Perspectives on creativity

According to the Oxford dictionary, creativity is 'the use of imagination or ideas to create something'.

The ability to harness creativity has a lot of value in data science, for example coming up with new ideas, new ways of visualising or posing problems, and coming up with new solutions.

There are times when one gets drawn into a particular way of thinking, that can come from a one-sided approach to thinking about a problem. It can help to broaden ones horizons by doing some research and reading up on a similar, related problem and how others have approached it. For example, looking at similarly structured data from a different field, and the type of analysis that has been done.

Being creative does not necessarily mean conjuring up an idea out of thin air – it can come from taking a multidisciplinary approach, for example exploring how a particular technique used in one domain of science can be applied to another.

Of course, it may not be necessary to ‘reinvent the wheel’ if a tried-and-tested approach gives acceptable results, if the gain from improving the approach is not worthwhile.

There are a number of ways in which one can tap into their creativity.

1. Read more. By educating yourself about the field in which you want to be creative in and about the different solutions that already exist, it becomes possible to see where the weaknesses of the existing approaches are, as well as potential new avenues to explore.

2. Step back and let your mind wander. In doing this, it becomes easier to ‘see the forest’ and not just ‘the trees’ - in other words, this will help to visualise a problem in different ways.

3. Think of and try different approaches. Write down as many ideas or thoughts that come to mind about the task at hand, without overanalysing your thoughts because this becomes a barrier to creativity. Choose the simplest solution first to see if it works, and work your way up to the more complex ones if necessary.

4. Change your location. By being in one place for too long can eventually lead you to stop coming up with ideas or get stuck in a certain way of thinking, so changing your environment can help.

5. Exercise. Go for a run or walk outside. The new sights will stimulate new ideas. Exercise has also been shown to result in the formation of new neurons and pathways.

There is a real sense of accomplishment once you think of and apply a creative solution to a problem. Taking a creative approach also helps in providing different perspectives on other matters as well, as you are training your brain to think of multiple possibilities. It is a welcome break to some more routine tasks, providing you with challenges and opportunities for growth.