Creative Thinking is a skill, not just talent

Edward de Bono is certainly one of my favorite book authors and had greatly influenced my thinking process. Still, it is amazing that there is so much that we can learn to enhance the way we think. I’m currently readingHow to Have Creative Ideas: 62 exercises to develop the mind and Edward De Bono’s Thinking Course. I look forward in sharing what I learned about it soon.

I also stumbled upon this video and it is great to watch and listen to this famous book author as he shares insight on creative thinking. In a nutshell, he said:

• Creative thinking is a skill,. It is not just about having talent or being different. Unless it can show value, that is not being creative.
• There’s a lot of reason why a lot of us are not as creative. Edward De Bono noticed that creative ideas that don’t work is often referred to as mistake. In general, people don’t like mistakes. There’s no word that can aptly describe “fully justified venture which for reasons beyond our control, did not succeed”. It is like anything that did not succeed is considered a mistake.
• Thinking outside of the box is escaping from or breaking out to change concepts, rules, and ideas that is unexpected. Oftentimes, it is greater or unusal or lateral thinking.
• Provocation can open us to new ideas and possibilities.

Possibility is the key to creativity.