When we don't see the sun, we see other stars

What are your motivations for creativity?

- I want to make a change.
- It makes me happy! It is a need of my mind.

How to be creative for a thing?

There are two steps:

- See the thing as every people see it

- Think about a new different thing from it

How to think about a new different thing?

There are two ways:

- Forget all things you have already known.

- A whack on the side of your head. ;)

This was what I have learned from the following great book:

source: Amazon.com

Well! A physical whack on the side of your head is needed sometimes but the meaning behind is that you need to break these 9 following locks on your mind. Remove them!

The lock #1: "The correct answer"

We all learn from schools that there is only one correct answer to a question. For example, a proposition is only true or false in Algebra. In reality, there are always some answers to a question basing on a point of view. For example, number 6 becomes number 9 if you look it in the opposite.

The lock #2: "That is not logic"

There are two kinds of thoughts: soft thinking and hard thinking. Soft thinking focuses on finding a relationship among things. On the other hand, hard thinking focuses on the differences between things. The metaphor is a technique of soft thinking which needed for creativity.

The lock #3: "Follow the rules"

Sometimes, creativity is not always a contribution but a damage. However, in order to create a new model, we need to break an old model. Break the rules!

The lock #4: "Be realistic"

Answering the question "if...then what happens?" is useful somehow. For example:

- Imagine if what other people (your inspirational ones) will do in your situation. E.g: I sometimes say to myself when I face an issue: "What will Mr. A do in this situation?"

- Imagine if you are what you think. E.g: Imagine you are a paper; what are your characteristics to make you more convenient for users?

- Imagine an idea which is obviously not realistic. According to this idea, you can come up with a better realistic one. E.g: original idea: the Government will give money for whom put trash into trash bins. Improved idea: every time people put trash into trash bins, they will receive a random fun from the trash bins.

The lock #5: "Play is frivolous"

"If necessity is the mother of invention, then play is its father". There is no doubt about it!

The lock #6: "That is not in my field"

Specialization is necessary in most of the cases; however, bringing a knowledge from a field to another field is really useful as well.

The lock #7: "Don't be silly"

Actually, a comedian is smart. He/she always thinks in different ways. It is like a movement of a car, sometimes it needs to go back in order to go straight.

The lock #8: "Avoid ambiguity"

People avoid ambiguity because it results in the misunderstanding in communication. However, just keep listening to your dreams and playing with it.

The lock #9: "Mistakes are wrong"

In most of the case, a mistake can result in a very bad situation. However, a mistake sometimes helps you come up with some new approaches.

Reference:
[1]. Roger von Oech, A Whack On the Side of the Head

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