Creative Problem Solving – Find The Answer to Anything

The answers to nagging problems often come to us in the strangest of places – eureka moments while we’re walking the dog, washing up or driving.  But never when we’re looking for the answer and never when we’re anywhere near a pen and a piece of paper to make a note.

It’s an annoying little thing that occurs because of the way our brains perform.  However, once you know how it works, it’s easy to get it to work for you.

The science bit.

The human brain is in 2 halves – hemispheres.  The left hemisphere is largely in charge of linear thought, processes, logic, words, analysis and such like.  The right hemisphere, on the other hand, is concerned with colour, design/pattern, rhythm and space.  Creativity and day dreaming are right-brain activities.

In everyday life, possibly as a result of our educational systems, we spend a lot of time on left brained activity – maths, physics, economics and logical stuff.  This is what normally shapes our problem-solving approach and means that the harder we try to come up with a solution the more elusive the solution becomes.

So what’s happening when you’re walking the dog or washing up?  Well, your left brain is in ‘neutral’ so the right brain has a chance to be active, knitting together all sorts of creative ideas and up pops the answer you’ve been looking for.

How can you tap into your creative genius at will?

Spending all day with our hands in the washing up bowl is one way but a far more constructive method is to learn how to flick the creative switch.  Try this:

1.       Take a blank sheet of paper and turn it on its side.

2.       In the centre of the page, write a word, phrase or question, or draw a picture of the problem that’s been bothering you.

3.       Draw lines out from the word(s) in the middle and attach any words, phrases or pictures that come to mind. 

4.       Just let your mind run free, suspend all judgement and write down everything that comes into your head – everything.  Some of what you write will be related to your question and other things won’t, but just play this open-mind word association game until you run out of ideas.

5.       When you run out of ideas pick up a different coloured pen and carry on. 

6.       Then change the hand you’re writing with and try again.

7.       This is real ‘blue sky thinking’ and the key is not to criticise or judge at this time.  Two crazy ideas could make a very sensible one but you won’t know until you try.

8.       If you have time, set your sheet of paper aside for a day or 2 and then come back to it, add some more details if they’ve come to you and when you’ve finished you can apply the left, logical brain to the puzzle and start weaving ideas together.

This technique is called mind-mapping and was developed in the 1970s by Tony Buzan.  Mind-mapping can be used to explore or plan absolutely anything from a holiday to a dinner party to the rest of your life.

Use it and surprise yourself!