“Think outside the box.” We’ve all heard this phrase, been told to follow its advice, and probably even instructed others to do so. 

However, thinking outside the box is, in all actuality, a myth. It’s one of those things that’s been passed down throughout the years and repeated over and over again but that’s really a misguided idea. In this episode, I’m going to explain why.

Tune in to learn what’s wrong with the phrase, “think outside the box” and what you can do instead to become a more creative person.

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. How Dr. JP Guilford spearheaded the study of creativity.
2. What the nine dots puzzle is.
3. How using this puzzle in a study lead Dr. Guilford to coin the phrase, “think outside the box.”
4. How Clark Burnham and Ken Davis replicated that study and the results they got.
5. What it really means to think outside the box.
6. Why thinking inside the box leads to more creative solutions.

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Without even realizing it, you’ve used the creativity technique of division before. In fact, you’ve probably used it many times. When it comes down to it, division is simply taking a big problem, chopping it up, and solving each little individual part of it.

It’s basically the application of the common phrase, “Let’s cut our problems down to size.”

In this episode, I want to get into some of the details of the division technique. I’ll explain some of the deeper complexities of it that you won’t find by just “cutting a problem down to size.” Afterward, you'll be able to use this technique more systematically and improve your creativity skills.

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. How powerful the division technique is.
2. What the division technique is and how to use it.
3. What the preserving approach is.
4. How you can rearrange something through time.
5. Practical examples of the division technique in everyday life.

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

How many times have you found yourself fumbling for the best way to describe something? Perhaps you’ve felt that no matter how clearly you’ve explained your subject, your description just doesn’t match the emotions you felt when witnessing it. 

I’m here to tell you that creative writing doesn’t have to be your expertise in order to write compelling descriptions. 

Today’s episode will walk you through a tip I discovered when writing my most recent book. As I was writing, I found it challenging to find interesting, unique ways to describe the subject matter I was writing about. 

Since creative writing is not my strongest skill, I realized I would have to try something a little different.

The strategy I discovered involves creating lists of words grouped by specific domains and matching them together to create new ideas and associations. The best part is that this tip can be used in many different forms of writing and can be easily tailored to your specific writing needs. I will even show you how easily you could use this method to create powerful descriptors right off the cuff for a purpose completely different from my original idea.

Simple, structured tips like this can set you on the path to writing—and thinking-–more creatively. In this episode you’ll hear:

1. How to create creative new descriptors through domain-specific word matching
2. Why random word association isn’t always the best way to generate creativity
3. Suggestions on how to make this technique work for you

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Have you ever wondered if certain creativity techniques are better to use in certain situations? If so, this episode is for you.

As you know by now, creativity is a skill that anyone can learn. It is a structured process and involves using structured techniques. These techniques are patterns that mankind has used for thousands of years to create new solutions without consciously realizing it. They are embedded into the products and services we use and see around us every day.

In this episode, I’ll share some general guidelines on how to use each of these five techniques. I’ll teach you some tips that I take into account every time I use one of them and how to apply them in real life.

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. A quick rundown and example of each of the five techniques.
2. General rules of thumb on when to use each technique.
3. How the techniques work together.
4. Which technique helps break structural fixedness the best.
5. Examples of each technique in the real world. 

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Let me ask you: which is more important, curiosity or creativity?

Well, the truth is, that’s a trick question. As I’ve spent years studying the world of creativity, I’ve learned over and over again that curiosity is really a precursor to the creative act. The two go hand in hand.

Throughout today’s show, I’m going to explain why this is. I’ll share why I’m learning to appreciate curiosity more than ever before and how it’s connected to creativity so intricately. Then, I’ll give you some ideas on what you can do about this.

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. Curiosity can be trained just like creativity.
2. The three elements that lead to innovation.
3. How a curious mindset leads to a creative act.
4. Innovation is applied creativity.
5. Techniques to help you start thinking more curiously.
6. How to apply this.

"The Driving Mindsets of Innovation: Curiosity, Creativity and Clarity" from The Journal of Business Strategy

Global Curiosity Institute

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

What can doctors teach us about creativity?

People in the medical field actually have a lot of knowledge and experience around innovation. Why? Because they deal with uncertainty daily. 

Doctors often take risks and make decisions all in the face of uncertainty. To simply get their jobs done, they’ve got to get creative. In fact, uncertainty forces you to be creative.

Today, I want to share some of my experiences from the medical device industry with you. I’ll explain some things I witnessed doctors, nurses, and the like doing that demonstrated great creative ability. 

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. The constraints in the medical field that lead to creative solutions.
2. The many uncertainties doctors must deal with.
3. A story that demonstrates how systematic creativity impacts the way we think about the world and address it creatively.
4. What the task unification technique is and how we all use it naturally.
5. How task unification has been used in the medical field to solve chronic conditions.

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Imagine taking an exam that tests you on your creative skills.

Then imagine your final grade in a graduate course rides on how well you do on that exam.

That’s what my students at the University of Cincinnati have to go through every semester. I teach a course called “Innovation Tools” and teach my students a variety of methods for becoming more creative thinkers. I also teach them the same SIT method that I teach here on the podcast.

Tune in to put yourself in my student’s shoes, take on their pressure, and hear all about the final exam they must take.

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. The surprise aspects of my students’ final exam. 
2. The part of the exam where my students apply each of the five SIT techniques to a product.
3. The five criteria my students are graded on.
4. Why I like grading these finals.
5. A challenge for you to practice your creative skills this week.

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Are you as creative in the virtual world as you are in person?

This is an important question to be asking right now. The virtual world is taking over. More and more companies are going remote. You may even be working fully remote! We need to know if our creative output can remain the same online.

An article recently came out that says it can’t. It asserts that your innovation abilities and creative skills decrease when you’re virtual. Today, I want to discuss this article and its applications. What does it means for you as you lead your creative lifestyle online and offline? Let’s dig in! 

In this episode you’ll hear:

1. Why this topic of virtual communication is so important.
2. A summary of the study recently done on this.
3. My problem with the study.
4. Why multitasking is so detrimental.
5. Why brainstorming gets in the way of innovation.
6. How good creativity techniques overcome the limitations of the virtual world.
7. Why technique is more important than modality.

"Collaborating Over Videoconference Makes You Both Less Creative” blog post

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.