Creative Thinking For Dummies

Learn to:

Open your mind to a new way of thinking Brainstorm successfully and experiment with lateral thinking exercises Discover creative thinking techniques using games, words, drawings and storytelling Use creative thinking to enhance your personal and professional life

Open the door to a world of infinite new ideas and creative opportunities!

Creative thinking is all about opening your mind and seeing things in a new way. Acquiring the knack can be incredibly liberating. Better yet is learning how to apply creative thinking in practical ways. It′s a skill that opens up a wealth of new possibilities for greater success and fulfilment in every aspect of your life. In Creative Thinking For Dummies you′ll discover powerful tools for kicking your brain′s idea engine into high gear, along with easy–to–learn–and–use techniques for living more creatively and finding innovative solutions to all of life′s challenges.

Think inside the box – discover why your brain works the way it does and what psychology and neuroscience have to say about obstacles to creative thinking and how to overcome them Start your engines! – use simple, proven techniques for getting into the zone and feeling at home there, including da Vinci′s principles of creative living Brainstorm the castle – find innovative solutions to even the most daunting problems with brainstorming, lateral thinking exercises, visualisation and more Ideate like there′s no tomorrow – generate amazing new ideas – fast! – using mind–mapping, word games, doodling, storytelling and other fun, easy techniques Take your creativity to work – find out how to use creative thinking to get recognised at work, form better work relationships and advance your career Mainstream your imagination – learn how to make creativity integral to your everyday life and to live life with more humour, happiness, inspiration and fun!

Open the book and find:

What creative thinking is and how it happens in the brain Ways to open yourself up to living more creatively How to unleash your imagination and realise your creative potential Tools for generating great new ideas in a hurry Creative problem–solving techniques Methods for improving your mind with whole–brain thinking Tips for learning faster and better and remembering more Ideas for being creative at work – and making creativity work for you

Introduction 1

Part I: Laying the Foundations: Understanding Creativity 7

Chapter 1: So What Is Creativity? 9

Chapter 2: Living in a World of Creativity 27

Chapter 3: Exploring the Creative Mindset 49

Part II: Preparing Yourself: Creating Your Creative Mindset 71

Chapter 4: Preparing to Be Creative 73

Chapter 5: Committing to Creativity 93

Part III: Getting Creative – The Practical Stuff 113

Chapter 6: Changing Your Mind with Creative Thinking 115

Chapter 7: Opening Your Mind with Creative Thinking Techniques 141

Chapter 8: Closing In on the Answer: Creative Problem–Solving 169

Chapter 9: Playing Creatively 189

Part IV: Applying Creativity to Your Life 215

Chapter 10: Living the Creative Life 217

Chapter 11: Children and Creativity 239

Chapter 12: Working Creatively 257

Chapter 13: Embedding Creativity in Your Personal Life 279

Part V: The Part of Tens 301

Chapter 14: Ten Great Ways to Get Creative 303

Chapter 15: Ten Acorns That Became Oak Trees: Great Ideas that Became Reality 309

Chapter 16: Ten–Plus Essential Books 317

Chapter 17: Ten Inspirational Creative Businesses 325

Chapter 18: Ten Unusually Creative Individuals 333

Index 341

David Cox is a creative business consultant who, since the 1970s, has created, acquired and sold numerous successful businesses. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing as well as a Chartered Practitioner of NLP. David began his education in Fine Art, where he cultivated his interest in creativity. He also trained as a clinical psychologist before turning to marketing, when he founded the UK′s first youth marketing consultancy.