Lateral thinking for creativity and innovation using a technique called REST

Lateral thinking does for your mind what electricity does for a light bulb. It is the juice that enhances creativity.

Lateral thinking is a term created by Edward de Bono to describe a process of looking at problems from different angles or perspectives. By doing so, you can find an innovative solution that would otherwise remain hidden from view.

The theory assumes that the more you look at a problem from different directions, the better your chances of finding a way to solve it.

There are only 3 ways that innovation can happen:

1) Something never seen before is created, for example the transistor.

2) Something that exists is repurposed for a different use, such as using a microwave to cook food or

3) Something existing is improved by incorporating another existing product or service in whole or in part, such as the first steam powered automobile.

History has shown that of the three, the combination of two existing products or services in whole or in part is the most common method used to inspire new ideas that enhance our human experience.

The problem with all these methods is that inspiration often comes by “chance” after a long concentration of brain bleed.

Usually it goes something like this: You expend an enormous amount of mental energy on a problem you’re trying to solve. You go over the problem countless times, like a dog biting its tail, and you get nothing. You’re about to throw in the towel when, as if by some strange magic, you have an epiphany! The solution to your problem appears with absolute clarity.

In most cases, these disclosures are spurred by some random appearance of something completely unrelated.

What’s really maddening is figuring out the solution to a perplexing problem, it was so obvious in hindsight that you kick yourself for being too blind to see it.

I call it my “Homer Simpson” moment where I smack my forehead and go “Doh!”

Why is that? Why do we miss the obvious so often?

Our minds are well trained in logical thinking. We have been educated and socialized in a world where logical thinking is required to function.

Our natural capacity for creative thought has diminished to a woefully impotent level, either through underdevelopment and/or underuse. Only a lucky few managed to keep their creative minds blooming well into adulthood.

For most people, there is a disconnect between the analytical left brain and the creative right brain.

Our brain contains ninety billion neurons with the potential for one hundred trillion unique connections. New connections are made with each new thought generated by our experience and imagination.

Our mind cannot distinguish between the two. We have many experiences to form new connections, but as adults we have very few connections created using our natural creativity, our imagination!

Thinking laterally stimulates our imagination by creating new connections that link the logical left side of your brain with your creative right side.

A powerful mind is created when there are many connections between the two sides.

Although opposed to each other, Lateral Thinking and Logical Thinking work hand in hand. Lateral Thinking inspires while Logical Thinking implements.

Once your mind embraces the process of lateral thinking, you quickly learn that it’s okay to use the accumulated knowledge you have and combine it in new, often crazy ways to inspire inventive solutions to any problem you face.

There is a technique called REST (Random External Stimulus Technique) that inspires creative thinking.

Instead of waiting for the “opportunity” to inspire your creativity, you can train your mind to seek inspiration.

The biggest challenge you will have to face in learning the Random External Stimulus Technique is your own logical mind. Your journey to become more focused, smarter, even a genius requires you to practice being absolutely dumb!

Yeah, get incredibly dumb!

Expect to be ridiculous to begin with, your logical mind has been in control for so long that you will resist it and may even feel embarrassed. So practice intensely alone. Have fun, laugh at yourself, but seriously push your imagination!

You will be surprised how exciting the experience is!

Just as working out requires you to push your body far beyond what you do for the rest of the day, exercising your creative mind requires the same thing.

Lateral thinking develops your creativity. For fun solve this problem using REST.

Practice randomly choosing something around you at this time. Do this before reading on…

…OK, have you chosen something?

Now, using this object as inspiration, try to solve this problem:

How many numbers are in ZERO? I give you a hint, there are more than 64,000 numbers in ZERO! Tell me how can this be?

The best way to start is to write down all the characteristics and origins of the random inspiration you picked. Write down everything you know about it as you think about the problem. Use your wild imagination without censorship, without judging the result. Make up stories that can answer this question and write them no matter how stupid or idiotic they may sound or seem.

Remember this is just practice.

If you really want to have fun with this, do some research on the random item to learn more about it.

Once you’ve exhausted all of your crazy ideas and written them down, look through them with a logical mind for anything that might show some merit or spark a legitimate idea.

The important “must” in this exercise is the source of your inspiration, it must be totally random!

If you try to pick something that you (logically) think is best to use as a stimulus, you miss the opportunity to train your mind.

If you find a solution to this problem please let me know, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me at my website listed below.