Creativity: What is it, what blocks it, and how to get more of it! Colorado Springs Startup Week Dr. Lisa A. McElvaney August 21, 2017

Where Do We Begin? We can start by learning… What research has uncovered about creativity What blocks creativity What we can do to unleash more creativity

Objectives Define the 4 P’s of creativity Explore how brain hemisphere dominance impacts creativity Examine blocks to creativity Learn ways to break through creativity blocks

What is Creativity? Creativity is the ability to look at the same thing as everyone else but to see something different (Thompson, 1992).

What is Creativity? Creativity implies bringing new meaning or purpose to a task, finding new uses, solving existing problems, or adding beauty or value. It is the expression of our uniqueness (Wycoff, 1991).

What is Creativity? Creativity means a person’s capacity to produce new or original ideas, insights, restructuring, inventions, or artistic objects, which are accepted by experts as being of scientific, aesthetic, social, or technological value (Vernon, 1989).

What is Creativity? Creativity is a problem-solving process that involves bringing something new into existence. It is a set of activities by which custom-made solutions are developed to reduce or close a perceived gap between what is and what should be (VanGundy, 1988 ).

How Creativity is Studied: The 4 P’s of Creativity The Person - individual traits and abilities The Process - what individuals, teams, and organizations go through to be creative The Product - the result of creativity The Presses - environmental and cultural influences on creativity

Personality Characteristics of Highly Creative “Persons” Open to new experiences Self-confident / Dominant Flexible Broad interests Attracted to complexity Intuitive Aesthetic sensitivity Expressive Less conventional Less conscientious (artists) Courageous Driven Impulsive Hostile High tolerance for ambiguity Humorous

Other Factors Associated with Highly Creative“Persons” Intrinsic motivation towards the specific task Expertise in the task domain Knowledge Education Previous experience

Other Factors Associated with Highly Creative“Persons” A cognitive style favorable to taking new perspectives on problems Especially observant Questioning attitude Able to: produce lots of ideas (fluency) produce many different ideas (flexibility) suspend judgment during idea generation understand complexities and explore different options

Other Factors Associated with Creative“Persons” 2) A work style conducive to creativity Self-disciplined Able to: concentrate for long periods of time abandon unproductive search strategies temporarily put aside stubborn problems delay gratification persevere in the face of frustration and criticism 3) Knowledge of different creative problem-solving methods (e.g., brainstorming)

Your Own Creative Experience… What was your discovery? Where were you when it happened? What were the circumstances or conditions surrounding the situation? What made it especially memorable?

The Creative “Process” Viewed by many researchers as a rational process made up of definable stages Preparation - Gathering information, concentrating and becoming thoroughly familiar with all aspects of the problem Incubation - Taking time out, putting the problem away, letting the mind rest and gather energy

The Creative “Process” Illumination - The AHA! When the answer suddenly appears--often when you are completely relaxed and doing something else Verification - describes the evaluation of the new solution to ensure that it actually solves the problem satisfactorily

The Creative “Process” Viewed by other researchers as an intuitive, holistic process To Gestalt psychologists, a phenomenon such as creative insight cannot be truly understood by studying its parts Needs to be studied as a whole experience

The Creative “Product” A creative product is an object, idea, or procedure that is both novel and useful “Novel” can involve a significant recombination of existing materials, as well as the introduction of completely new materials Both “novel” and “useful” are domain-specific and subjective judgments

Environmental and Cultural “Presses” on Creativity Family history and dynamics School influences Socio-historical context Cultural values, norms and rules Previous forms and practices Historic events Many more factors that can either support or suppress creativity

Environmental and Cultural “Presses” on Creativity Management practices Group/Team dynamics Organizational climate/culture Support for creativity Resources (e.g., time, money) Reward systems Cooperation across divisions and levels Amount of red tape and restrictions

Creativity and the Brain What’s Your Brain Hemisphere Dominance?

Traits of the Brain Hemispheres Left-brain Dominant People: specialize in process thinking (analytical) Logic, sequences, linear thinking Language skills Work with numbers Focus on details Analysis, editing, judgment

Traits of the Brain Hemispheres Right-brain Dominant People: specialize in pattern thinking (spatial) Pattern recognition, pattern completion, pattern correction Visual, spatial, imaginative abilities Seeing the “whole picture” Generate and respond to emotions, images, rhythm, music, and color

Creativity and the Brain Although one side of the brain tends to dominate…. Creativity results from exceptional interactions between both “brains”

What Blocks Creativity? Perceptual Blocks Emotional Blocks Cultural Blocks Environmental Blocks Intellectual Blocks Expressive Blocks (Adams, J. L. 1986)

Perceptual Blocks Seeing what you expect to see Stereotyping Once label applied = less likely to notice actual qualities or attributes Especially true if the topic is unimportant to you or unpleasant to think about

What do you see?

Perceptual Blocks Patterned thinking and habitual behavior Pattern recognition and pattern completion Inherent in the working of the brain Allows us to complete incomplete data The mind as a dish of jelly – how the pattern recognition process works in the brain

Perceptual Blocks Difficulty in perceiving what the problem really is (symptoms vs. cause) Tendency to state the problem too narrowly Inability to see the problem from various viewpoints Difficulty in perceiving what the problem really is (symptoms vs. cause) Tendency to state the problem too narrowly - The more broadly the problem can be stated, the more room for creativity Inability to see the problem from various viewpoints - Without diverse stakeholder input, creative solutions are difficult to conceptualize

Emotional Blocks Fear of taking a risk, making a mistake, failing Inability to tolerate ambiguity Having overriding desires for security and order No appetite for chaos Creativity is how we create order out of chaos!

Emotional Blocks Preference for judging rather than generating ideas Can KILL newly forming ideas that are fragile and imperfect Sometimes “wild” ideas spawn other creative and realistic ideas Judgment of ideas is typically rewarded more than the creation of ideas Preference for judging rather than generating ideas Can KILL newly forming ideas that are fragile and imperfect Sometimes “wild” ideas spawn other creative and realistic ideas Judgment of ideas is typically rewarded more than the creation of ideas - Judges seen as more practical and sophisticated - Demonstrate assumed mental superiority

Emotional Blocks Inability to incubate (to relax, to “sleep on it”) Lack of motivation You cannot do your best on a problem unless you are motivated Excessive motivation to succeed quickly Choosing the first answers that surface may lead to inferior solutions

Cultural Blocks Cultural values, norms, rules, and practices can inhibit creative expression Some cultures believe/teach: Problem-solving is a serious business; humor is out of place Fantasy and reflection a waste of time a sign of laziness Playfulness is for children only

Cultural Blocks Some cultures reinforce beliefs such as: Reason, logic, quantitative measures, utility, and practicality are Good Feeling, intuition, qualitative judgments, and pleasure are Bad May reflect old male/female sex role stereotypes Both reason and intuition are essential to the creative process

Cultural Blocks Tradition is preferable to change Tradition is important and valuable However, change is the essence of our natural world, which impacts cultures Cultures that significantly resist change can trap civilizations (Culture Traps) Creativity is essential for developing new ways to successfully adapt to change Tradition is preferable to change -Tradition is important and valuable -However, change is the essence of our natural world, which impacts cultures -Cultures that significantly resist change can act as a trap (Culture Traps) -Creativity is essential for developing new ways to successfully adapt to change

Environmental Blocks Distractions Physical surroundings Phone calls “Drop-in” visitors Interruptions Self-distracting activities Physical surroundings Most people have their own unique set of conditions that allow them to concentrate intensely to support creative thinking

Environmental Blocks Lack of cooperation and trust among colleagues Autocratic boss Lack of support to bring ideas into action Lack of resources: time, money, space, equipment, etc. Lack of top management support Lack of consistent policies and practices throughout the organization that support creativity and innovation Lack of cooperation and trust among colleagues Autocratic boss - values only his/her own ideas; does not reward others; steals ideas, etc. Lack of support to bring ideas into action -Lack of resources: time, money, space, equipment, etc. -Lack of top management support -Lack of consistent policies and practices throughout the organization that support creativity and innovation

Intellectual Blocks “Expert-itis” - the assumption of knowledge Trying to solve a problem by using an incorrect language (e.g., verbal, visual, mathematical) Most people do not consciously select their problem-solving language American culture has placed a heavy emphasis on verbal thinking; much less on mathematical thinking

Intellectual Blocks Inflexibility in the use of problem-solving strategies; unaware of alternative methods Incorrect information Insufficient information Failure to utilize the information we have May be due to memory constraints Could be due to complexity of the problem

Expressive Blocks Our verbal language is imprecise The right words may not be available to successfully communicate a creative idea Different disciplines use the same word to mean different things Inadequate language skills Difficult to express a creative idea in an unfamiliar language (e.g., music, foreign languages, visual imagery, etc.)

How can we break through creativity blocks?

Overcoming Creativity Blocks Involve relevant stakeholders when generating new ideas Question the definition of the problem Consciously select appropriate problem-solving languages/strategies

Overcoming Creativity Blocks Generate MANY potential ideas first; THEN judge their potential as solutions Don’t settle for the first or easiest solution Look in new and different places for new and different solutions Experiment Use color; play with toys Draw ideas with pictures and symbols Do stimulating things!

Overcoming Creativity Blocks Pay attention to changes in needs, tastes, desires, technologies, etc. Be willing to pivot, and change directions, if necessary especially important for startups! Don’t fall for the Fallacy of Sunk Costs Pay attention to changes in needs, tastes, desires, technologies, etc. Be willing to pivot, and change directions, if necessary -- especially important for startups! Don’t fall for the Fallacy of Sunk Costs -“It’s a great idea…I’ve invested too much, it’s now worth much more than I’ve invested -If I give up now I lose my investment -I can’t change ideas now

Overcoming Creativity Blocks To overcome fear of failure, realistically assess the possible negative consequences of an idea Conduct “worse-case” scenarios and look at the explicit results Are the risks really too great? Weigh the risks/gains of various solutions Choose a solution with the best overall risk/gain ratio Remember… it’s trial and error, not trial and accuracy

Overcoming Creativity Blocks Address creativity blocks in the work environment Teach creative problem-solving techniques Educate managers and supervisors on the importance of creating a supportive environment for creativity Examine organizational policies and practices for creativity blockers Honor creative achievements

Overcoming Creativity Blocks Plan sufficient time for incubation when designing solutions Find ways to quiet your busy, analytical mind Meditation, yoga Music Get outdoors Learn to move into a receptive state of mind

Overcoming Creativity Blocks Remember the mind is like a jelly dish, so do things differently to create new grooves Consciously break old habits and try things that are new and challenging for you Practice listening to and trusting your intuition Make creativity an important defined outcome in your work and in your life

More Techniques for Stimulating Creativity Use your non-dominant body parts to trigger opposite brain activity Cross your legs the wrong way Interlock your fingers the wrong way Use your non-dominant eye to read something short Nose breathing (close off your non-dominant side for a short period)

Choose opposite brain activities If you’re left-brain dominant, try... Kite flying Learning to dance Playing Frisbee Learning to sail Singing lessons Joining a choir Public speaking Taking a course in storytelling Volunteering in a children’s hospital Being with children Drawing and painting Using colored pencils & pens in note taking

Choose opposite brain activities If you’re right-brain dominant, try... Making miniature models Starting a stamp or coin collection Keeping daily checkbook balances Keeping dated records of activities Ballroom dancing Playing golf Reading history books or novels Learning chess Taking a course in auto repair or financial investments Charting the stock market Visiting a science museum

In Summary… Creativity is important in all areas of life Creativity is especially important for startups Everyone is creative Break through your blocks and discover more creativity!

Contact Info Dr. Lisa A. McElvaney Business Transformation Consulting (719) 232-1778 dr.lisa.mcelvaney@gmail.com WISRD (Whole Infrastructure Systems for Resilient Development) lisa.mcelvaney@wisrd.com www.wisrd.com Suggested presentation citation: McElvaney, L. A. Creativity: What is it, what blocks it, and how to get more of it! Colorado Springs Startup Week, Colorado Springs, Colorado, August 21-25, 2017.