Sparking Creativity for Joy and Profit

Changing Your Viewpoint for Sparking Creativity

The story of the humble clothespin teaches us how changing your perspective can help you look at a problem differently. Establishing a new viewpoint gets your mind thinking creatively. That’s precisely what an intelligent clothespin marketer did in the mid-nineteenth century when he faced a sales problem. Here’s the story about how sparking creativity for joy and profit made a difference…

In 1853, David M. Smith invented the precursor of the current clothespin. A fulcrum connects two rectangular pieces of plastic or wood. Pinch the two prongs at the top, and the bottom opens. When released, the prongs hold tightly to what they are gripping because of the spring.

Clothespins were made from a single piece of wood before Mr. Smith’s creative innovation. A short length of rounded wood had a slit cut down its center. People hung clothes and linens over a clothesline, and the opening of the round clothespin was forced over the line and clothing.

Because this type of clothespin did not have a spring to force the two prongs together, it sometimes failed to hold the laundry. Clothing and linens fell off of the clothesline and onto the ground. David Smith solved that problem with some creative thinking.

“They Don’t Roll!”

One early marketer of the new design recognized its potential. He knew it was infinitely more efficient than the traditional clothespins designed in the early nineteenth century. People resisted because it was new and unique, unlike the clothespins they had used for over a hundred years. The new design didn’t sell very well.

Then, the marketer got creative.

At that time, women were usually in charge of laundry duty. He talked to a few women and heard one complaint over and over. When women placed the old-school round clothespins on a tabletop or flat surface, they sometimes rolled off. Their cylindrical shape meant that the women constantly reached down to pick the clothespins up off the ground.

He made just one slight change to his marketing efforts. He added the words, “They don’t roll!”

The new and improved clothespins were rectangular. They couldn’t roll, so they stayed put wherever they were. This one creative change to his marketing efforts instantly made the new design the preferred option, and sales exploded. Now, we use nearly the same design that David M. Smith created in 1853.

You must learn to think outside the box. Establish a different perspective. Look at your situation from a new point of view. Don’t be afraid to think creatively and approach a problem from a new angle.

Just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it won’t work. Allowing yourself to think creatively can reveal innovative solutions that are more effective and successful than a traditional approach.

How Childlike Curiosity Can Solve Problems

Lamar Hunt was one of the founders of the Kansas City Chiefs, a professional football team in the American Football League (AFL) until 1970. That’s the year the AFL and NFL (National Football League) merged to form what we now know as the NFL.

In 1966, Lamar Hunt was one of the men tasked with naming the upcoming title game between the AFL and NFL champions. The committee discarded several names, including “The AFL – NFL World Championship Game,” “World Series of Football,” and “The Big One.”

Today, we know that game as the Super Bowl, one of the most viewed sporting events annually. It got its name thanks to a child’s toy.

Lamar Hunt often saw his son, Lamar Jr, and daughter, Sharron, playing with a small rubber ball. He asked them what they called the ball, and they said it was a Superball. The Wham-O company gave it that name because, as stated on their marketing material, it “Bounces Super High!”

Hunt met with other AFL and NFL executives during a 1966 meeting to finalize the postseason championship matchup details. He jokingly suggested that the game could be called the Super Bowl. The media learned of the potential name, which quickly spread to the fans, and it is still in use more than 50 years later.

How to Think Like a Child

Lamar Hunt was inspired by one of his children’s favorite toys, the Super Ball, which was invented in 1964. You can still purchase the Wham-O product today. Any child who has played with the ball will tell you the vulcanized rubber toy bounces higher than other balls. To a child, it truly is a “super ball.”

The NFL’s Super Bowl generates between $300 million and $1.3 billion every year, depending on the source providing the estimate. That’s a rather impressive amount of money for a game named from a childlike perspective. Here are a few tips to help you think like a child the next time a problem has you stumped.

• Ask questions like a child. Children don’t believe there is such a thing as a wrong question. As soon as a question pops into their mind, they ask it.
• Children don’t believe in limits. Anything is possible in a child’s mind. Don’t look at the problem you’re trying to solve while wearing blinders. Feel free to entertain any potential solution.
• To a child, anything can be anything. A child’s creativity transforms a simple stick into a wizard’s wand, a baseball bat, a galloping pony, and many other things. Innovation comes from using your resources in new ways to solve problems.
• Start role-playing. Children do it all the time. A child easily slips into the persona of a scientist one minute and a doctor, firefighter, or superhero the next. Become someone new to get a new perspective.
• Get other innovative thinkers involved. Children prefer to play with others rather than alone. Do the same. Form a group of innovative, creative, and curious people and use a collaborative approach to solve your problem.
• Be curious. Curious people are always trying new things and learning new skills. Ask questions. Speak up even if you think what you say might sound silly.

Take the handcuffs off of your adult brain. Believe that anything is possible. Look at the problem from different angles. Be curious instead of rigid. Make the experience fun, just like a child would. Problem-solving doesn’t have to be dull.

How the Right Questions Lead to Creative Answers

You’re hungry and thinking about having pizza delivered. You know your roommate also loves pizza. However, she sometimes gets crazy toppings. You are very simple. You only like pepperoni or hamburger for toppings, nothing else. What question do you ask your roommate to ensure you get an acceptable pizza?

“Roomie, I am ordering pizza. Do you want pepperoni, hamburger, or both?”

You word your question to limit the response you get from your roommate. Ask the right question, and you get the right answer. Here are a few questions that can lead to creative answers and innovative solutions.

How Would You Do It?

Ask this question to everyone familiar with your problem. Address a diverse group of people. The more people you consult, the better your odds of discovering an effective solution.

How Can We Speed Up the Process?

If you are solving a problem in a particular way now, trying to speed up the process will require a new approach. Ask this question to get people to think creatively.

How Would a Child Solve This Problem?

Children often see things clearly. They don’t have years of built-up biases clouding their judgement. They also speak frankly. Ask a question and you will get a straight answer. Think like a child. How would they solve your problem? You may go as far as to ask a child what they think about your problem.

What’s the Real Problem?

Every situation has a core problem and typically many symptoms. Boil down the situation to its basics. Ask others familiar with the issue for input. By knowing the core problem, you can find a true solution rather than applying temporary fixes to symptoms of the core issue.

Why Are We Doing It This Way?

Question the status quo. Just because people have done something the same way for years doesn’t mean it’s the best way. One of the most popular condiments in the world provides a great example.

The word ketchup first appeared in a text entitled “The Natural History of Coffee, Thee, Chocolate, Tobacco,” printed in 1682. It is believed to be derived from the Chinese words “ke-chiap” and “koe-tsap.” James Mease published what is regarded as the first tomato ketchup recipe in 1812. Since its creation, ketchup has been stored in a traditional jar or bottle.

Jump ahead in history to the year 1999.

The Heinz food and beverage company received numerous customer complaints about ketchup bottles. It was difficult to squeeze out the last bit of ketchup without a lot of effort and a lot of mess. After three years of design, the upside-down ketchup bottle debuted in 2002.

Instead of continuing to design condiment containers the old way, they asked a simple question. “Why are we doing it this way if it upset our customers?”

Don’t be afraid to ask a similar question. The old way isn’t always the best.

Overcoming Mental Blocks in Creative Problem-Solving

The most successful writers encounter writer’s block. They stare at a blank page or monitor as if someone has kidnapped their ability to process thoughts. They can think of nothing to write, or what they envision writing just doesn’t seem right.

They have a mental block that keeps them from getting their thoughts down on paper. Writers aren’t the only people who can develop seemingly impossible obstacles when exercising their brains. If mental blocks keep you from solving a problem, here are a few tips to help remove those mental obstacles and discover creative solutions.

Consult Creative Minds

Just because your mind might be blocked doesn’t mean someone else’s is. Consult innovative thinkers when your creative juices run dry. Form a mastermind group you can regularly turn to for creative suggestions.

If you can’t clear your foggy mind, seek help from somebody else. Don’t fall prey to the mental block that says you must devise a solution to a problem yourself. Does it matter who solves the problem?

Fight Fatigue and Battle Burnout

Mental and physical fatigue can silence the most creative mind. You may experience burnout when you work too hard and long without giving yourself substantial rest. Fatigue and burnout produce mental blocks that make solving the most straightforward problems seemingly impossible.

Take a break. Step away from the problem. Clear your mind. Do something unrelated to the problem you’re trying to solve. You can take a walk, call a friend, work in your garden, or do just about anything as long as it doesn’t let your mind travel back to your problem.

The unrelated activity should require mental focus. This way, your mind is occupied and can’t drift back to your mental block. If possible, take your breaks at the same time every day. Your mind will start looking forward to this predictable mental downtime, and you might be more successful at clearing your mental block when you return to your problem.

Perfectionism Might Be Slowing You Down

Perfectionism is the enemy of productivity. You can hold yourself back from so many incredible achievements if you believe your work has to be perfect before you share it with the world. Perfectionism is a well-known mental block that can keep you from creating extraordinary results in every aspect of your life.

Good enough is good enough. You may have a nearly perfect solution to your problem. If so, implement it and see if it works. If you fail, you can always go back to the drawing board.

Forget the Fear of Failure

You can stop dead in your mental tracks if you fear failure. Not all of your creative thoughts are going to produce great results. That’s okay. Don’t become obsessed with the idea of not coming up with the best solution.

You may begin to see a catastrophe resulting from a failed effort. You rarely experience the potentially harmful outcomes your inner critic predicts. Stop listening to that negative self-talk. It can become a mental block that prevents you from finding a creative solution.

Unlocking Your Creative Problem-Solving Potential

Some problems are easy to solve. You are hungry, so you get something to eat. Other issues can be more challenging. You are hungry. You have no food at home, and your wallet is empty. You might need to think creatively to fill your stomach.

Most problems have multiple solutions even if they don’t immediately present themselves. Here are a few proven methods for tackling problems with creativity.

Brainstorming

You can do this independently, though the most significant benefits come from group brainstorming. Quickly, write down as many possible solutions to your problem as you can.

Write without judgment. If an idea pops into your brain, write it down. Don’t worry if it may be right or wrong. Judging the effectiveness of your proposed solutions is a different part of the problem-solving process.

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping organizes information in groups according to its relationships. This problem-solving tool is great for visual learners.

Start with a blank piece of paper. In the center, you write a word, idea, or topic and draw a circle around it. What words or ideas appear when you think of that topic? Write everything that comes to mind around that central circle.

Draw separate lines from the circle to the individual words and phrases surrounding the circle. Then, do the same thing with each of those phrases.

You start with a keyword bubble, add new connecting bubbles, and continue the process with every new idea. You get a visual display of relationships between concepts and topics. Mind mapping can provide creative and innovative solutions to common problems.

Freewriting

Freewriting lets your creativity run wild. Fiction writers use this tool to develop plot points, flesh out characters, and cure writer’s block. Also, remember that freewriting puts your conscious mind on hold and goes straight to your subconscious.

Grab a pen and a blank piece of paper. You can use a keyboard, text editor, or speech-to-text software. The process is the same with any medium you choose. Select an amount of time, say two or three minutes. It’s a good idea to shorten your time frame if you are freewriting for the first time. When you’re ready, clear your mind. Start your timer and begin writing, keyboarding, or speaking.

Don’t stop to edit. Don’t worry about spelling. Just keep going. Don’t give yourself more than a second to rest. For problem-solving, you want to think about the problem before you start freewriting. Then, let your subconscious do the rest.

Stop when your time is up. Don’t judge what you wrote. Look at it objectively, considering all your content as equally important.

You can apply these three problem-solving tools to just about any situation. Most people find that they prefer one method to the others but try all three to see which one produces the best results. However you decide to solve your problem, thinking creatively can lead to practical solutions you may not have discovered another way.

Turning Creative Thoughts into Real Solutions by Sparking Creativity

Creative solutions might need an innovative approach to implement them. Henry Ford’s idea to use an assembly line to manufacture automobiles was certainly creative. That had never been done before.

The traditional automobile manufacturing method involved a single employee performing several tasks. Since that was the way it had always been done, why change it? Ford thought he could greatly enhance productivity by adopting a manufacturing process from another industry.

He witnessed the assembly lines used in the Chicago meatpacking houses. An employee stood in one place, and a conveyor belt brought meat to them. They performed their task, and then the belt moved the product to the next employee. This process continued until the meat was ready for packing.

Ford witnessed a similar type of operation in a grain mill. Conveyor belts moved the grain much quicker than if a person handled the job. It was a very efficient operation.

Henry Ford wrote down the process, breaking the assembly of the Model T automobile into 84 separate steps. He estimated that he could substantially reduce production time and use fewer employees. He was successful. In 1914, Ford Motors reduced automobile production time from 12 hours to 93 minutes.

Sparking Creativity Shouldn’t Stop with the Solution

Henry Ford’s creativity required massive change. No assembly line had ever been produced for the making of automobiles. Ford assembled a team of autoworkers and executives to address the problem. They had to design and build an assembly line that could move the vehicle through the stages required for completion. His team was eventually successful, and in 1914, Ford Motors sold more cars than all other auto manufacturers combined.

Use the following practices to transform a creative idea into action, and you may become as innovative and successful as Henry Ford.

• Embrace new ways of thinking. New ideas around sparking creativity may require new tools, resources, and implementation methods.
• Look outside of your industry or frame of reference. Ford got inspiration from grain and meat packing companies in sectors far removed from auto manufacturing.
• Get input from people who aren’t close to the problem. Fresh eyes sometimes provide fresh and practical solutions.
• You don’t have to get it right the first time.
• Assign several teams to act on your new idea. Limiting idea implementation to one person or team might not produce the best result.
• Ask people from several age groups what they think. Children have straightforward opinions and often see past the barriers that limit adults’ thinking.

I’m bestselling USA Today and Wall Street Journal author Connie Ragen Green. My goal is to help at least a thousand people to reach six-figures and beyond with an online business for time freedom and passive income and to simplify your life. Come along with me, if you will and let us discover how we may further connect to achieve all of your dreams and goals. This is also why I want you to think about sparking creativity for joy and profit and cultivating a wealth mindset and an abundance paradigm as you are growing a profitable online business. Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you.