinker. This can range from stress, being too cynical, procrastination and many more. The power lies in being aware of what your block is such that when it shows up, you can be available to action the antidote and reap the great benefits of accessing those big ideas and breakthroughs.

How does creative thinking influence your life?

How much are you contributing to your life? Having big ideas and being a creative thinker allows for more confidence. Confidence in your contribution to your work, your team, your family and yourself. Creative thinking is what solves problems, overcomes challenges and expands businesses and communities to remain innovative and sustainable.

Can you see how being creative and putting into action those big ideas can assist in saving the current challenges we face on this planet? What if we could all awaken to our own creative ingenuity and start contributing to our lives in a valuable way? What if we already have all the solutions available to us? What if your desired results could be achieved by merely being aware and utilising your creative thinking skills? I am not saying it’s going to be easy. I am saying it’s most certainly going to be worth it.

Getting started

Learn the skill of creative thinking, what creativity is, how it operates and how you can achieve your desired results. Uncover your creative block and gain tools to overcome them. Take home the formulas to provoking big ideas for both business, personal and community innovation. Get in touch with Simone Berger from Alchemy inMotion on 011 704 7869, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit http://www.alchemyinmotion.co.za.