Logic means digging in the most probable place until you find what you’re looking for. Creativity means digging in random places, accepting that you’ll know what you’re looking for only when you find it.

logic vs creativity

2. Quantity = Quality

Creativity lives beyond the first few bad ideas.

Set a quota (e.g., 20 headlines) and keep going ‘till you meet it.

list of bad ideas with one good idea

3. Cultivate Creativity

Creativity is a skill. Practice daily, and you’ll improve.

Here’s how you can practice on the go:

come up with funny captions for images you see, and reimagine things by thinking of new designs for everyday objects

4. Think Laterally

Vertical thinking will lead you to obvious results.

Instead, open any book, pick a random word, and try to connect it with your problem. Magic will happen.

vertical thinking: facts, solution vs lateral thinking: random input, creative solution

5. Avoid Crazytivity

Creativity must have value. Don’t do something differently only for the sake of being different.

6. Yes! And… vs. Yes, but…

Never reject your partner’s ideas immediately. Instead, develop them.

The dumbest ideas often lead to a breakthrough. Also, people will share more ideas with you if they know you won’t judge them.

triangular car with normal wheels
"Triangle wheels? Yes! And… what if we made a triangle car? Let’s call it the Cybertruck!”

7. Think Now. Search Later.

​Google shows almost the same results to everyone. So before googling, brainstorm by yourself, or you’ll end up doing the same as everyone else.

google search how to think for myself

8. Control Your Ego

We often cling to a bad idea because we’re defending our self-esteem, not the idea. Wear different thinking hats to evaluate ideas objectively.

9. Fix What Ain’t Broken

Even if something is good, it doesn’t mean it can’t get better. Identify the most dominant ideas in your field, and challenge them.

a phone must have a keyboard

10. Use Fractionation

Break down your problem into components and try to solve each part separately or rearrange it differently.

problem: taxis are sketchy, solution: reimagine into uber

11. Make Mistakes

​Schools reward those who are never wrong.

The real world rewards those who dare to be wrong.

school, learn, answer correctly, succeed vs real life, brainstorm, fail, learn, brainstorm again, suceed

12. Think Visually

Language is the biggest barrier to creative progress. Old perceptions are frozen into words, making us see things in an old-fashioned way.

verbal thinking (it's a strand of spaghetti) vs visual thinking (it's thin and hollow stick, I can use it as an eco-friendly straw