This Is How You Become More Creative

Start With A Brick And A Blanket

Photo by Thea Smc on Unsplash

Before you go any further, answer these two questions:

1. Write down everything you can think of to do with a brick
2. Write down everything you can think of to do with a blanket

That small test was made famous in the popular book, Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and it’s also the first step in becoming more creative.

Why?

The more answers you give, the more of a divergent thinker you are.

Divergent thinkers are ideas-focused. They start with a stimulating thought (brick, blanket) and generate ideas and new solutions.

Convergent thinkers are answers-focused. They are asked questions and then seek out facts to answer the questions.

This diagram breaks it down nicely:

Infographic from Maura Crabtree

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