Thoughts on Creative Thinking

I’m fortunate to have spent a large portion of my entire career in creative environments. I’ve jumped the fence several times between ad agency life and client-side marketing director positions. I spend my days with talented people whose jobs it is to come up with concepts, designs and just the right words to sell something to someone. Part of my role in the daily circus is to keep everyone on point, on track and on budget without crushing their creativity within the parameters of reality. It requires creative thinking. It’s one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of my career and personal life.

Creative thinking is the combination of the left brain (creative) and right brain (thinking). It’s the ability to take the intangible parts of the creative process and combine them with facts and numbers to create a kick ass end product. For example, consider an ad campaign where the concept is dead-on with flawless art direction and compelling copy that nails the emotional hook. The less obvious, and at times, more exciting creative thinking shine in things like media plans that are developed on more than just demographics, reach and frequency. It may seem less sexy, but it’s just as creative.

Creating an environment that encourages mental off-road thinking and what-iffing can yield the best results to any challenge. There’s a lot to be said for acknowledging where creative thinking comes from. There have been studies conducted on why people often come up with great ideas in the shower (hence, the inspiration for my logo). There have been days when I knew I had to come up with some great solutions and have prayed in the shower for divine intervention for that big idea.

How do you foster creative thinking in your world?