Of Creativity & Thinking "Out-of-the-Box"

I am intrigued whenever I hear people say in meetings that there is a need to think "out-of-the-box". This expression has become such a cliche in the corporate world that everytime someone uses it, I begin to suspect that his or her thinking could already be "boxed in" by certain preconceived notions about creativity.

I'm not exactly sure how this particular expression originated but I am reminded of a pyschology puzzle where the subject is asked to connect all the dots arranged within a rectangular matrix with a single continuous line -- without lifting the pen or pencil. Because these dots are within an invisible rectangle, most people tend to draw within the area designated by the dots, and finding the task of connecting the dots with a single continuous line impossible.

The rules never said that we cannot venture beyond the rectangle of dots: and the only possible solution is one that requires a line zigzagging its way out of the self-imposed boundary suggested by the dots. Hence thinking "out-of-the-box" is an indication of "creativity" or being able to venture beyond the ordinary modes of thinking.

Creativity is a strange thing. Writers and artist sometimes believe that their ideas are somehow divinely inspired -- the Muses being the daughters of Zeus -- because often the act of creation is one that cannot be invoked with consistency and certainty. Some believe it is an almost mystical gift that only certain "creative" people possess. ("I see dead people").

There are also many gurus out there who make a fortune teaching corporations how to be creative. Edward De Bono is the most notable one. He believes that creativity is something that can be learned and there are specific tools and techniques that can be used by anyone to generate creative ideas. His lateral thinking is already a part of our corporate creativity lexicon. He is also the one who made executives all over the world put on their "Six Thinking Hats".

I have personally read many of De Bono's books and found them quite insightful, although he is very repetitive. His first book, The Mechanism of Mind is probably his best. De Bono not only expounds his thoughts very logically, he also exhibits his own personal creativity by accompanying his text with many diagrams -- a wonderful array of hand-drawn boxes, bubbles, arrows and spermatozoal shapes -- to illustrates his many concepts. To me this is the most interesting feature of his books.

I am not sure if one can successfully learn creativity from a book. It is also arrogant of us to believe that only certain privileged people are capable of being creative. We all have a right to be creative. The proof of creativity is in its execution. All the creativity in the world is worthless if brilliant ideas cannot be translated into action. The artist paints, the writer writes and the engineer builds.

To create means to bring something that has not existed before into being. The ability to create something out of nothing -- as opposed to copying or modifying -- is what matters.

Creativity, in the final analysis is, simply, the successful act of creation.