Page 58 - THE DO-IT-YOURSELF LOBOTOMY Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking

CHAPTER 2

Creativity = Problem

Solving

Do you like problems?
Is this a trick question?
Sure is.
When I ask this question at my seminars, sometimes a few brave souls
raise their hands. They understand something of the role of problems in
creative thinking. They see the value of problems. Intellectually, that is.
Of course, when people walk into any of their offices with 10 prob-
lems, these enlightened souls, too, can find themselves thinking of
problems as impediments to accomplishment rather than as booster
rockets for creativity.
Problems are a fundamental part of the creative thinking process.
Actually, I’ll go even further with that claim and state that problems
are a fundamental part of accomplishment.
Most people who study creativeness agree that problem solving is
essential to creative achievement. Most who truly understand creative-
ness believe it’s virtually impossible to be creative without a problem.
Think about it. To this point in your life you have been at your
best, creatively, when you are solving problems. And that’s true
whether or not you understand fully the role of problems in creative
accomplishment.
Look at your resume. Your achievement at every stage of your
career is the result of problem solving.

Without the daily challenges of problems, what the hell is it that you
do, anyway?