Understand that the best creative thinking will draw upon different fields and disciplines. What is novel is one discipline is natural and worn in another. One of the best examples of this is Einstein’s combinatory play, which interweaves logical and creative thought—as a mental break, or through combining the two thought processes. Einstein’s other contribution to creative thinking is in his usage of thought experiments and playing out hypotheticals in detail to their logical conclusion.

To get more creative, think more plainly. It sounds counterintuitive, but simple thoughts underlie complex processes and solutions. Thinking more basically allows you to refocus on what matters and escape what is known as functional fixedness. When we start to view goals and concepts in isolation and free of contextual constraints, we are freed.

Finally, try out an idea box. It’s a methodical way for you to rapidly generate a massive amount of ideas geared toward the exact problem you want to solve. It’s similar to the SCAMPER method because it very clearly and visually encourages force fitting.

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