What’s creativity...and how can we think more creatively?

by Startacus Admin
Clare Griffiths, Director of The Ideas People asks "What's creativity...and how can we think more creatively? We took a read and made some notes!
"Creativity is more than about being able to draw, it is an ability which we can all develop. Consider it like a muscle which we can flex. Similar to innovation, creativity is a process fuelled by conscious and unconscious insight, of generating ideas, concepts and associations. It is the ability to develop new ideas and to discover new ways of looking at problems and opportunities. It is also the first step in the innovation process.
In order to develop your creative thinking skills, you must change the way you look at things. To do this, you must look for different or unorthodox relationships between people and things, and you must have an open, inquisitive mind.
There are also techniques you can use to help you think more creatively. Here are five creative methods which you can apply for coming up with ideas or solving problems:
Evolution
Synthesis
Revolution
Reapplication
Pivoting
Evolution is all about improving things gradually. Think of Gillette’s razors, and how they have developed over the years from a 1-blade razor to an ergonomically-designed 5-blade razor. Evolution in the bathroom! We all have a desire to improve the way we do things, and we are also never short of an idea of how things could be improved, and this is what the Evolution creative method is all about – improving things.
The second creative method, Synthesis, is all about mixing different concepts together and “joining the dots”. For example, take the Post-It note. This was the invention of Art Fry, who used an adhesive developed by a colleague Spencer Silver. In 1968, Dr Spencer Silver (a chemist at 3M) was attempting to make a super-strong glue, but instead created a “low tack” reusable, pressure-sensitive adhesive. For over 5 years, he promoted his invention within 3M, and in 1974, Art Fry (a colleague who had attended one of his seminars), came up with the idea of using the adhesive to stick his bookmark in his hymnbook. In 1977, 3M launched the product, “Press and Peel”, which initially wasn’t a success. It was only after running a free trial with residents from a town in Idaho, who fed back that 94% of residents would buy the product, that the product then debuted in US stores as “Post-it Notes” in 1980.
The third method to come up with new ideas and to solve problems is to do something completely different to what you are currently doing. This is called the Revolution method.You may recall, from 2010, John Cleese advertising the new boiler repair service of the AA (the AA originally being known as the roadside assistance company)? Well that’s one example of the revolution method – doing something unrelated to previous activities.
A fourth creative method is Reapplication, which is all about using or doing something in a new way. Think about the current trend to upcycle and transform objects into something else. The other day I saw an antique fork which had been turned into a photo holder!
The final creative method is the method called Pivoting. This is a method which you can use when you want to solve a problem from a completely different angle. Let’s take the example of Dyson’s new Air Multiplier Bladeless Fans. Whilst he is still trying to, for example, make a room cooler, rather than using a traditional fan, he has developed this bladeless fan, which uses inducement and entrainment technology to circulate a higher quantity, and constant supply, of cool air around a room.
In addition to the five creative methods listed above, there are other techniques you can use to come up with ideas. For example, you can ask yourself the Big 6 Questions to stimulate curiosity and question your reasoning:
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
How?
Why?
Whilst brainstorming is probably one of the most well-known and commonly used creative thinking techniques, it is not the only technique – nor the most effective one to use. There are numerous creative thinking techniques which you can experiment with, and the ones mentioned above are just a handful.
However, they could be a good starting point for you, next time you are at the beginning of an innovation journey within your business. So why not try something different, and apply one of these creative thinking techniques? You never know where it will take you!"
About the contributor: Clare Griffiths is the Director of The Ideas People, a smart social enterprise which develops the innovation skills and capacity of today’s and tomorrow’s workforce through practical training, tools and fun learning experiences.
Join the Self Start society! If you like what you see here on Startacus and want to get involved yourself, why not become a member of our growing community by joining for free here!
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Paid is a startup that is on a mission to help freelancers and micro businesses get paid for work without the wait

Osaka Gas makes strategic investment into energy supplier Igloo Energy in exchange for a minority stake in the company

HypeLabs, the leading software-only mesh networking provider raises $3m to strengthen its team and to support its international growth plans

Berlin-based music startup, Jambl secures $500,000 investment from Gismart, a leading developer and publisher of entertainment-focused apps and games

We asked the Hollabox App team to share their top predictions on how technology will challenge fake news and reviews in 2020.

Further development by Wishu, the social marketplace aimed at generation Z creative freelancers, waith the launch of its iOS app

Tracworx is a real-time patient tracking system that results in excellent patient care throughout the entire patient journey

The environmental initiative, Returnr that aims to replace single use takeaway packaging with equivalent reusable solutions

Thriftify is an online platform that connects the most sustainable & ethical source of goods with consumers who care...

Women in Tech themed half-day event and startup pitching competition to take place during next year’s Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Enterprise Week
Published on: 21st April 2013
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Igloo Energy secures strategic investment of up to £20 miliion 10th Dec 2019 Osaka Gas makes strategic investment into energy supplier Igloo Energy in exchange for a minority stake in the company
- Mesh-networking startup HypeLabs secures $3M to provide Internet-free connectivity 10th Dec 2019 HypeLabs, the leading software-only mesh networking provider raises $3m to strengthen its team and to support its international growth plans
- Gismart invests $500k in innovative music startup Jambl 9th Dec 2019 Berlin-based music startup, Jambl secures $500,000 investment from Gismart, a leading developer and publisher of entertainment-focused apps and games
- Derry & Strabane Tech event championing women in tech and tech inclusion announced 5th Dec 2019 Women in Tech themed half-day event and startup pitching competition to take place during next year’s Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Enterprise Week