In this post, I continue developing the Introductory Principles to Creativity.
Thematic index:
1. Techniques to develop creativity. Part I.
1.1. Barriers and blocks to creativity.
1.2. Creative techniques.
1. Techniques to develop creativity.
Creative methods are deliberate procedures for solving heuristic problems. Their objective is to stimulate creativity to find newer and more valuable results. They seek to reduce or eliminate the barriers and blocks that limit our imagination and the generation of original thoughts.
1.1. Barriers and blocks to creativity.
It is usual that, on many occasions, we feel difficulties in generating creative ideas. If in a social or work meeting we are asked to present original thoughts on a subject in question, it can happen that our response is limited and, in some situations, almost non-existent, evidencing a total block. The origin of these barriers was analyzed, concluding that they arise for different reasons. Given the bio-psycho-social structure of the human being, the barriers were grouped into three categories: neurological, psychological and cultural.
Neurological barriers.
We have defined creativity as a human capacity, therefore, like other capacities, it is a component of the personality that can be developed, with neurological bases and social characteristics. Various theories have been proposed that relate the brain structure to creativity, among them: the theory of hemispheric asymmetry vs. that of the whole brain, that of phylogenetic evolution, and that of the triune brain. The latter is the one that we will develop to explain the relationship between blocks in neurological activity and creativity.
Three large compartments are usually differentiated in the human brain that would derive from three evolutionary stages. Paul MacLean, categorized these structures: a reptilian system related to instinctive life; the limbic system referring to affective and emotional processes and the neocortex, which is the most modern, where intellectual capacity is located. Although they are chemically and structurally different, they make up a category of three brains in one, in complex interaction, defined as the "triune brain or triple brain."
- The oldest component of the brain is called the reptilian complex -instinctive-, whose objective is physical survival and maintenance of the body -autonomic functions: breathing, heartbeat, etc.-. Its function is physical action, such as motor reactions in the present, with two types of response: attack or defense directing the movements of approach and distance. The hypothalamus prepares the body for actions of great physical effort in a moment, sending signals to the heart to accelerate the pulse and to the digestive system the suspension of said process, before an energy requirement of the motor muscles. Evaluate the known as safe and the unknown as dangerous. The characteristics of the behaviors of this complex are automaticity, ritual quality, and resistance to change.
- The limbic-emotional system or complex is the second evolutionary stage, and includes the primary centers of emotion. It brings together the amygdala, which associates events with emotions, and the hippocampus, which transforms information into long-term memory and participates in its retrieval. With the appearance of this brain begins the possibility of learning and memorizing new responses to use them in similar situations, when processing present and past experiences. It acts as a second filter of the information we obtain, classifying the stimuli into two groups: pain or pleasure. The first negative for the balance of human needs, and vice versa. Unlike the reptilian complex, the limbic system is adaptable and accepts new situations, which it will evaluate under its pain-pleasure duality, proceeding to store this new relationship in memory.
- The neocortex -rational-, is the last evolutionary stage of the brain, representing 85% of the brain mass. It is responsible for performing higher functions: cognition, language, advanced thinking, reasoning, abstraction, planning future experiences, and creativity through imagination. In this component of the brain, novelties are generated and it is the most open to its acceptance. It is activated after the two previous systems. Its action is slower and requires a high energy consumption.
Faced with a novel stimulus, our brain presents different reactions, the reptilian component could reject it, the limbic component would analyze it under its pain-pleasure relationship, while the neocortex could accept it. Consequently, the different parts of the brain enter into dialogue, in a sequence that demands energy to process a greater amount of information than if the task were repetitive.
The human brain, which only weighs 1.5 kg, is the organ that demands the most energy, and our system –like that of other beings- is programmed to save energy, maintaining enough reserves with which to attack or flee in risky situations. Therefore, it is usual to "fall" into the comfort zone that leads us to the "status quo", reiterating our actions without making an effort to develop creativity.
Next we will analyze the psychological blocks.
Psychological blocks.
The novelties and the alternatives of change generate uncertainty, as well as a greater possibility of making mistakes; and people, in general, we are afraid of making a mistake. There is fear of ridicule, criticism and being rejected by the environment. Faced with the unknown, there are fears of making mistakes and failing, derived from the potential mistakes that can be made and that would affect the personal image before others; losing power, recognition and/or compensation.
The characteristic of creative people is openness to new experiences, on the contrary, the most recognized psychological blocks derive from the fear of experimenting with novelty. People who are more averse to new experiences will have a lower capacity to generate original ideas.
Another group of psychological barriers is related to the limitations in the capacities to “build” creative products: difficulty to define and/or understand the true problem; to combine or recombine the constituent elements; Analyze and observe the issue from different points of view.
Below are the ideas of Roger von Oech and Charles H. Clark regarding phrases that are reiterated in society reaffirming blocks against creativity.
The ten mental obstacles to creativity by Roger Von Oech
1) We need to give correct and unique answers as a product of educational systems – what counts are the answers and not knowing how to ask questions.
2) Excessive use of logical thinking.
3) Rigidity of the rules, they must be followed and never broken.
4) Be practical, put fantasies aside.
5) Avoid ambiguity. Doubt is not useful.
6) To be wrong is wrong.
7) Playing is frivolous.
8) That is not my area, misunderstood hyperspecialization.
9) Fear of ridicule.
10) Thinking that you are not creative.
|
“Killer phrases” from the creativity of Charles H. Clark in his book: Brainstorming |
|
|
It will not work too old In production they will not accept it we don't have staff we have already tried we are not ready yet You will never sell it to management It is too early It's going to mean more work we are too small You don't understand our problem The union will protest It's not in the manual It doesn't work in our industry. So that? if we are making money Too academic |
We don't have time too modern Engineering can't do it. Not in the budget If it was that good they would have done it already. we have never done it like this It's not our problem It's too late Will increase costs It is not for a big company like this We have too many projects now The regulations do not allow it. Better present it in writing Our sales continue to rise It's not in our plans No one should tell me how to run my business |
Finally, the cultural barriers to creativity will be analyzed.
Cultural barriers.
In the first place, I consider it interesting to define what is the meaning that we are going to apply to the word “culture”?
Javier Gomá lists four of its uses: as cultural policy, as cultural industries, as a work [1] and finally culture as Image and interpretation.
We now use the concept of culture in the latter sense, identifying, for example, that Italian culture and Japanese culture are different, since even though there are common elements, no one doubts that an Italian and a Japanese belong to separate cultures. The customs, languages, traditions, lifestyles, rules and social norms of coexistence are different. Within the various cultures (and subcultures within a region) some present characteristics of greater openness to change and vice versa.
The different societies have given structures of rules and norms of coexistence, before which social researchers are interested in analyzing their emergence, the conditions under which they are modified and, in particular, their functioning; the degree of rigidity/flexibility and the guidelines for compliance by its members.
Cultural barriers to creativity derive from established norms that prevent the possibilities of change, and/or where novelties are considered socially negative; They are also characterized by their intolerance to the broad concept of the “different other”. The first social researchers assumed that these structures -explicit or implicit- that govern social behaviors, are external to the individual and would have a coercive power that would lead to adapt actions to what is socially expected, convenient and/or due[2].
Meanwhile, researchers attached to interpretative methodologies, of a microsocial order, focus on the social action of the agent. Authors such as Dilthey, Tarde, Simmel, Weber, Schütz, Mead, Hayek, will emphasize the motivations and intentions of human interaction, based on a concept of a greater degree of freedom in daily behavior. According to interpretative authors, creative agents interact through social media, and have the ability to gradually modify current norms.
The observable trend in the societies of the last centuries is, the one assumed by this second group of authors, towards greater degrees of freedom to make the structures of rules and social norms more flexible, derived from the increasing empowerment of individuals. Tolerance and coexistence with the broad vision of "the different other" increases substantially on average, although with a very wide dispersion among the different cultures.
Phobias and Philias
Social phobias and affiliations are barriers to creativity, which have been studied in a multidisciplinary way. Two examples will be discussed:
An interesting case is technophobia. The so-called Luddite rebellions originated in England in 1812. Faced with the appearance of technological innovation, represented by industrial looms, artisans tried to destroy them, considering that they would eliminate their trade. This type of debate has been going on for more than two centuries and is currently related to the fear of the impact on labor markets that the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence could have.
A second example is the study of neophobia and neophilia referring to food consumption habits. Analyze the reasons for acceptance or rejection of new foods in different cultures. Human beings are omnivorous, since they can and need to eat different foods, but there is no culture that eats all that is available. In this regard, we can ask ourselves, how many times have we eaten snails or frogs? and how many insects or monkey meat? Acceptance responses to new foods will vary according to their culture of belonging.
Species and products of animal proteins and fats commonly consumed in 383 Cultures
| Specie |
Number of Cultures |
|
Chicken (meat and eggs) |
363 |
|
Cattle (meat and milk) |
196 |
|
Pig (domestic) |
180 |
|
Fish |
159 |
|
Lamb |
108 |
|
Duck |
67 |
|
Zebu (mainly milk) |
49 |
|
Turtle (meat and eggs) |
46 |
|
Zebu (meat and milk) |
43 |
|
Dog |
42 |
|
Rat |
42 |
Source: Abrams, 1987.
1.2. Creative techniques.
In this section, different methods will be presented that allow the creative processes to be energized. According to M. Fustier in his work "Pedagogy of creativity" they are classified into three groups:
- Analog methods: they look for the solution to a problem through its similarity with the positive response that has been verified in a different field. These connections between the different areas are generated by similarities and imagination.
- Antithetical methods: different conceptions are sought through discontinuous pathways of thought that lead to restructuring and unknown alternatives. It is based on doubt and criticism, leaving aside existing convictions or values. They are based on antithesis, difference, opposition, negation, distortion, utopia. They combine elements of opposition, they look for the opposite to all similarity, eg: brainstorming.
- Random methods: they consist of finding artificial, random and forced relationships between the known and the unknown.
In different creativity techniques, as a first step, some "warm-up" exercises or, perhaps better said, "pre-creativity" are usually carried out. Usually, short and simple practices related to fluency are used.
For example:
Mention in one minute all the names of women and men you know, beginning with the letter C.
Here are some warm-up exercises.
1.2.1. Previous exercises for the "warm-up"
Based on Guilford's research, referring to the characteristics of creative people, a significant number of tests were designed with the aim of evaluating their different profiles. Within these characteristics the aptitudes of: fluency, flexibility and originality were usual. The first and third present in the list enunciated by Gowan, Demos and Torrance, previously cited.
Fluency aptitude is related to the speed of response and, therefore, to the quantity of options provided, rather than to their quality and originality. Being the ability to generate many ideas quickly, it allows providing a greater number of solutions to situations or problems.
Flexibility is related to the ability to find different perspectives and points of view to analyze problems. It can be spontaneous, arising freely and instinctively; or adaptive result of a deliberate process for new approaches.
Originality is the ability to give ingenious and innovative ideas and proposals. Its feasibility depends on breaking established schemes, ideas or rigid models.
Based on the idea of tests to measure these aptitudes, I introduce a substantial modification, generating a set of "warm-up" exercises as variants. We will then give way to the practice phase of individual and group creativity techniques.
Below I suggest you carry out three groups of activities related to this topic, with which you can practice or put into practice in your surroundings. These are illustrative activities
ACTIVITY 1: Fluency practice. First of all, I propose to list functions for a product:
a) In three minutes, write: All the functions that you can think of to assign to a key. For example: open and close a safe.
Second substitutes for that product:
b) In three minutes, write: For each of the functions that you mentioned in the previous exercise, what other goods and/or services would be performed by it as a substitute?
Thirdly, I suggest that you think about the complementary goods of a product:
c) In three minutes, write: Where would you put a self-adhesive label.
ACTIVITY 2a: Flexibility practice.
The challenge is to join the 9 points of the graph, with 4 lines without lifting the pencil from the paper:
ACTIVITY 2b: Flexibility practice.
What is the number of the parking space occupied by the car ?
|
I6 |
06 |
68 |
88 |
|
98 |
ACTIVITY 2c: Flexibility practice.
You are evaluating the purchase of a car, reflect and write down the three main factors that would decide your purchase in the following scenarios.
a) Current.
b) You are a person of the other gender.
c) You lose your job.
d) You are 30 years older than your current age.
ACTIVITY 3a: Originality practice.
The NGO "Save Antarctica" has occupied it and has proclaimed the Republic of Antarctica, with the aim of preserving its environment and preventing any country from making economic use of its resources. The ice hockey team of this new republic is going to participate in the Winter Olympics. He has entrusted our consulting firm with the following work:
- Design the flag and coat of arms of the republic.
- Write the lyrics of the hymn.
- Design the starting and substitute kit for the hockey team.
Keep in mind that all designs should convey the message of the NGO.
ACTIVITY 3b: Originality practice.
My cousin is going to open an urban bar-restaurant in a neighborhood of medium-medium socioeconomic level, where both people and their pets can eat healthy homemade food. You have asked us to:
- Propose the name for your business.
- Design the poster for the establishment.
- Design the graphic presentation of the menu.
- Finally, as you know of our fondness for cooking, that we propose a recipe for a "star dish" that people and their pets can share.
1.2.2. Techniques to develop creativity.
They are deliberate procedures whose purpose is to reduce or eliminate the blocks that inhibit the expression of our creativity, stimulating through their search the development of creative results.
In point 1.2. The three groups of methods to dynamize the creative processes presented by M. Fustier were introduced: analogical, antithetical and random.
Within this broad set of existing techniques, those referring to: analogies, forced relationships, six thinking hats will be presented. Then, in the fourth and last post of this Introductory series, a practical case of creativity by interaction will be detailed where individual and group brainwriting, SCAMPER and brainstorming techniques have been used.
Method of analogies.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy, analogy is defined as: "...relationship of similarity between different things and reasoning based on the existence of similar attributes in different beings or things..."
Try to solve problems looking for the possible solution in the application of an observed similarity as a positive answer to another case. Leonardo Da Vinci had studied in detail the flight of birds, in order to design wings that would allow the human being to fly.
Analogy is one of the most used techniques to develop creativity and generate ideas . It is intended to use the solutions previously obtained in product B, whatever their nature, to apply it to the problem that has arisen with product A. Another example: study the properties of shark skin to develop a new type of swimsuit for high competition. The company that has developed the product presents it under the phrase: Biomimetics: designed by nature, perfected by Speedo.
In creativity, we use analogies when:
• We relate our creative problem to elements from other fields or disciplines.
• We compare between two problems, ideas, people, and more interesting the further apart they are.
• We find similarities between two products even when they have many differences.
• We are motivated to imagine the merger of two products, at first sight incompatible.
This method of analogies has given rise to several particular creativity techniques, among which we can mention:
Synectics. William Gordon, created synectics, based on the use of analogies: "... It is a question of paralleling by means of this method some facts, some knowledge, or some different disciplines...". The synectic concept, of Greek origin, means "...union of different and apparently irrelevant elements..."
He differentiated four types of analogies:
• Personal: it refers to empathizing personally with the subject under analysis: What would happen if I were a dental clinic? How would I feel if it was a baby stroller?
• Direct: “…We will study the anatomy of a bird's wings together with the muscles of the breast, which are the motors of those…” wrote Leonardo da Vinci in one of his notebooks. For more than two decades he studied the flight of birds to design machines that would allow human beings to fly. It is the transfer of solutions from other environments that have solved problems similar to ours: Motivation of the groups of my company with the assistance of successful group sports coaches.
• Symbolic: consists of making definitions from remote associations. It is used in the field of storytelling. I want to redecorate a country hotel and think of Henry David Thoreau's essay; or in impressionist paintings.
• Fantastic: relate our wishes and dreams with the problem to be dealt with. I take the problem to an ideal world without restrictions. For example We feed ourselves with a cream that we apply to our hands and that the action of solar energy transforms into the necessary nutrients for a complete diet. Another possibility, we dematerialize the food, only its odors remain in vapors and we feed ourselves with the sense of smell only.
Method of forced relations or random words.
It is a random method that is often used to modify existing products or processes. It allows mental blocks to be overcome and, as in other cases, its practice in a group way entails the suppression of all kinds of criticism of the proposed judgments.
M.T. Mednik, supported the associationist theory of creativity. He considered creative thinking as an association between elements that, the more distant it is, the more possibility of generating more creative results. For this reason, the combination between the known and the unknown is promoted or forced, to obtain more original products.
The known concept refers to our problem and we must look for distant words that open possibilities of solving it.
We will obtain distant concepts randomly and they will provide us with a set of contents that will open new lines of thought, forcing our mind to find possible relationships with our problem.
This method promotes: "...stretching ties to the imagination to jump between concepts..." (De la Torre, S. 1995)
The technique begins with choosing a word at random, using a dictionary, book, or random term generator from the web.
From that word, characteristics related to it are detailed. Suppose the randomly obtained term is brown. Below it, the set of contents are written, which are all the characteristics that arise spontaneously: granules, aroma, hot, single-dose capsules, etc.
Next, a column is generated to the right of the word coffee, which contains the term that symbolizes our problem. For example, our company makes shampoo and the marketing department needs to further differentiate our product in the market. Therefore, under shampoo, in correspondence with each of the characteristics stated for coffee, we force a relationship. Can we make granulated shampoo? Would it be interesting to make it hot? Would it be useful to do it in a single dose?
In this way we will generate a number of new ideas potentially applicable to the problem. In a second phase, those considered most innovative and valuable, as well as technologically and economically feasible, will be selected.
Method of the six hats to think.
This technique is used to analyze a decision from different approaches or perspectives. Therefore, an exercise is carried out that forces us to change the habitual way of thinking and helps us to form different visions of a situation. It can be practiced individually or in a group, in the latter case, each participant would be given a hat with a different color. Then they change so that all the participants reflect according to the six different colors.
“…The greatest enemy of thought is complexity, because it leads to confusion.
When thought is clear and simple it is more pleasant and effective. The concept of the six thinking hats is very simple. Its use is also very simple.
The concept of the six thinking hats has two central purposes.
The first is to simplify thought, allowing the thinker to try one thing after another. Instead of dealing with emotions, logic, information, hope, and creativity at the same time, the thinker can deal with them separately. Instead of using logic to half disguise an emotion, the thinker can bring said emotion to the surface through the red hat and without the need to justify it. The black thinking hat can then deal with the logical aspect.
The second central purpose of the six thinking hats is to allow for variation in thinking. A person who in the course of a meeting has been continuously negative, can be asked to remove the "black hat". This signals to the person that you are being persistently negative. This person can also be asked to put on "the yellow hat." This is a direct request that it be positive. In this way, the six hats provide a language that, without being offensive, is precise. Most importantly, this language does not threaten the subject's ego or personality. It becomes acting or even a game. The six hats allow you to be asked to think in certain ways..." Eduardo de Bono (1988, p.92)
We can use this technique, for example, in meetings or in our own decisions. In meetings they have the benefit of avoiding the confrontations that often occur when people with different ways of thinking discuss the same problem.
Each Hat is a different style of thought:
White Hat: Neutral Role
With this thought we must focus on the available data. It implies neutrality and objective conduct. See the information we have and see what we can learn from it. Pay attention to the gaps in our knowledge about the situation, and try to fill it in or at least take account of them. This is when we can analyze past trends and extrapolate them with historical data.
Red Hat: Emotional Role
It suggests emotions, feelings and non-rational aspects. Putting on the red hat, we can see the problems using intuition, inner reaction, and emotion.
Black Hat: Negative Role
It covers the negative, pessimistic aspects; using it we can see all the bad points of a decision. Watch them carefully and defensively. Trying to analyze why it might not work. This is important because it highlights the weak points of a plan. The black hat is one of the real benefits of using this technique - many successful people tend to always think positively, which often means they can't see problems ahead of time. This leaves them unprepared for difficulties.
Yellow Hat: Optimistic Role
It is the optimistic vision, the yellow hat will help us to think positively. It is the constructive point of view that contributes to the analysis of the benefits of a decision and its value.
Green Hat: Divergent Role
The green hat corresponds to creativity and new ideas. This is when we can develop creative solutions to a problem. It is a free form of thought in which there is little or no room for criticism. It generates provocation to get out of the habitual patterns of thought.
Blue Hat: Organizing Role
The blue hat is the control and organization of the thought process, it is above the other hats. This is the hat worn by people who run a meeting. When difficulties arise because the ideas do not appear, they can direct the activities towards the green hat. When contingency plans are needed they can direct them towards the black hat, etc.
ACTIVITY: The organization you work for: a chain of forty fishmongers across the country is analyzing a profound change in its business strategy. It would consist of closing all physical stores and only enabling "online" stores. Using the six thinking hats method, decide whether or not to believe this new marketing system. Detail for each hat the partial result of your analysis.
In the next post I will detail the second part of the Creativity Techniques with which I will finish the presentation of the Introductory Principles of Creativity.
________________________________________
[1] Cultural works are considered from those produced jointly by the people -sayings, stories, romances, oral epics, songs or popular festivals- to the so-called artistic works -literary, music, philosophical or scientific works- with personal authorship.
[2] “…I perform duties that are defined, outside of myself and my actions, in law and customs. Even when they agree with my feelings and I internally feel their reality, this does not cease to be objective because it is not I who have created them, but I have received them through education [...] in the same way at birth we find already made all religious beliefs and practices, if they existed before, is that they exist outside of us…” (Durkheim, 1895, p.39).
de Bono, E. (1985). Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management. Little, Brown, & Company. Boston, Mass. USA.
De la Torre, S. (1995). Creatividad Aplicada. Recursos para una formación creativa. Madrid, España: Editorial Escuela Española.
Durkheim, E. (1895-1988). Las reglas del método sociológico y otros escritos sobre filosofía de las ciencias sociales. Madrid, España: Alianza Editorial.
