Creativity: 5 valuable alternatives to “brute thinking” ideas

“The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?” — Captain Jack Sparrow

Often, when we’re faced with a challenge, we habitually use a crude form of creative problem-solving — doing a brain dump of any ideas we can think of. For most of us, this “brute thinking” approach isn’t very productive or effective.

Why? Because it tends to favor top-of mind-ideas that are of limited value. It also tends to reinforce our confirmation bias — our tendency to favor thoughts and ideas that agree with our preconceived notions about the problem or challenge.

Using the same habitual approach over and over is something like digging in a single seam of precious minerals non-stop. Sooner or later, it gets tapped out. Your efforts have a diminishing rate of return. It’s time to explore elsewhere for rich deposits of “idea ore.”

For best results, you need to move beyond these habitual ways of thinking and open your mind to new perspectives, insights and possibilities. Here are 5 powerful ways to do that:

Adapt an idea

Creative thinkers realize that they don’t need to brainstorm something that is totally new to the world. Often, someone in another industry or profession has…