Learn How to Enhance Your Own Creative Genius | Skip Prichard, Leadership Insights

You teach that we need to shift our frame of reference in order to see things from a new vantage point. Do you have any suggestions on how to make this shift? 

That's one of the questions Prichard asks in this interview with Tina Seelig, author of a new book, inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity. Seelig is the director of the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation and the executive director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. 

 
Prichard writes:

Read her book and you will find yourself on the front row of her always-filled class on innovation. It’s a practical guide helping anyone improve his or her creativity. 

Here are some highlights of Seelig's answers to Prichard's questions:

Are we born with a creative gene or are we able to learn it as a skill? ...
That we have the ability to come up with an endless set of novel responses to the world around us is a constant reminder that we are naturally inventive.

You teach that we need to shift our frame of reference in order to see things from a new vantage point. Do you have any suggestions on how to make this shift? ...
For example, how would a child or a senior see the situation? What about an expert or a novice, or a local inhabitant versus a visitor? A wealthy person or poor one? A tall person or a short one? Each angle provides a different perspective on the situation and unleashes new insights. ...

I really appreciated the concept you called “creative procrastination” to build up “creative pressure.” Explain that concept and how you can use it to your advantage.
Every environment has constraints. They include some combination of time, money, space, people, and competition. These constraints sharpen your imagination and enhance innovation. ...

You discuss experimentation and how it isn’t always supported in various work environments. How can organizations help foster a culture to encourage creative thinking? ...
The key is to get concepts out in front of others as soon as possible so that everyone gets rapid feedback on their ideas. ... Experiments provide essential information—whether they work out as you had hoped or not. In fact, failed experiments are incredibly valuable in that they help close off paths that aren’t viable. ...

Attitude plays a huge role in success. How have you seen belief make a difference in someone’s success? ...
That is, your mind-set is a key determinant in how you interpret and respond to situations. ... Essentially, if you believe something is possible, then it is.

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This article is featured in today's (July 14) Garbl's Creativity Connections. It's available at the Creativity tab above and by free email subscription.