Creativity and a Learning Mindset ..

Is there a limit to how creative and effective one can be ? I believe there is no limit. It is all in the brain. If 96 year old Prof. Goodfellow of the University of Texas could jointly share the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 for developing the Lithium ion battery, it is ample proof that age is not block for our creativity. 

Hardwork and creativity are different. Hardwork does not in most case make use of creative thinking, it rarely throws out creative ideas, rather it could be repetitive ideas that are perfected. Creativity on the other hand, is churning out new thoughts and ideas that could help improve our life and living conditions in society.

What we need besides a creative mind is a growth mindset. Most of us have a fixed mindset which dictates our thoughts and actions. We have set a limit to our capability and creativity and never try to go beyond it. This fixed mindset, more often, limits our growth avenues.

While going through the paper Unlocking your team's creativity, HBR, Jan '19 by Rebecca Shambaugh (click here) , the author speaks that a leader should try to have members in his team who are not only qualified and talented at the task, but also possesses the creative expression of talent and innovative thinking.

As per Teresa Amabile, HBR, Oct '98, (click here), creativity has three components

1. expertise
2. creative thinking skills
3. motivation

A Growth Mindset, according to it's proponent Dr. Carol Dweck, is an underlying belief that we can improve our lives by our own effort. Setbacks in life are normal for them and they accept these setbacks as opportunities to look back, take the learning from it and grow. No setback can weaken them, instead, failures give them opportunities to observe, learn and grow. These people learn from their mistakes and help people grow. 

Increasing mindfulness is also an important trait one needs to develop over time. Taking a long walk in the morning to free the mind, taking time consciously off from digital distractions and so on. This can be achieved by practicing occasional meditation sessions that helps one to improve working memory to increase cognitive flexibility as well as brainstorming ability.

Engaging in a simple breathing exercise in the middle of your work to oxygenate your brain can really increase creativity of mind. New and fresh thoughts flood your mind resulting in more effective brainstorming sessions. 

All our group activity boils down to the fact that while it is easy to engage in personal innovation, it is not that easy to engage in group innovation. Group Innovation is what can drive a team together forward, to achieve common team goals.

George..