If we look closely, the fruits of human creativity are everywhere around us in many forms. Most of the time, they are apparent on the solutions that make human life easier, which we call technology.
Technology is now an inseparable part of human life. But let us pause for a moment and think back. Why does humanity cling to technologies, and why do we keep developing our technologies? It all comes down to one answer. We have problems to solve, and our lives would be better with that problem solved!
Creativity is a Skill to Survive
Granted that the implementation of creativity is not always related to problem-solving. Nevertheless, the reason why it is crucial, is because there are problems to solve. And we believe the future will be brighter with those problems out of the way.
Some of those problems may be so unbearable that we will do everything in our power to solve. I can probably still live in a world without music (although that is a really sad world). However, there is no way I can bear living in caves during winter, in a world without houses.
I have to thank our predecessors for coming up with the idea of making houses. That solution alone has greatly increased the humanity rate of survival, by solving the problem of people dying due to the cold and beasts.
So, if solving crucial problems is directly related to our likelihood to survive, those who has inadequate problem-solving skill are going to be in constant danger. Because new day, new problems.
Some problems can be solved by imitating proven solutions. However, sometimes unique creative solutions are the only answer. This means, not training your creativity is indirectly the same as leaving your survival mainly to lady luck and hoping that a kind person will bail you out of any future problems.
The Most Important Aspect in Problem-Solving
Now that you know the importance of creativity in problem-solving, let me share one tips for problem-solving. The most important aspects in problem-solving is asking the right questions and identifying the root cause.
Let me illustrate. Imagine your roof is leaking, and water puddle is building up on the floor, causing a mess. If you want to solve your problem once and for all, the correct question that you should ask is, how to stop the water from coming in.
If you ask yourself why there is a hole in the roof, it is not really going to help you fix your problem. Because the hole is already there! Only by asking the right question, you can get the right answer, which is plugging the hole in the roof somehow.
The other aspect is identifying the root cause. On the same example from before, you can imagine that you are actually facing multiple problems. Other than the hole in the roof, the puddle of water is making the floor wet and potentially destroying your furniture.
If you focus only on the puddle of water, you can “solve” your problem halfway by containing the dripping water in a bucket. But that will not solve your leaking roof problem for a long term, because the root of the issue is the hole in the roof.
Set your sight on the root cause by asking the right questions will make you a better problem solver. If you want to learn more about how to be more creative in solving problems, check out my book “Think Outside the Box for Real”. You will be able to implement the Systematic Creative Thinking for everyday life and come up with your own original solution.