Of course, truly creative imagination goes beyond solving specific problems or inventing things. Truly creative minds are always coming up with the questions too, not just the solutions. To cultivate this kind of creativity, focus on three things:
1. Changing your perspective. A child might think working just to not work (to retire) is silly. Thinking from that child's perspective might give you ideas for how to make money doing things you enjoy. Seeing the world as a bear sees it might give a painter imaginative new ideas. Seeing things from a customer's perspective is a sure way to find creative improvements for a business. Try to see everything from several perspectives.
2. Challenging your assumptions. Imagine if restaurants didn't have employees. Customers pay a machine as they enter, feed themselves at a buffet, and everything is as automated as possible, so one owner-operator could run a large restaurant alone. Challenge all your assumptions for practice. Do you really have to pay rent? Do swimming pools need water? Can exercise be a bad thing?
3. Let your ideas run wild. Maybe a flying bed seems silly, but then it could lead to the concept of a helium mattress. You get off it in the morning, and it floats up and out of the way, to the ceiling. Perfect for small apartments. Try hard not to stifle your creativity. Just relax, and let ideas come in any form. You can always discard them later.
To make these techniques a habitual part of your thinking, you have to use them regularly. Since it takes several weeks to develop a habit, remind yourself to use them each day. For example, list a few of your favorite creative problem solving techniques on a card and carry it with you. Look it over throughout the day and apply them to anything. Soon, you'll have a more creative imagination.
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