Isaksen, Dorval and Treffinger (2011) consider that creativity and problem solving are interconnected in a natural manner, as creativity represents an inner characteristic of individuals that manifests when situation requires. The authors consider that creativity produces various outcomes, depending on each individual’s inner creativity (Isaksen, Dorval & Treffinger, 2011).
According to this observation, as I have observed the world for the last few days, I understood that people have different creative processes that they use for solving problems and for interacting daily. As a reaction, the outcomes of applying creativity to solving problems or interacting are different.
Many people use subtle jokes to overpass specific problems that they come across to during the day. This is both a solution for approaching the problem from a different angle, not letting it overwhelm them, but it is also a creative strategy for making the problem a source of amusement.
Nevertheless, not all jokes and hilarious approaches to solving problems are creative, but some are, because they are entrenched in the individuals’ own originality and general culture, and they expressed in a manner comprehensible manner for the targeted audience. In this context, the jokes that outburst from the individuals’ own conscious also represent an appropriate strategy for interacting with others, in a creative and fun manner.
Other persons that I have observed in the last few days use guitar playing as a creative manner for solving their personal problems, but also as a way to recharge their batteries and interact with other people. Various ideas enounced during the day are recorded into people’s minds and the ones who use guitar playing for solving problems or interacting with people are using the ideas that mostly marked them during the day for developing a creative problem-solving solution. Most of the time, playing guitar signals a repressive attitude, wherein individuals just express their blues or sadness through their guitar chords. Nevertheless, guitar playing represents an attitude, if properly used, as individuals can use it also for developing more comprehensible and catchier training courses, for instance.
Similarly, another creative solution used in the working environment is scribbling. Very close to real drawing, scribbling express people’s inner creative thoughts, which, most of the times, cannot be comprehended by anyone other than the drawer. Scribbling appears as an action performed during meetings, or while talking with somebody on the phone. The ideas that are presented within the business meeting or phone call conversation take the shape of some apparently indiscernible drawing. Yet, the drawer can decipher them, developing them into creative ideas.
The distinct approach to creativity for problem solving or for daily interaction has psychological explanations. The manner in which individuals approach problems depend on the knowledge that they bring on a creative effort, on the creative thinking that shapes different approaches, aligned to individuals’ personality, reasoning and working style, and on the motivation, related to intrinsic passion (Adams, 2005). Sternberg (1994) states that the attributes that generate creativity work together for producing this outcome and the combination of these features delivers creative performance. Nevertheless, Francois Pachet (in Deliege & Wiggins2004) discusses about the fact that nowadays, with the help of the scientific discoveries, creativity can be trained for making individuals more creative or even to develop artificial creative behavior. These scientific discoveries are positive outcomes to creativity, as in the future individuals will improve their expression manner in relation to their problems or for social interaction purposes, by using creative processes.
References
Adams, K. (2005) The sources of innovation and creativity. National Center of Education and Economy.
Isaksen, S.G., Dorval, K.B. & Treffinger, D.J. (2011) Creative approaches to problem solving: a framework for innovation and change. London: Sage Publications, Inc.
Pachet, F. (2004) Chapter N: Creativity and musical interaction. Musical Creativity: Current Research in Theory and Practice, Deliege, I. & Wiggins, G. New York: Psychology Press. Taylor Francis Group.
Sternberg, R.J. (1994) Thinking and problem solving/ California: Academic Press.
