Lateral thinking and creativity

The lateral thinking It is a type of creative thinking that seeks solutions to problems that do not follow logical guidelines and that is supported by ideas that are out of the ordinary. László József Bíró, a Hungarian journalist, tired of the smudges and other problems that his pen gave him, tried to create a new instrument for writing. In all the methods he invented, the ink got stuck. I thought, thought and thought. One day, taking a walk, he saw some children playing with marbles on a puddled floor. The wet line on the dry surface of the pavement brought the idea to him instantly, as if by magic: a ball dispensing the flow of ink. It was the creation of the pen (or pen, as it is called in Argentina in honor of its creator).

Gods or mortals?

The creativity It is one of the highest and most complex potentialities of the human being. It has to do with finding original solutions to specific problems. Steve Jobs, Ludwing Van Beethoven, Marie Curie… without a doubt they were references. However, this capacity is not only limited to unusual artists or geniuses, but it is something very useful for all people in the most varied contexts (family, work, academic, social ...). Since the 1950s, creativity has been viewed as one more intellectual capacity. In fact, it is considered a form of intelligence.

The best thing about all this? It can be developed with the right training. And the more we develop it, the better we manage our lives.

Vertical thinking and lateral thinking

We are creative when we think differently. But what types of thinking are there? Vertical thinking, also called convergent, starts from the rational, from logic, from trial and error. It thinks sequentially one thing after another and is based on the analysis and the concept of unique solutions. It is commonly used by scientists and mathematicians. On the other hand the lateral thinking or divergent is a more free and associative thought. It allows problem solving in an indirect way and with a creative approach. It is based on three factors:

• Fluency: it is the ability to generate a large number of potential solutions from a single stimulus.
• Originality: It is the ability to produce strange, curious and remote ideas.
• Flexibility: It allows to rethink situations, reinterpret, change, moving away from fixed norms or dogmas.

It is important to note that both types of thinking are complementary. We cannot do without either of the other. Lateral thinking fosters our ingenuity and vertical our logic.

The enemies of creativity

• The Einstellung effect: it is the tendency of the mind to use the most common, best known and safest solution. Do things as usual. "Better known bad than good to know."
• Perfectionism: it subjects us to the tyranny of the impossible to achieve.
• Fear: we need our world to be safe and predictable, so we avoid what scares us. However, locking ourselves in the famous "" leads us to stagnate and block our creativity.

Friends of creativity

Each person has a more or less creative potential that depends on cognitive factors (mental faculties, knowledge…), psychological (personality, motivations, emotions…) and the context (family, school, friends…). However, there are traits that can be enhanced:

• The perseverance.
• Risk taking.
• Nonconformity.
• Individualism or predisposition to have beliefs different from the majority, regardless of the judgment of others for going out of the ordinary.
• The openness to the novelty.
• The ability to play, explore.

The creative process

The process of creating has some phases, although they can be different for each person or they can be intermixed.

• Preparation: is the statement of the problem and the collection of information on the subject. Asking questions, opening possibilities, looking from different angles ...
• Incubation: the information process is stopped and the problem is parked, it is left on stand-by. Other things are done, but our unconscious continues to work in some way. Listening to music, reading, going to the movies… they stimulate the emotions and enhance the imagination.
• Illumination: the revelation from the unconscious appears suddenly, the solution to our problem. It's the "eureka" effect.
• Verification: what has been created is evaluated and elaborated.
• Essential techniques of lateral thinking
• Questioning.
• Expand alternatives.
• The provocation: using crazy ideas from the fantasy and see later if you can get any coherent and useful idea from it.
• The importance of chance: learning to use the casual, as in the example of the creation of the ballpoint pen.
• Motivation: look for your "state of flow", the one in which you are so immersed and interested in a task that you forget the world and lose track of time.

Tips to enhance creativity

• Expose yourself to everything creative, let yourself be carried away by creativity professionals: Visit art galleries, go to concerts, read books of all kinds, go to the cinema, opera, theater ... Boost your curiosity.
• Allow yourself moments of solitude to think and connect with what you have done during the day. Imagine.
• Release endorphins: enjoy natural spaces, practice sports, look at the stars ...
• Surround yourself with creative people. Participate in groups, get involved both in person and online in activities related to creation.
• Encourage her or other members of your environment. Let them see you paint, or read or write, to provide a suitable context.
• Give yourself the freedom to fail or even make a fool of yourself in your creative attempts and those of the people around you. Take risks. Do not prejudge, reinforce the alternatives, go beyond the usual.
• Do not give up. Insist, persevere. In the words of “try again. Fail again. Fail better ”.

• • Creativity is considered a form of intelligence and best of all, it can be developed with proper training. And the more we develop it, the better we manage our lives.
  • We are creative when we think differently. And what types of thinking are there? Lateral thinking fosters our ingenuity and vertical our logic.
  • The more or less creative potential of each person depends on cognitive factors (mental faculties, knowledge…), psychological factors (personality, motivations, emotions…) and the context (family, school, friends…). But there are traits that can be enhanced.

Specialist in Clinical Psychology Advance Medical Consulting Psychologist