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Whole-Brain Creativity: The Synergy of Associative and Linear Thinking

5/24/2016

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Creativity requires many different types of brain activity, including both divergent and convergent thinking, or what we might once have labeled “right brain” and “left brain” processes. We now know that to bring a creative idea to fruition, we must employ both associative, or non-linear, thinking that plays with different ideas and images, weaving them together in new ways, as well as more logical, linear thinking that clarifies the required steps to complete a creative project and share it with the world.

Many of us in the creative fields are quite good at associative or divergent thinking. We’ve come to trust our ability to weave together ideas or patterns that might seem, at first glance, unrelated. Some might say that this is the essence of creativity. If we examine deeply creative people such as Leonardo Da Vinci, we see much of his genius lay not just in his technique but also in his interest in a wide swath of subjects. To diverge, to explore many possible solutions or connections, is to approach the world through an expansive, curious lens.

Linear thinking, on the other hand, applies a structure or set of goals to a given project, suggesting a pathway for completion. Learning to move between these two kinds of thinking with discernment and agility is key for anyone on a deadline or who wants to enjoy both process and product. It’s fun and meaningful to brainstorm and consider possible associations and connective threads between disparate elements, but at some point, most of us feel the urge to move into forming a concrete plan for delivering on our ideas. 

For example, a songwriter may begin with a simple phrase or musical refrain based on an emotional experience, a dream, or an image. From this basic poetic or musical element, she may then write out a set of lyrics based on associations with that primary image or element in order to tell a story or create a musical tapestry out of it. This is the associative phase of the creative process. But then she must edit and hone the lyrics so that they flow and rhyme and fit together with a specific melody, and then practice the song over and over, solidifying the arrangement, and rehearsing it until it is ready to be performed. This is the more linear phase of the process.

Once we start to apply linear thinking to a project, we’ve entered a new phase of creativity, and this phase is one we’d like to celebrate a little more. It’s not just that we get things done, but that new associations can arise as a result of integrating these two types of thinking. In other words, we need both types of thinking and once we learn to use them with more agility and discernment, we can become open to the lovely synergies that can occur. It's not just about one mode or another, but how we bring all of them together.

At Syncreate, we’re excited about the ways these two types of thinking can enliven the creative process, build community, and help a greater number of people know the joy of both process and product. We’re working on a set of tools that will foster all of this, and we invite you to check out Syncreator, your digital creativity coach.

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The "Softer" side of creativity: How emotions and group dynamics drive organizational creativity and innovation

10/10/2014

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By Melinda

Have you ever stopped to consider how your emotional state affects your creativity, or how interpersonal dynamics, such as trust and a sense of safety, affect your team’s ability to work together effectively? Creativity always happens within a context, and the people and environments we interact with actually play a huge role in our ability to generate fresh ideas and put them into action within a group or organization.  In recent years, creativity researchers have investigated creativity and innovation among individuals in specific professional environments, as well as within teams, organizations, and industries in order to better understand group creativity and innovation, including what factors promote or hinder creativity, and how organizations can facilitate and enhance creativity in order to drive innovation.

Creative problem solving (and question asking) requires both critical and creative thinking, including an ability to apprehend the depth and complexity of the creative task or problem at hand, and to think imaginatively about possible approaches in order to arrive at an original and elegant solution. Indeed, creativity and innovation at the organizational level represent complex interactions between individuals and teams requiring a good deal of empathy, sensitivity, and skillful communication between parties in order to achieve effective collaboration and the best and most harmonious solutions to challenging problems.

A number of studies on organizational creativity have shown that individual-level emotional and affective states, as well as interpersonal and organization-wide dynamics, play a significant role in the creative process. Generally speaking, group creativity benefits from positive affect and activating moods, a feeling of flow that involves task engagement and challenging goals, and a balance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on the part of individual team members. When individuals collaborate in teams and organizations, they thrive on a sense of connection, empathy, trust, and good working relationships.

Teams also benefit tremendously from positive, transformational leadership built on the ability to communicate a larger vision, enroll team members in that vision, and truly listen and receive feedback. It’s important for leaders to allow team members a large degree of individual autonomy and freedom to explore. In contrast, negative mood, an overly controlling leadership style, and a lack of trust and psychological safety among teams can hinder collaboration and creativity in the organizational context. Ultimately, leaders and team members who are able to listen deeply, communicate skillfully, and promote positive affect and organizational climate are those most likely to thrive creatively and drive innovation.


Interested in learning more? Check out these references:

Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1996/2013.

Encyclopedia of Creativity, 2nd Edition, Edited by Mark Runco and Steve Pritzker, San Diego: Academic Press, 2011.

Group creativity: Innovation through collaboration Edited by Paul Paulus and Bernard Nijstad. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Handbook of Organizational Creativity, Edited by Michael Mumford. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2012.

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    Authors:
    Charlotte Gullick
    Melinda Rothouse

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