I’ve decided to dedicate this week to thinking because that’s how my posts shaped up 
so far. It will be known as the “Thought-Full Series.” Robert Sternberg, the developer of the triarchic theory of intelligence, divides thinking into three categories: analytical thinking, creative thinking and practical thinking. The analytical thinking refers to abstract thinking and logical reasoning. It is about analyzing and evaluating information. Creative thinking is about the ability to generate new ideas and deal with novel situations. Practical thinking is about the ability to apply the knowledge in the real world and change your environment. Last Monday, I wrote about reasoning by analogy as part of analytical thinking. Yesterday’s post about goal-setting illustrated practical thinking. Today’s theme is creative thinking.
How important is creative thinking to lawyers? Lawyers are not usually seen as creative types. After all, they research the rules and advise on how to follow the rules. At the same time, there are many aspects of law practice that can benefit from creativity: how to find ingenious solutions for your clients while obeying the laws, how to negotiate better outcomes for all, how to mediate conflicts, how to communicate with your clients effectively, how to cut costs and grow business. Can you think outside the box but play by the rules?
“Think like a fool,” advises Roger von Oech of Creative Think. You will benefit from fresh perspectives, shrewd observations and surprising insights.
Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project offers Eight tips for sparking your creativity. Let your mind wander and take notes.
I like to listen to Accidental Creative podcasts because I want to be “prolific, brilliant and healthy.”
What do you do to nurture your creativity?
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